Bhubaneswar: In a bid to assuage frayed nerves of people affected by the ongoing demolitions around Srimandir, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday announced a special package to rehabilitate affected shop owners, mutts and residents.
The compensation would be paid as per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013, along with the Relief and Rehabilitation Policy. The government started demolishing shops, houses, mutts and lodges coming within 75 metre radius of the temple as recommended by Justice BP Das Commission. Naveen had announced a `500 crore package August 23 for the development of Jagannath Temple and to make Puri a world heritage city.
As per the package, all displaced families would be given immediate aid of `50,000 to meet shifting and other expenses and `10,000 per month as house rent till they get their houses or land. However, families who would take one-time assistance for their rehabilitation would not be eligible for the house rent. Displaced families can opt for one of the three options– `30 lakh or a 520-sq-ft house in the relief and rehabilitation colony within 1.5 km of the temple or can avail a 40x 25 sq-ft plot within 2 km radius of the temple.
The package also included rehabilitation of shops and vendors who came within the security zone. The government will provided `50,000 each to affected shop owner s. They could either take shops in various market complexes with the help of the District Collector or can avail monthly rents of `5,000, `10,000 and `15,000 for shops constructed on a built up area of less than 200 sq-ft, 200 to 500 sq-ft and more than 500 sq-ft area respectively.
The government will also provide immediate assistance of `10 lakh for lodges constructed on a built up area of over 3,000 sq-ft while `5 lakh would be paid for lodges constructed on less than 3,000 sq-ft area. In addition to this, lodge owners will get aid of `25 per square feet for a period of 18 months.
Lodge owners can also take a one-time assistance of `2,000 per square feet of the built up area or can take plots (50×30, 50×40, 50×60 sq ft) on either side of the Grand Road. The lodge owners, who will opt for plots, will get an additional aid for construction of new lodges at a rate of `750 per sq-ft.
Affected street venders will get ` 30,000 compensation along with a suitable place to open their shops. The government also announced special provisions for rehabilitation and restoration of mutts that have been razed to the ground.
As per the policy, manuscripts and deities of bulldozed mutts will be preserved. On top of building a parking space at mutts, they will be provided shops at market complexes for their financial security.
The government also assured that it would provide 10 per cent more financial assistance along with a package to those affected people who will hand over their properties located under Srimandir Protection Zone within a month of the publication of the notice.