Land acquisition: ‘Govt’s ill-planned resettlement strategy will leave Tharis destitute’

Activists complain about lack of skill development initiatives for the people of Thar.

HYDERABAD: A group of civil society organisations and nationalist parties have opposed the Sindh government’s land acquisition and resettlement policy for the affected person of the Thar coal project.

They contended that thousands of poor Tharis will be left destitute in the wake of the government’s ill-planned resettlement strategy. “The very idea of land acquisition -- purchased from the owners instead of being leased -- is detrimental to the Tharis,” said Noor Muhammad Bajeer of the Civil Society Support Program. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, along with the leaders of nationalist parties and NGO activists, he raised a number of objections to the Sindh government’s Draft Resettlement Policy Framework.

The draft classifies those entitled for compensation and expected losses in 10 separate categories. The private citizens are further subdivided in residents with legal title to land and those without it, non-residents or any other with the legal title and tenants.

According to the draft, the acquisition process will have four steps -- starting with preliminary investigation of a property, declaration of intention to acquire it, evaluating its worth and finally, taking its possession.

Bajeer maintained, however, that the draft neither identifies areas where the affected people will be relocated nor it explains how their livelihoods will be restored. “The land acquisition process is not as simple as is being illustrated in the draft.”

Sindh United Party’s Dr Doda Mehri said that a large number of people in Thar’s rural areas have been living there for centuries but without ownership rights of their land. “How the government will compensate them is still not clear,” he said. “Looking at the past resettlement plans of the government for the flood affected people in Sindh, it is very difficult to believe that the people of Thar will be rehabilitated.”

The activists also complained about a lack of skill development initiatives for the Thari people who they contended will be deprived of jobs when the coal projects become functional.

Noor Ahmed Katiar of Qaumi Awami Tehreek said that the environmental impacts on water resources, air quality, soil and other resources will also make it difficult for the people to continue living in their ancestral villages.

“The draft even suggests razing graveyards, temples, gurdwaras, mosques, churches and other socially or culturally significant sites if it’s necessary to acquire them,” Katiari lamented, arguing that the word ‘consultation’ with the stakeholder community for acquiring these sites should be replaced by ‘approval’.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2014.