Governance and Implementation Challenges of the Maharashtra Project Affected Persons Rehabilitation Act, 1999: A Study of Nagpur District

Abstract

This research paper highlights the challenge in the governance and implementation of Maharashtra Project Affected Persons Rehabilitation Act, 1999 specifically with the rehabilitated villages in forest picturesque district of Nagpur. It was passed to provide for equitable rehabilitation and re-settlement of those displaced because of development works (including irrigation, mining and infrastructure development). Productive as the law is, there are still challenges of socio-economic and administrative/ institutional barriers at the grassroots implementation level. The study is a case study which examines implementation of rehabilitation policies by government organizations and whether affected people have benefited from these policies. It focuses on the challenges identified like compensation delay, failure to restore livelihood, land allocation problems, and inter-departmental coordination weaknesses. The results suggest mismatches in implementation with policy objectives, implying that good governance is required to guarantee implementation and accountability in the field and that participatory rehabilitation planning is essential for achieving justice for project affected persons