Committee recommends land allotment to 6,736 Pong Dam displaced families

SHIMLA: A committee formed to address the relief and rehabilitation of families displaced by the Pong Dam project in Kangra district has recommended allotting land to 6,736 displaced families and establishing a grievance redressal cell to address concerns related to infrastructure and facilities.

The committee, chaired by Sanjay Kumar Dhiman, deputy commissioner (relief and rehabilitation), includes sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Jwali Vichitra Singh and Tehsildar Dehra Karam Chand Kalia as members. It submitted its report to revenue minister Jagat Singh Negi on Wednesday.

The revenue minister stated that a state-level meeting was held in Dharamshala on October 18 to discuss the rehabilitation plan. Following this, the committee inspected land identified for the displaced families in Rajasthan, covering regions such as Ramgarh, Jaisalmer, Mohangarh, and Nachana, between October 25 and 27 in coordination with Rajasthan government officials.

Negi highlighted that 75,268 acres of land were acquired in 1966-67 for the Pong Dam project, impacting 339 villages. The Pong Dam, constructed on the Beas River in Kangra district in 1975, affected 20,722 families, of which 16,352 have been deemed eligible for land allotment. However, 6,736 families are still awaiting rehabilitation. A significant number of displaced families currently reside in the Dehra subdivision of Kangra district.

The state government plans to convene a ministerial-level meeting next month to discuss the committee's findings and expedite the rehabilitation process. Negi added that the state government would seek central government assistance to ensure timely and effective relief efforts.

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