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Key Points

The Gujarat government has approved merging 127 resettlement colonies with their original villages under local panchayats. This move will transfer civic responsibilities like water supply and road maintenance to gram panchayats. Residents will now have direct access to government schemes and better public services. The handover process is expected to be completed within two months.

Key Points: Gujarat Merges 127 Sardar Sarovar Colonies With Native Villages

  • 127 colonies across 8 districts to integrate with gram panchayats
  • Panchayats to manage water, roads, and electricity services
  • Residents gain direct access to govt welfare schemes
  • Unallocated land remains with Sardar Sarovar Rehabilitation Agency
2 min read

Gujarat to integrate 127 Sardar Sarovar resettlement colonies with native villages

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel approves merging 127 Narmada resettlement colonies with local gram panchayats, improving civic services for residents.

"Gram panchayats will now oversee all civic services, ensuring better governance for resettled families – Gujarat Rural Development Dept"

Ahmedabad, July 14

The Gujarat government has finalised the rules to integrate and transfer resettlement colonies under the Sardar Sarovar Rehabilitation Agency to their original villages.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has approved the operational framework that will formally bring 127 Narmada resettlement colonies under the administrative jurisdiction of local gram panchayats. This decision will benefit villages across eight districts and 26 talukas, including Ahmedabad (rural), Vadodara, Bharuch, Kheda, Panchmahal, Narmada, Chhota Udepur, and Mahisagar.

Once integrated, the gram panchayats will be responsible for maintaining key civic services in these colonies, including drinking water supply, road infrastructure, street lighting, electricity billing, drainage systems, and general public utilities. The state’s Department of Panchayat, Rural Housing and Rural Development, which prepared the methodology, stated that gram panchayats will also oversee repairs and upkeep of these facilities moving forward. The handover process is expected to be completed within the next two months.

With this, residents of the colonies will gain direct access to government schemes offered through local panchayats and will become full civic participants, thereby improving their standard of living and access to essential services. Importantly, while the integration process will hand over civic responsibilities to the panchayats, ownership of unallocated plots within the colonies will remain with the Sardar Sarovar Rehabilitation Agency.

Furthermore, all records related to the colonies must be transferred to the respective gram panchayats. The agency will also hand over the administration of schools, health centres, and anganwadis to the concerned government departments. Community spaces and open plots can now be used by panchayats for the development of public amenities. In addition, the gram panchayats will be responsible for property assessment and collection of local taxes as per the Gujarat Panchayat Act, 1993.

Post-transfer, panchayats will also be accountable for addressing any complaints related to civic services within the colonies. The state government clarified that these rules will also apply to any remaining Sardar Sarovar resettlement colonies that are merged into nearby gram panchayats in the future. A formal resolution regarding this policy has been issued by the Department of Panchayat, Rural Housing, and Rural Development under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
As someone from Vadodara district, I've seen how these resettlement colonies struggled with basic amenities. This move should improve their access to government schemes. But implementation is key - hope there's proper monitoring.
S
Sunil U
Good initiative but why has it taken so many years? My uncle's family was displaced in 2005 and they've been living in substandard conditions since then. Better late than never I suppose.
A
Anjali F
The real test will be whether panchayats treat these new residents equally or as second-class citizens. Hope the government ensures proper sensitization programs for local officials.
K
Karan T
This is a positive step for rural development in Gujarat! Integrating these colonies will help bridge the urban-rural divide and give people better access to services. Kudos to CM Patel for pushing this through.
M
Madhuri G
What about the promised jobs for project-affected people? Infrastructure is important but livelihoods matter more. The government should focus on employment generation in these areas too.

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