First family checks out of Kolsa

TNN | Jan 11, 2012, 03.47AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Tukaram Shedmake was a charged-up man on Monday. His house was abuzz with hectic activities and all family members were busy packing their belongings. Tukaram himself checked that everything is packed and safely loaded in a mini-truck. Finally in the evening Shedmake bid adieu to his neighbours and moved out of his village. Shedmake's is the first family to move out of Kolsa village in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) since 2007. The stalled resettlement of Kolsa practically restarted on Monday, with Shedmake moving out of the village for a new home in Bhagwanpur for Rs 10 lakh compensation. Six more families are set to move out later this week, said CCF and field director of TATR Vinaykumar Sinha. Forty-nine families from Kolsa were relocated to resettlement site - Bhagwanpur - in May 2007. Remaining 97 families pulled out of rehabilitation exercise at the eleventh hour claiming lack of amenities at resettlement site. Shedmake was among four families who received Rs 25,000 token share of the package. "Tukaram Shedmake with his family has moved out of Kolsa. His family is first to relocate from TATR after over four-and-half years. Six other families will move out later this week," Sinha said. "Three more families have already the resettlement agreement. Three others would enter into agreement in a week and move out of the tiger reserve," he said. The process of negotiation and completion of formalities of remaining families is underway, he held. The NTCA has offered two options - cash compensation or full rehabilitation at resettlement site, for relocation out of tiger reserve. These families have chosen the first option, under which they would be paid Rs 10 lakh. Compensation would include fixed deposit (FD) of Rs 6 lakh and Rs 4 lakh in cash. Once the land owned by relocating families is transferred to TATR, the compensation sum would be paid to family head, Sinha said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/First-family-checks-out-of-Kolsa/articleshow/11442465.cms