Business Standard           02.07.2013

Ban on construction of new buildings on and around all river beds

The Uttarakhand government announced a series of major decisions on Monday for recovery and rehabilitation in the flood-hit state.

The state cabinet decided on a Uttarakhand Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (URRA), chaired by the chief minister (CM). It announced a ban on construction of new buildings on and around all river beds, besides a compensation plan for affected citizens.

The URRA is to have a panel for reconstruction, with a "100-year plan" in mind, said CM Vijay Bahuguna. He added relief committees involving district magistrates, MPs and MLAs had also been set up, to assist the Authority.

As for the construction ban around river beds, the CM said the exact area to be covered would be decided later. Most of the structures which had collapsed had been built alongside the Mandakini, Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers.

A compensation package of Rs 50,000-100,000 was announced for damaged dhabas. For fully damaged small hotels, the compensation will be Rs 2 lakh. For bigger hotels where losses are Rs 2-10 lakh, the government will compensate 30 per cent. Where losses are Rs 10-20 lakh, the compensation will be 20 per cent. Above Rs 20 lakh, the compensation will be only 10 per cent.

All electricity and water bills in the affected areas will be waived from June 1 to March 31, 2014. Payment on loans taken by disaster-affected families from state cooperative banks will be suspended for the financial year 2013-14.

The government will request the central government to suspend such payment on loans from nationalised banks for a similar period.

Affected citizens are to each get 15 kg of wheat flour, 15 kg of rice, five kg of pulses, three kg sugar and some other things free of cost. The state is to take full reposibility for the upbringing, including schooling, of orphaned children. For the areas in the plains, there will be 50 per cent more compensation for damage to the sugarcane crop.