The National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd. (NHSRCL) has invited online open e-tenders for the work “Conducting Survey / Field Work & Preparation of Detailed Social Impact Assessment (SIA)/ Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for Varanasi-Howrah High Speed Rail Corridor (About 760 Kms Long)”.
- Contract Package No.: NHSRCL/CO/CA/SIA/2021/04
- Tender Security: INR 8,06,330/-
- Completion period of the Work: 6 months
- Pre-bid Meeting: 28.01.2021
- Tender submission start date: 04.02.2021
- Tender submission end date: 11.02.2021
- Date & time of opening of Tender online: 12.02.2021
NHSRCL is in the process of preparation of Detailed Project Report for new High speed rail corridors and present assignment is for VARANASI-HOWRAH High Speed corridor (approx. 760 kms) project.
Alignment of the proposed corridor is generally planned within and/or along the ROW of existing/planned Highway/Expressway and Railways land, keeping in view the speed and constructability requirements of the High- Speed Rail Project. Expected RoW of the main line (excluding facilities) will be approx. 17.5 m ± 5 m depending on project requirement.
Objective of Assignment:
The Contractor is required to prepare Social Impact Assessment (SIA)/ Rehabilitation Action Plan (RAP)/ Indigenous Population Plan and Land Acquisition Plan as per the World Bank social safeguard policy. NHSRCL needs to realistically assess, plan for implementing measures to mitigate adverse social impacts associated with the HSR Corridor. In the preparatory stage, this will involve the following steps:
Task 1: Preparation of Land Acquisition Plan
- Alignment of the proposed corridor is planned within and along with ROW of Highway/Expressway and Railways land. On priority, information/records of existing ROW of the concern stake holder (Highways/Expressways/Railways/Defence/ Restricted/ Sensitive areas etc.) has to be collected to know the extent of land availability of within the proposed ROW of VARANASI-HOWRAH High Speed Rail Corridor (MHSR). The Contractor has to analyze the above data/ records and also verify the same with the concerned revenue department and submit the following details to Employer (NHSRCL).
- Length (KM with Section) of MHSRC falling with in the ROW (land) already acquired by above stake holders.
- Quantity (Ha) of land available with these stake holders.
- Balance land to in to be acquired in terms of length and quantity.
- The Contractor has to submit the land requirement with breakup of land available (length in km and area in Hectare) with the ownership (with the name of organization/ department of Government land) and balance land to be acquired with classification.
- Identification of Revenue Villages based on the alignment provided by NHSRCL or NHSRCL authorized agency and Collection of Authenticated Revenue/ Villages Maps of the affected Villages. The Contractor has also to verify the ROW on ground (in reference of GPS coordinates) and update it as and wherever required.
- Verification of land and ownership data in revenue records of the Government land and records of concern agencies like NHAI/Railways/State authorities (especially for land own by highway/expressways and railway authorities).
- Collection of Related Revenue Records in line of requirement for Gazette Notification for Land Acquisition as per state/central Act.
- Verification and updating of alignment marked on Revenue Maps and affected survey numbers in each village.
- Updating of digital Land Plan (given by NHSRCL) after ground verification on revenue maps.
- Preparation of Draft LA Notification Sect-11 of RFCTLARR-2013/20A of RAA or applicable act for the purpose of submitting intent of Acquisition with Owner details as well.
Task 2: Social impact assessment (SIA) which includes but not limited to:
- Social impact assessment is a critical step taken to incorporate social analyses and participatory processes into project design and implementation for optimizing development outcomes. SIA helps to enhance benefits to the poor and the vulnerable while minimizing and mitigating adverse impacts on the local communities. This involves analyzing social issues and impacts on the affected populations in order for designing social management plans to mitigate adverse impacts and improve people’s lives through participatory implementation.
- Census survey of all affected families in all villages of District getting affected by the project area; recording their assets (land, structures, CPR’s, Religious Structures and utilities), incomes, and social category (Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes);
- Base line socio-economic survey of the affected families suffering major impacts and needing rehabilitation assistance in addition to compensation for their losses;
- Review of literature including project specific details/history/reports/terms of Reference / similar Social Impact Assessment Reports etc carried out earlier.
- The Contractor shall use GPS enabled devices for census survey, video recording of consultations, photograph/video of assets affected along with the owner of the asset. The required photographs (in soft copy) as above should have GPS coordinates embedded in it.
- SIA will specifically involve:
- Reconfirming zone of impact through review of available data in land surveys, alignment maps/ satellite maps, provided by NHSRCL.
- Identifying zones of major economic and social impacts.
- Understanding the socio-economic profile of people.
- Analyzing differential impacts on different categories of people (all title holders and non-titleholder, land owners, residential households, small/landless/marginal farmers, labourers, businesses, SCs/ STs, and women), and impacts on communities (common facilities such as roads, schools, community centers, cultural properties, etc.).
- Socio-political analysis of local power relations and institutions available for participation, grievance redressal and conflict resolution.
- Studying people’s perceptions of project impacts and minimum acceptable mitigation measures that will enable them to cope with economic losses and displacement.
- Assessment of construction phase impacts on communities.
- Suggesting broad strategies for adverse impact mitigation and social value addition in order to optimize development outcomes including training and capacity building plan and there monitoring and evaluation plan during implementation.
Task 3: Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) to establish R&R entitlements for the project:
- Resettlement Policy Framework (RPF) to establish R&R entitlements for the project affected families and guidelines to minimize/mitigate construction phase impacts.
- NHSRCL will adopt the RFCT LARR 2013/RAA 2008 (with latest amendments) for carrying out land acquisition and will take R&R measures for mitigating adverse impacts in line with the RFCT-LARR 2013. The RPF will be in line with the RFCT- LARR 2013 and will be in accordance with social safeguard policies/guidelines of the World Bank. The RPF will include:
- Steps and procedures for taking social safeguard measures from pre-feasibility stage through the preparation till the closure of post-implementation support period.
- R&R entitlement matrix appropriate for project.
- Institutional frameworks and mechanisms for construction phase impact management; consultations, monitoring, and grievance redress, disclosure and reporting.
- Measures to address impacts on tribal people, indigenous people; if affected.
Task 4: Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) to mitigate adverse impacts and Tribal Action Plans (if tribal people in Scheduled Areas are affected) to positively benefit ST populations, if affected:
- The RAP/IPP shall be prepared by consolidating Census and BSES findings, with the Social Management Framework providing the basis for R&R measures for different PAF categories. The RAP will be prepared as prescribed in the RFCT-LARR 2013 and World Bank policies. The RAP shall include:
- Project impacts and affected populations;
- Legal framework for LA;
- Review relevant social laws, regulations and policies of State, Government and Central Government of India relating to land acquisition, PESA Villages, resettlement, ethnic minorities, Indigenous People, social protection.
- Gap analysis of the social legislative framework (government of India and state government) versus the WB OPs, as related to this particular project. Some key relevant legislations formulated by the Govt. of India for ‘Social Safeguards’ but not limited in this regard are as follow:
- The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, 2013 and applicable state amendment.
- Legal Provision Related to Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redress) Act, 2013.
- All laws applicable to construction Industry such as:
- Minimum Wage Act, 1948.
- Contract labour Act, 1970.
- Interstate Migrant Act.
- Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1996 along with rules,1998
- The person with disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full participation) Act, 1985 and Rules 1996.
- The Scheduled Castes and the scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rule, 1989 and Rule 1995.
- Others such as Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Area Act.
Tender documents may be downloaded from CPPP site https://etenders.gov.in/eprocure/app.
Source: NHSRCL-Tender
