Latest news with #RevenueandDisasterManagementDepartment
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
As Assam CM defends eviction drives, Opposition sniffs ploy to clear space for corporate houses
Jiten Gohain is the head of one of 218 families evicted during a drive the authorities in Assam's Lakhimpur district carried out on July 3 to reclaim 78 acres of Village Grazing Reserve (VGR) land across four locations. On July 8, the district's Sub-Divisional Land Advisory Committee approved the allotment of 1.5 kathas (4,320 sq. ft) of land each to 21 families evicted, in one of the fastest such exercises. Among them were 12 belonging to the Ahom community, which is seeking Scheduled Tribe status, to which Mr. Gohain belongs. District Commissioner Pronab Jit Kakoty said the eviction drive was conducted following 'due process'. He said the affected families, which failed to produce land ownership documents, were served notices on June 29. 'I had a larger plot from where we were evicted, but the government has at least provided some space,' Mr. Gohain said. Abul Hasan Sheikh, one of some 200-odd Bengali-speaking Muslim families evicted from Lakhimpur, is not sure if the government would be equally 'generous' to provide him an alternative plot. He is originally a resident of western Assam's South Salmara-Mankachar district along the border with Bangladesh. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma named him and at least a dozen others from faraway districts – most of them Muslim-majority – to underline the alleged 'agenda of demographic invasion by strategically occupying lands in areas dominated by indigenous communities'. 'An analysis has revealed that the families evicted from Lakhimpur included 76 from Barpeta, 63 from Nagaon, seven from Goalpara, and two from South Salmara-Mankachar. Why should someone from South Salmara go to Lakhimpur instead of going to West Bengal, about 50 km away?' Mr. Sarma told reporters on Tuesday. 'Voter list deletions' The Chief Minister said more than 50,000 people have been evicted from 'protected areas, wetlands, VGR and PGR (Professional Grazing Land), government khas (land owned by the government that has not been settled) and wasteland, and those belonging to satras (Vaishnav monasteries) and namghars (prayer halls)' over the past few weeks. According to the State's Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the Assam Land and Revenue Regulation of 1986, the Land Policy of 1989, and a 2011 Supreme Court judgment mandate protection of government and village common lands. It also cites the violation of the Assam Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act of 2010 as a punishable offence. After the BJP came to power in Assam in May 2016, the first eviction drive was carried out in three fringe villages of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Two persons, including a minor girl, were killed during the eviction based on a Gauhati High Court order in September 2016. 'Most of those evicted are listed as voters in places from where they came. We have asked the authorities from where they were evicted to delete their names from the electoral rolls to eliminate duplicate names,' Mr. Sarma said. Citing the case of the 12 Ahom families, the All Assam Minority Students' Union has demanded rehabilitation for the evicted Muslim families. It claimed many people had lands they were evicted from before these were declared as reserve forests. The Opposition parties have criticised the eviction drive for disproportionately targeting the minority communities. 'The Supreme Court and the National Human Rights Commission should take note of the eviction during the court holidays in Assam to target poor Muslims. The government must first provide adequate rehabilitation and only then undertake eviction,' All India United Democratic Front MLA Rafiqul Islam said. 'The BJP government has been projecting the evicted people as Bangladeshi. The government provided a compensation package of ₹14.72 crore to 332 families evicted from Kaziranga. People evicted [in 2021] for the Gorukhuti project [Darrang district] were compensated and given land in the Dalgaon area. Why is the government doing so if these people are Bangladeshi?' Congress leader and advocate Aman Wadud said. Others pointed out that the Dhubri district administration has asked 1,400 families displaced from Chapar town, reportedly to make space for a thermal power plant by the Adani Group, to relocate to a sandbar in the middle of the Brahmaputra river. 'Politics of polarisation' 'The eviction is being carried out for two reasons. Firstly, they want to clear land for corporate houses. Secondly, evicting minorities paves the way for the politics of polarisation... so that the Hindu voters back the BJP, especially in eastern Assam, where it is facing challenges,' Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi said. Lurinjyoti Gogoi, the chief of Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), said eviction drives are a form of the tried-and-tested ploy of weaponising the 'Bangladeshi issue' before the poll. The Assembly poll in Assam is due by May 2026. 'The Chief Minister claims he is doing everything for the indigenous people. In reality, more tribal families have been evicted than the Muslims. In Karbi Anglong, 20,000 Adivasi, Karbi, and Naga families have been evicted to hand over 18,000 bighas of land to the Reliance Group,' the AJP leader claimed. In Assam, one bigha is equivalent to 14,400 sq. ft. He also cited 9,000 bighas of land 'to be handed over to the Adani Group' in Dima Hasao district, 45 bighas 'taken away' from the Adivasis for a hotel project near Kaziranga, and 75 bighas for a Patanjali project in the Golaghat district. 'It is evident why the government is on a land acquisition spree. Of the 49,000 bighas cleared, only 6,000 bighas were under the occupation of the religious minorities,' the AJP leader said.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
T.N. CM Stalin inaugurates 700 new housing units for Sri Lankan Tamils
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday (July 7, 2025) virtually inaugurated over 700 new housing units for the benefit of Sri Lankan Tamils living in the State. These units have been constructed at a total cost of ₹38 crore. In line with the Chief Minister's previous announcement that over 7,400 new housing units would be constructed for the welfare of Sri Lankan Tamils, these units were constructed at 67 camps in 26 districts across the State. In the first phase, over 3,500 units were constructed and were handed over to beneficiaries at 32 camps in 18 districts. In continuation, the Chief Minister on Monday virtually inaugurated 729 units constructed in Salem, Dharmapuri, Tiruppur, Villupuram, and Virudhunagar districts. Mr. Stalin also virtually inaugurated new buildings constructed for the Revenue and Disaster Management Department at a total cost of ₹54 crore in various locations across the State. Ministers K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran and S.M. Nasar, Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam, and senior officials were present on the occasion in the Secretariat. State Minorities Commission thanks CM In another event, members of the State Minorities Commission called on the Chief Minister and thanked him for the State government providing financial assistance to certain religious minorities, namely Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs, for their pilgrimages. As the State government introduced self-certification under the Directorate of Town and Country Planning, functioning under the Housing and Urban Development Department, some beneficiaries who obtained self-certification called on Mr. Stalin and thanked the government for the new initiative. Representatives of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) also met the Chief Minister and thanked him for the release of the 'Coimbatore Master Plan 2041' document, as well as key initiatives by the Housing and Urban Development Department.
Hindustan Times
27-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Haryana govt constitutes committees for 'Operation Dronagiri' to enhance geospatial solutions
Chandigarh, The Haryana government has constituted state and district-level committees for the implementation of 'Operation Dronagiri', an official statement here on Friday said. Haryana govt constitutes committees for 'Operation Dronagiri' to enhance geospatial solutions This initiative, launched by the Central government under the National Geospatial Policy , aims to support national development, economic prosperity and a thriving information economy by strengthening the geospatial sector, the statement said. Haryana is among the first five states selected for the initial phase of this national initiative alongside Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Uttar Pradesh, said Revenue and Disaster Management Department Financial Commissioner Sumita Misra. According to the statement, Misra stated that 'Operation Dronagiri' aims to facilitate access to high-quality geospatial data for service providers to address sector-specific challenges in areas such as agriculture, transportation, infrastructure, livelihood and skill development. The Survey of India , the nodal agency for this operation, has identified Sonipat district in Haryana for the launch of 'Operation Dronagiri'. In order to ensure effective implementation, the Haryana government has constituted a state-level committee chaired by the director of Land Records, Haryana. The director, Survey of India, Haryana, will serve as the member secretary. At the district level in Sonipat, the deputy commissioner will chair the committee, with the superintendent surveyor, Survey of India, Haryana, to serve as the member secretary. The district revenue officer, Sonipat, and the general manager , Revenue and Disaster Management, will serve as the members. The committee will play a critical role in establishing the operational framework, ensuring coordination between central and state agencies, and monitoring the smooth execution of the project. They will also address on-ground challenges and facilitate timely decision-making. Misra explained that 'Operation Dronagiri' is a Central government initiative utilizing advanced drone-based mapping and geospatial technologies. Under this programme, farmers will benefit from precise, data-driven agricultural advisories, enabling them to optimize crop yields and resource use. This initiative will ensure that important information about an area is transparent, accessible, and used strategically by the government, she said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Haryana to modernise registration offices on lines of Passport Seva Kendras
Chandigarh, The Haryana government will revamp all registration offices, modelling them after Passport Seva Kendras to strengthen service delivery and boost transparency, a senior official said on Wednesday. Haryana to modernise registration offices on lines of Passport Seva Kendras Financial Commissioner of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, Sumita Misra, said the initiative underscores Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini's commitment to simplify property transactions for citizens. She said the initiative will be rolled out in a phased manner, starting with high-density and high-transaction districts such as Panchkula, Gurugram, and Faridabad. She said the transformation is not limited to infrastructure improvements but is part of a broader plan to strengthen service delivery, boost transparency, and increase accountability within the revenue administration. Misra said this new model will include citizen-centric features such as online slot booking, well-equipped waiting areas, real-time digital display systems, and dedicated helpdesks. Signage and information will be made available in local languages to further assist citizens. To address persistent issues of slow server response during registration activities, particularly at sub-divisional and tehsil levels, Misra directed the establishment of two state-level Revenue Data Centres. She directed officers to float tenders for the same within the next 10 days. While reviewing the Haryana Large Scale Mapping Project, Misra instructed officers to complete the 'Tatima' updation across all districts by the end of August, stressing that this exercise is crucial for accurate land demarcation and for facilitating faster and dispute-free registrations. The Tatima Updation Project focuses on the detailed sketching and mapping of land parcels, which is a crucial step toward achieving transparent and accurate land records. These steps are part of the state's broader vision to promote digital governance, improve citizen services, and ensure a corruption-free and transparent property registration system, Misra said. She apprised that till date, 418 out of 440 pilot villages across 22 districts have successfully completed their Tatima updation. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
The Hindu
17-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
APSDMA launches ‘Smart Heat Alert Card' that gives real-time temperatures and dos and don'ts
The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) has launched a 'Smart Heat Alert Card', available both in physical and online formats, to provide citizens with timely and critical heatwave information, and to ensure public safety during heatwaves. Launching the card at the APSDMA office at Tadepalli on May 17, Saturday, G. Jayalakshmi, Special Chief Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, said the initiative is aimed at empowering every citizen with the knowledge and resources to protect themselves against heatwave risks. The card features a QR code, a list of dos and don'ts and an explanatory on four colour-coded heat risk levels. After receiving the card, once an individual scans the QR code from their mobile phone, the APSDMA website comes up with the realtime temperature in their location presented in a colour-coded box. If the temperature is below 35 degree Celsius, the colour that appears is blue (safe), if it is between 35 and 40 degree Celsius, then it is yellow (be alert), if the temperature is between 41 and 44 degree Celsius, then it is orange (be prepared) and if it is 45 degree Celsius or more, it is red (extreme danger). While distributing these cards along with buttermilk and water bottles to citizens in Tadepalli and surrounding areas, the Chief Secretary emphasised the importance of staying informed about dos and don'ts during extreme heat conditions. She also encouraged citizens to call the APSDMA tollfree numbers, 1070/1800-425-0101, available 24/7, in case of any emergencies during summers. APSDMA Managing Director Ronanki Kurmanath said one can not only get live updates through the QR code but also guidelines to stay safe. He said the card is part of their ongoing efforts to protect citizens from the dangers of heatwaves. The APSDMA has forwarded the card to all the district administrations, who would later put it in public places and popularise it through online mediums as well.
