Govt hike compensation amount for locals in Kedar

Dehradun: In order to expedite resettlement of those rendered homeless in Kedarnath and nearby areas in 2013 mid-June flashfloods, the state cabinet on Friday night gave a green signal to the proposal to hike the total compensation amount from Rs 8.5 crore to Rs 90 crore. The compensation amount will be given to locals, including 4,000 priests so that they can rebuild their houses.
A senior IAS officer told TOI that the cabinet decided to raise the amount of compensation to Rs 90 crore on the basis of current circle rates of Rs 27,000 per-square-km in the region.
Chief minister Harish Rawat said as part of the resettlement plan, a 50 feet wide trek would be built on the lower side of the Kedarnath temple after consulting the locals there. “I have asked Rudraprayag district magistrate to initiate the process of resettlement,” said Rawat.
A senior government functionary at Kedarnath said as many as 327 deluge-hit houses will be demolished to make way for construction of the 50 feet wide trek in the region to ensure smooth movement of people.