Govt finalises policy, regulations for merger of Narmada oustees' colonies with gram panchayats
A statement from the state government on Monday said that Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had approved the procedure by which 127 such settlements would be integrated into the local gram panchayats in the districts of Vadodara, Narmada, Chhota Udepur, Bharuch, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Mahisagar and Panchmahal.
The release said that the Gujarat Panchayat, Rural Housing and Rural Development department had launched a process by which the colonies being merged would be provided with basic civic amenities available to other villages under the panchayats, such as drinking water, connecting roads, internal roads, drainage, stormwater drains, and street lights. 'It would be the responsibility of the respective gram panchayats to ensure the availability and maintenance of the civic amenities in these colonies.
The release said that CM Patel has decided that the SSPA will continue to retain ownership of the plots in the colonies that have not been allocated. The SSPA, however, will hand over the records of the colonies and transfer of properties, such as anganwadis, schools, health centres, and the government departments located within the colonies, to the respective gram panchayats. Open plots will also be handed over to the gram panchayats to develop public amenities.
The gram panchayats will be empowered to collect taxes as per the Gujarat Panchayat Act, 1993, and also ensure the voting rights and representation of the residents of the vasahats in the upcoming elections.
The regulations, issued by the Panchayat department, will also apply to the Narmada vasahats that may be merged with the gram panchayats later.
On November 18, 2023, the Gujarat government had announced the merger of the vashats with the nearest village panchayats, thus eventual dissolution of the SSPA, the body that the oustees petition their grievances to.
Oustees, however, have been protesting against the merger, demanding for a better rehabilitation policy, including a revision of the cut-off date for identifying major sons (heirs who have attained adulthood) for land allotment to January 1, 1994, instead of January 1, 1987, as notified by the Gujarat government.
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