Rehabilitation of nine Gosikhurd villages suspended

Bhandara: Gosikhurd rehabilitation division has stalled the rehabilitation process of nine villages which are included in submergence area of Gosikhurd National Irrigation Project. Executive engineer of the rehabilitation division sent a letter to this effect to land acquisition officer for Gosikhurd irrigation project. The reason is that the villages have been deemed to be in the backwaters-affected area.Kardha, Nerodi, Mujabi, Karchkheda Mujabi, Davadipar and three other villages were included in the submergence area of Gosikhurd irrigation project.The project-affected families were to be rehabilitated in a new township.
As per Maharashtra project-affected person rehabilitation act, the legal process was initiated and last notice under section 9 of the act was served to PAPs of nine villages. The notice means rehabilitation of concerned villages is approved by the government.
However, suddenly the executive engineer (EE) of Gosikhurd rehabilitation division sent a letter to district resettlement officer to suspend the process of rehabilitation of the nine villages. Earlier, Nagpur divisional commissioner and superintending engineer of Gosikhurd project had also sent letters to the EE to suspend the process of rehabilitation. The reason was that the nine villages are wrongfully included in submergence area. Actually, they are in the backwaters affected area. Therefore, the process has been stopped.
A new survey of backwaters affected villages will now be done. Until then, the villagers will have to face sleepless nights.