DADUPURNALVI CANAL LAND DENOTIFIED

CHANDIGARH: The Haryana cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal of the irrigation department to de-notify about 1,019 acre acquired for the construction of Dadupur Nalvi irrigation scheme.

An official spokesperson said the Dadupur Nalvi scheme was first initiated in 1985 and project was approved for Rs 13 crore for irrigation and recharging of ground water in Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Ambala districts.

For implementing the scheme, about 190 acre was acquired during 1987-90. But the scheme could not be further taken up.

In 2005, the project was again approved with Rs 267 crore for this scheme in which Shahbad feeder, Shahbad distributory and Nalvi distributory ,along with 23 off-taking channels, were to be constructed.

As per the project, 2,246acre land was to be acquired/used for construction of this scheme. Out of it, the irrigation department acquired about 1,019 acre for construction of main channels — Shahbad feeder, Shahbad distributory and Nalvi distributory.

The acquisition of the land cost Rs 75 crore as per the award. Besides, Rs 116 crore were paid as enhancement as per court orders. Till date, a total of Rs 192 crore have been paid to land owners for 1,019-acre land.

The other channels, which were to irrigate 92,532 hectares of these districts, could not be taken up due to resistance of land owners/ farmers as farmers were not interested to give their land for construction of minor, saying water would be available to them only during rainy season when they do not require water. Hence the government abandoned the execution of these channels.

It is also brought out that Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in its annual report of 2011-2012 made observations regarding this scheme.

The department’s reply of partially recharging the area and providing irrigation facilities to the land surrounding the channel constructed was also not found convincing to Public Accounts Committee . The land owners whose land was acquired from 2005 onwards were not satisfied with the award of lower courts and filed appeals in Punjab and Haryana high court. The high court in 2016 awarded compensation at the rate of Rs 116 lakh per acre.

As per the HC judgment, Rs 566 crore had became payable in respect of 167 acres which the government did not find feasible and decided to abandon the scheme and de-notify the acquired land.