HYDERABAD: The state government has appointed commissioner for rehabilitation and resettlement of affected families under The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.IAS officer Vikas Raj, who has been transferred from forest department to irrigation and comand area development was appointed as commissioner for rehabilitation and resettlement. In the irrigation department, Vikas Raj will look after Mission Kakatiya, Telangana State Irrigation Development Corporation (TSIDC) and minor irrigation.
Vikas Raj will also function as the Commissioner, Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) and Land Acquisition, Telangana. He was appointed as commissioner under the Central Government Act 30 of 2013. The state government recently gave two options to Mallanna Sagar project oustees either to choose compensation under 2013 Act or under state government's GO 123. In the wake of this, the state government appointed the Commissioner for R&R under the Centre' Act 2013.
Chapter 6 and Section 44 of the Act says: (1) The state government shall appoint an officer of the rank of commissioner or secretary of that government for rehabilitation and resettlement of affected families under this Act, to be called the Commissioner f o r Rehab i l i t a t i o n and Resettlement. (2) The commissioner shall be responsible for supervising the formulation of rehabilitation and resettlement schemes or plans and proper implementation of such schemes or plans. (3) The commissioner shall be responsible for the post-implementation social audit in consultation with the Gram Sabha in rural areas and municipality in urban areas.
Though orders appointing Vikas Raj as under the 2013 Act were issued by chief secretary Rajiv Sharma on Wednesday there was confusion whether Vikas Raj's jurisdiction is limited to irrigation land acquisition or not. But, official sources confirmed Thursday that the commissioner post was nothing to do with the irrigation department and it was appointed as per the 2 0 1 3 Act of the Cent ral government. Now, Vikas Raj will look after all the land acquisition and R&Rs in the state.
