50 years but justice is incomplete, what is the fault of the Pong displaced people: Anurag Thakur
Former Union Minister and Member of Parliament from Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, raised the issue of Pong Dam/Maharana Pratap Sagar displaced people of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha today as an issue of public importance and demanded the formation of an inter-ministerial committee headed by the Ministry of Water Power and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and between the governments of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, for the speedy rehabilitation of the Pong Dam displaced people. Shri Anurag Singh Thakur’s statement in the House was supported by Kangra MP Shri Rajiv Bhardwaj.
During Zero Hour in the House, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur raised the long-standing grievance of families displaced by the construction of the Pong Dam (Maharana Pratap Sagar) on the Beas River. Pointing out that the displacement dates back more than fifty years and that the original promise of rehabilitation remains largely unfulfilled, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur appealed to the Central Government to intervene and expedite the implementation of relief and rehabilitation measures. The key facts and suggestions presented in the House are based on official data and recent inspection findings.
Raising the plight of the displaced people of Pong Dam in the Parliament, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur said, “I come from Devbhoomi Himachal, and the people of the hills have never left any stone unturned in giving their water, youth and sacrifice for the country.
Fifty years ago, the then Congress government’s promise to allot land in Rajasthan to 20,772 families from 339 villages displaced by the construction of the Pong Dam in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, remains unfulfilled. What exactly is wrong with these families?
Shri Anurag Singh Thakur reminded the House that approximately 20,772 families from 339 villages in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh were displaced by the Pong Dam project and were promised rehabilitation in the Irrigated Command Area of Rajasthan under the 1970 Memorandum of Understanding and the Rajasthan Colonization Rules, 1972. Despite several Supreme Court interventions (including a 1996 judgment) and a December 2024 inspection report, the rehabilitation of Pong Dam oustees remains incomplete, with over 6,700 families still awaiting land allotment, while many others face infrastructure constraints, land encroachment, and procedural hurdles.
Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur said, “Fifty years is a long time for the families who were promised land and a new beginning. Rehabilitation is not a political slogan; it is a moral responsibility to help those who have been displaced. The Center must play an active and supportive role so that these families can finally get the land, services, and dignity they were promised. I urge the House to honor the promises made to the displaced people.”
During his speech, Mr. Anurag Singh Thakur appealed to the Central Government for constructive, cooperative action and demanded the formation of an inter-ministerial committee, led by the Ministry of Water Power and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and between the governments of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, for the speedy rehabilitation of dam oustees to ensure timely resolution and prompt decisions in a spirit of federal cooperation. He also demanded the re-strengthening of the Central High-Power Committee to monitor and clear pending allotments, streamlining the allocation of budgets for essential infrastructure (roads, water, electricity, schools, and health facilities) in the allotted areas, and simplifying the process for domicile certificates and Kisan Credit Cards for those displaced.
