Will reclaim unused land from BBMB: Jagat Singh Negi

The Himachal Government will reclaim unused land from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) that falls within the state’s limits, Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi told The Tribune at Dharamsala on Friday.

The minister said, “The BBMB had acquired large tracts of land in Himachal in 1960s for the construction of various dams. However, it has not been able to use all land. The Himachal Government will now make efforts to acquire the unused land from the BBMB, as demarcated by the Revenue Department. Once the unused land with the BBMB is demarcated, the government will reclaim it. There is a law that if the land acquired for any public project is not used for the purpose, it can be returned to the original users.”

The BBMB has its projects in Mandi, Kangra and Bilaspur districts. It has townships in Sudernagar, Pandoh and Dehar areas of Mandi district, Pong Dam in Kangra district and the Bhakra Dam in Bilaspur district. Large tracts of land is lying unused with the BBMB since these dams were constructed.

Negi said that the unused land was being reclaimed from the BBMB so that it could be used for the welfare of the Bhakra and Pong Dam oustees.

He added that data had been sought regarding the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds utilised by the BBMB. The board should use its CSR funds for the welfare of the areas that were affected due to the construction of the dams and other projects, he added.

The minister was in Dharamsala to chair a meeting of the state-level Pong Dam Visthapit Welfare Committee, which was held after 10 years. Sources said that the meeting was held on the intervention of CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, whose wife Kamlesh Thakur represents the Dehra Assembly constituency in Kangra district, where a large number of Pong Dam oustees are staying.

Negi said that the Rajasthan Government had not allotted land to 6,736 Pong Dam oustees.

When the land of the people residing on the banks of the Beas in Kangra district was acquired for the construction of the Pong Dam lake, they were promised that irrigated land in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan would be allotted to them. However, 6,736 of 20,000 Pong Dam oustees, who had applied for the allotment of land in Rajasthan, were yet to be allotted land, he added.

The minister said that a committee of officials had been formed to take up the case of the Pong Dam oustees for the allotment of land with the Rajasthan Government.

A high-powered committee headed by the Minister of Water resources had also been formed for the

purpose.