Rehabilitation of Sardar Sarovar Dam land owners

Gandhinagar: Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has decided to merge about 80 settlements formed for the rehabilitation of landowners of land submerged due to the construction of Sardar Sarovar Dam, with their nearby ancestral villages. Settlements have been constructed at various places by the Sardar Sarovar Rehabilitation Agency for the rehabilitation of encroachers whose land has been submerged due to the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.

Positive decision: In such settlements built by rehabilitating the affected people under Narmada Yojana, physical facilities like residential houses, drinking water facility, roads, common plots, schools, hospitals etc. have been provided to the affected people. The representation received by the State Panchayat, Village Housing and Rural Development Department regarding merging such settlements with their nearest ancestral village has been approved by the department before Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Benefit to 80 colonies: With this decision of the Chief Minister, the pending matter regarding such colonies has been resolved amicably. As per the decision, 9 villages of Bharuch district, 14 of Chhotaudepur district, 13 of Narmada, 38 of Vadodara, 5 of Panchmahal and 1 of Kheda will be merged into the original village. As these settlements merge into the parent village, they will benefit from various services provided by the Gram Panchayat. Not only this, the opportunity to participate in the decision making process of Gram Panchayat and integration of those Gram Panchayats will also lead to greater coordination and interaction in social customs, practices.