THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government, the other day, ordered the release of funds for reconstructing the fully or severely damaged houses (more than 75 per cent damage) of flood victims. But going by the current pace of rehabilitation of victims who lost their houses and property, it might be a long-drawn affair. Sample this: District Collectors had been asked to identify suitable land in their jurisdiction for rehabilitating such flood victims and submit a report with the Land Revenue commissioner by the first week of October.
However, despite the second week of the month coming to a close, the consolidated reports from flood-hit districts are yet to reach the commissioner’s office. A senior officer said it will take at least three to four months to identify the required land owing to a scarcity of revenue land in the state for rehabilitation.
“We lack a digital repository or land databank to quickly identify vacant revenue land required for the project. So, a physical inspection by village officers which is endorsed by the tahsildar and the District Collector is required. That the identified land does not fall under ecologically fragile category and won’t be flooded in another bout of heavy rain have to be ensured, too,” the officer said.
Following the delay in identifying the land for rehabilitation, the Revenue Department issued an order asking Collectors to look for land lying vacant under the state/public sector institutions, land set aside by various departments for projects which failed to materialise or were leftover after the project’s realisation, unproductive plantations and land which would be donated by agencies and individuals.
Issued by the Additional Chief Secretary (Revenue) P H Kurian, the order clarified plots of 3-5 cents should be marked for construction in the identified lands. In areas where land is scarce but the number of families to be rehabilitated is relativity high, multi-storey structures have to be constructed to accommodate them.