EDITORIAL WATER RESOURCES The setting up of National Resources Council fills an important gap in the management of our river waters. Various socio-economic and constitutional issues are involved where exploitation of inter-state river waters is concerned. As pointed out by the National Development Council, the Irrigation Commission and the National Commission on Agriculture only an apex body to evolve national policies would have the authority to deal with the complex issues involved in harnessing the national water resources. The 41-members council announced in April will advise on the modalities of resolving inter-state differences with regard to specific elements of water plans as well as issues that may arise during planning and implementation of various irrigation and power projects. India, it has been wrongly assumed, is a water rich country. Recurrent floods have been caused mostly by poor drainage and ecological degradation. In reality there is a very high concentration of precipitation during the few months of monsoon. This water has to be carefully stored and husbanded for use over time and space. This is also necessary to minimise the twin threat of floods and drought. It was in this connection that a national perspective on water resources development was formulated last year. The perspective plan seeks to optimise storage and provide for inter-basin transfers and envisages the possibility of providing 35 million ha, of additional irrigation and 40 million kw. of additional hydel generation over the next decade. The plan has two distinct components, namely, development of the Himalayan rivers and of the peninsular rivers south of the Vindhyas. The national council now set up will have to oversee detailed surveys, investigations and feasibility studies conducted by various authorities like the Central Water Commission, the Brahmaputra Board etc. to ensure that the targets of the perspective plan are achieved in time. For too long has exploitation of our river water resources been tied up to inter-state wrangles and procedural tangles. The national council is expected to resolve these at the apex level and help the country to tap this vital resource to the maximum benefit of all concerned. MONTH REVIEWED Environmentalists Win-Land Grabbing Operation- In scrapping the Silent Valley Project "in diference to the sentiments of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi towards environment conservation," the Kerala Government has conceded defeat. The environmentalists have won. But Kerala Power Minister R. Balakrishna Pillai is quite unsporting in announcing the cancellation of the project. "We accept her (the Prime Minister's) feelings," he said, "though we have totally rejected the M.G K Menon report on the project" Is the Minister of the view that the report is worthless and his government has shelved the project merely to humour the Prime Minister ? Decision on development projects are not taken in such whimsical fashion. Had the full report been published, the public would have been informed of the grounds on which the committee had opposed the project. Anyway press reports have been quite revealing. It has been pointed out that the implementation of the hydel project would submerge 830 hectares of evergreen forests in the valley. causing a "serious loss in biological diversity and irreparable damage to the areas a whole " Noted scientists and environmentalists opposed the project for the same reason. The Silent Valley is one of the few extant tropical rain forests which is also a unique habitat for various forms of flora and fauna. Incidentally, the valley is called the Silent Valley because it is free from the noise of deffening cicadas which is usually heard in dense forests. What is the State Government's next step? If has put an alternative proposal according to which the reservoir for the propose dam would be lacated in a 'nonforest' area. Since the alternative area is adjacent to the forest land, the question of ecology cannot be altogether overlooked. No doubt the State's hydel potential should be properly tapped. The Silent Valley Project would have benefited the districts of Palghat and Malapuram, But in a State which has several rivers, hydel projects need not to be taken up at the cost of environment and ecology. The Centre should extend special aid to Kerala to enable it to make up the loss it will sustain by shelving the Silent Valley Project. Meanwhile, the valley which is now internationally known should be turned into a national park under the Wildlife Act. Not only the environmentalists but the people of Kerala will cherish such a project. X X A land grabing operation has been launched by some organised gangs in the Shuklaganj town (near Kanpur) of the Unnao district. The land thus captured is sold at higher rates to the innocent people according to a report of the Northern India Patrika dated November 3. Even after adoption of this area by the K. D. A. last year, the illegal transfers, plotting and construction of buildings in the entire area are still in progress. A survey revealed that about 2,000 buildings have come up. construction of about 5 000. was under way and the foundation work of 4,000 buildings has been completed without approval of the competent authority. In some parts of such areas where land has been sold illegally, even electric connections for domestic use have been given. Some of the residents said that their houses have been assessed by the Shuklaganj Town Area Authorities for house tax. However, some of the plot holders were still hesitating to construct the building on the plots purchased by them. According to reports cases for demolition of 1,000 illegally constructed buildings were pending in the files of the Kanpur Development Authority. Since adoption of the Shuklaganj town and its a 1jacent villages by the Kanpur Development Authority a survey is being conducted in this area. On the other hand some building owners were confident that the K. D. A. would approve their constructions because it would not be possible for the KDA to demolish about 20,000 buildings in the área. The old Ganga Bridge connects this town with Kanpur city. Although the town has to some extent lost its importance after the construction of the new Ganga Bridge at Jajmau and the routing of all heavy vehicles through that bridge it has re-gained its importance after its adoption by the K. D. A. Many important Roads, Transport Agencies and Business firms are running their offices in this town. A tussle for the post of Administrator is going on between the senior officers of the U. P. Palika Centralised Services and the P. C. S. cadre reports Pioneer on November 4. The main victim of this centralised services, P. C. S. controversy is one of the senior most officers of the Central Services Mr. Radhey Mohan Sinha who has been suspended twice within the last two years. Mr. Sinha represented before the recent Pandey Pay Commission for Local Bodies that the senior officers of the Centralised Services should be given a chance to be posted as Administrators in Nagar Mahapalikas where there were no 1. A. S. administrator. On this representa tion the Pandey Commission recommended that the Senior officers of the Centralised Services be made Administrators where P. C. S. officers held the posts. The recommendation got the Cabinet approval during the V. P. Singh Ministry. Over half a dozen officers of the Palika Centralised Services have been in the senior most. Sinha being the It may be pointed out that there are four Nagar Mahapalikas in U. P. which have P. C. S. officers as Administrators Agra, Kanpur, Gorakhpur and Meerut. But none of the vacancy in all these four local bodies is filled by a centralised service officer and as such the government order is being flouted openly. The recent suspension of Mr. Sinha, according to a U. P. Palika Centralised Services Association spokesman, is to deprive Mr. Sinha from pressing his claim for the post of Administrator in any of the four Mahapalikas where there are P. C. S. administrators. This suspension, the spokesman claimed demoralises the entire octroi of the Palika Centralised Services. Mr. V. V. Saranathan writes in Indian Express : All plots and flats of DDA colonies are covered by the lend lease system. Under this the allottee of a plot or a flat has to pay 2.5 per cent ground rent per annum, which is liable to upward revision every 30 years. Further a person who was allotted DDA plot was permitted to sell the same, 10 years after construction on it however, building work should have commenced within three years of allotment. Even after 10 years the plot per se (if no building is on it) could not be sold. Unsuccessful In the event of sale of property after 10 years. 50 per cent of the unearned income of the land value is to be shared between the Government and the lessee. Suppose a person purchased a plot for Rs. 25,000 built a house on it in 1970 and sold it in 1982 for Rs. 4 lakhs, a 16-fold appreciation of land value. He would keep Rs. Rs. 1,87,500 and give the Government as much being the profit made under the leasehold system where by the Government is the lessor and the allottee a lessee. In order to ensure there is no under valuing of property the Government notifies the appreciated value of land colony-wise from time to time. On a piece of land worth Rs. 25,000 which is sold at the end of 10 years, the total outgoings of the lessee would be Rs. 6,250 as ground rent plus Rs. 1,87,500. This is considered to be an excessive demand from the residents of DDA colonies. This apart, the seller of the property is also obliged to pay capital gains. Over the past 26 years, the lease system has proved to be unsuccessful. With curbs on the sale of property flats and plots are being transferred under the power of attorney system which is popularly known as a benami system. The DDA recently declared power of attorney registration in Delhi illegal and the Government forbade regularisation of power attorney transfers with the Union Territory as such transfers did not yield 50 per cent of the unearned income to it However, there always being need for transfer of of property, people resorted to registering their power of attorney transfer in adjoining states. In October 1982 the Government came up with a regulation that flats and built-up plots could be sold through the DDA even within 10 years of the date of purchase, which is indeed a welcome liberalisation. The DDA even within 10 years of the date of purchase, which is indeed a welcome liberalisation. The DDA has set up a separate cell for these transactions. However, the official notification of the procedure for such transactions has not been clarified and no such transaction has been carried out up to date. The sale of DDA flats can only be complete as and when the proposed Delhi Apartment Ownership Act comes into force. Without this Act which has been gathering dust in the work and Housing Ministry for a considerable time now there will be many insurmountable legal impediments in respect of transfer of the land, the building, and common portions by separate agreement. As hire purchase flats are mixed up with outright sale in the same projects, these difficulties are further compounded If the Government is at a all serious about permitting sale of flats the Delhi Apartment Ownership Act should come into force without delay. One major issue re Several sugges Government for giv the public. One Capitation means rent at one go for permanently relievi further financial b if invested by the simple interest of 1 it much more than also ensure regular venues from interes cumbersome recov costs the governme covery it makes. An index of the policies in Delhi against it. At the all the major partie the public from the lease policy. The Denn puoIC NOW DOOKS to its elected representatives and especially the ruling party to keep their promise of scrapping the land lease system, lock, stock and barrel. |