Coal India Limited has introduced a liberalised new Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy, 2012. The objective of the new policy is to provide greater flexibility in resettlement and rehabilitation of people affected by coal mining projects i.e. Projects. It attempts to consolidate the different resettlement and rehabilitation practices that are being followed by CIL subsidiaries as per the different State land Acquisition Acts to determine the rehabilitation packages best suited to local needs. This was informed by Coal Minister, Shri Sriprakash Jaiswal to the Members of Parliament attached to his Ministry, here today.
Apprising the Members of the highlights of the revised policy, Shri Jaiswal said that it emphasises the need to prepare detailed resettlement and rehabilitation action plans (RAPs) that clearly identify, at an early stage, the entitlements of the people affected by coal projects and enables them to exercise a choice between various options. He said that the concept of Annuity in lieu of compensation/employment is also being introduced to mitigate, if not eliminate the ever dependence of Project Affected Families.
The main features of the R&R Policy of CIL,2012, highlighted by the Coal Minister are as follows:-
• Land compensation to land oustees is paid as per the provisions of the concerned Act or State Government notification. Solatium and Escalation are paid to land oustees as per provisions of the concerned Act or as imposed by the concerned State Govt.
• Employment is provided to land oustees against every two acres of land. All the land losers who are not eligible for employment as above, are entitled to receive monetary compensation in lieu of employment at the rate of Rs. 5,00,000/- (Five Lakhs) for each acre of land on pro-rata basis.
• One time lump sum payment of Rs. 3,00,000/- (three lakhs), is paid in lieu of alternate House site, Assistance in designing Shifting Allowance, compensation for construction of cattle shed, Monetary compensation for construction of work shed etc. Each affected displaced family gets a subsistence allowance at the rate of 25 days (Minimum Agricultural Wage) per month for one-year.
• The coal companies assist the Project Affected People (PAPs) to establish non-farm self-employment through the provision of infrastructure, pretty contracts or formation of cooperatives and encourage provisions of Jobs with contractors. Contractors are persuaded to give jobs to eligible PAPs on preferential basis.
• As far as possible Coal companies shift the tribal community as a unit and provide facilities to meet the specific needs of the tribal community that allow them to maintain their unique cultural identity.
• Tribal affected families are given one time financial assistance of 500 days for loss of customary right or usages of forest produce loss. Tribal affected families resettled out of the district shall be given 25% higher rehabilitation and resettlement benefit.
• The coal companies provide at the resettlement site, a school, road with street light, pucca drain, pond dugwell and/ or tube well for drinking water supply, community center, place of worship, dispensary, grazing land for cattle and play ground. Similar infrastructural facility, if necessary is extended to the host locality.
• The community facilities and services are available to all residents of the resettlement colonies, including PAPs and the host population. The approach for operation of community facilities in flexible and all efforts are made to involve the State and local self-Government/Panchayat for operating the facilities. The planning of the community facilities and their construction is undertaken in consultation with the affected community.
Participating in the meeting Members of Parliament said that the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy of CIL should be made further lucrative and local people should be provided all possible assistance for skill development and to arrange better livelihood. They raised the issue of financial irregularities indisposing of coal dump and suggested through investigation. The meeting was attended by S/Shri K. Raj Gopal Reddy, Hemanand Biswai, Banghagopal Chowdhury, Ravindra Kumar Pandy, pashupatinath singh, Somabhai G. Patel, Yashwant S inha and Kameshwar Baitha, Om Prakash Yadav and Bhismshankar Alias ( Member of Lok Sabha) and S/Shri Ram Kripal Yadav, (Member of Rajya Sabha),
Apprising the Members of the highlights of the revised policy, Shri Jaiswal said that it emphasises the need to prepare detailed resettlement and rehabilitation action plans (RAPs) that clearly identify, at an early stage, the entitlements of the people affected by coal projects and enables them to exercise a choice between various options. He said that the concept of Annuity in lieu of compensation/employment is also being introduced to mitigate, if not eliminate the ever dependence of Project Affected Families.
The main features of the R&R Policy of CIL,2012, highlighted by the Coal Minister are as follows:-
• Land compensation to land oustees is paid as per the provisions of the concerned Act or State Government notification. Solatium and Escalation are paid to land oustees as per provisions of the concerned Act or as imposed by the concerned State Govt.
• Employment is provided to land oustees against every two acres of land. All the land losers who are not eligible for employment as above, are entitled to receive monetary compensation in lieu of employment at the rate of Rs. 5,00,000/- (Five Lakhs) for each acre of land on pro-rata basis.
• One time lump sum payment of Rs. 3,00,000/- (three lakhs), is paid in lieu of alternate House site, Assistance in designing Shifting Allowance, compensation for construction of cattle shed, Monetary compensation for construction of work shed etc. Each affected displaced family gets a subsistence allowance at the rate of 25 days (Minimum Agricultural Wage) per month for one-year.
• The coal companies assist the Project Affected People (PAPs) to establish non-farm self-employment through the provision of infrastructure, pretty contracts or formation of cooperatives and encourage provisions of Jobs with contractors. Contractors are persuaded to give jobs to eligible PAPs on preferential basis.
• As far as possible Coal companies shift the tribal community as a unit and provide facilities to meet the specific needs of the tribal community that allow them to maintain their unique cultural identity.
• Tribal affected families are given one time financial assistance of 500 days for loss of customary right or usages of forest produce loss. Tribal affected families resettled out of the district shall be given 25% higher rehabilitation and resettlement benefit.
• The coal companies provide at the resettlement site, a school, road with street light, pucca drain, pond dugwell and/ or tube well for drinking water supply, community center, place of worship, dispensary, grazing land for cattle and play ground. Similar infrastructural facility, if necessary is extended to the host locality.
• The community facilities and services are available to all residents of the resettlement colonies, including PAPs and the host population. The approach for operation of community facilities in flexible and all efforts are made to involve the State and local self-Government/Panchayat for operating the facilities. The planning of the community facilities and their construction is undertaken in consultation with the affected community.
Participating in the meeting Members of Parliament said that the Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy of CIL should be made further lucrative and local people should be provided all possible assistance for skill development and to arrange better livelihood. They raised the issue of financial irregularities indisposing of coal dump and suggested through investigation. The meeting was attended by S/Shri K. Raj Gopal Reddy, Hemanand Biswai, Banghagopal Chowdhury, Ravindra Kumar Pandy, pashupatinath singh, Somabhai G. Patel, Yashwant S inha and Kameshwar Baitha, Om Prakash Yadav and Bhismshankar Alias ( Member of Lok Sabha) and S/Shri Ram Kripal Yadav, (Member of Rajya Sabha),
