Resettlement policy framework and specific resettlement action plan

10Selection of plots for farmers, whose existing plots are significantly reduced during land acquisition

During the past 15 years, almost all arable lands in the Project area was either allocated to households and dehkans, or leased to farmers. Available arable land reserve is very small and dispersed throughout the districts. Thus, in case of land acquisition, khokimiyats will have limited choice of replacement land of equal value. As agreed with the World Bank, in cases where leasehold or dekhan farmers will lose arable land, it will be the farmer who will determine which option he prefers. The farmer will make this decision on the basis of full disclosure of the land that would be made available in exchange for the land acquired for project implementation.

On the other hand, during consultations with farmers conducted as part of RF development process revealed that leasehold farmers with large land holdings were not interested in replacement. The farmers with 25 ha or larger holdings said that it was unrealistic to get 1-2 ha worth of land elsewhere to replace the land lost during IDS construction, and that they did not see the benefits of getting scattered small land plots. Their major concern is for the compensation of losses and reduction of amount of crops sold under contractual obligations to the State.
Among the leasehold farmers that would be affected during the first phase of the ID construction the most vulnerable is a group of 5 farmers and 1 guard-dehkan, who have 1-3.6 ha land plots under fruit trees and vegetables in Altiaryk district. Construction works will mean 25 to 50 percent loss of land and reclassification from farmers to dehkans. These farmers expressed their preference to receive replacement land plots.
Similar vulnerabilities may emerge during the Project activities in other places as well. For this reason, PIU specialists, together with farmers, have to coordinate with local khokimiyats the process of allocation of replacement land to those farmers whose plots are smaller than 5 ha, and will be significantly reduced during construction works or IDS rehabilitation.
All legal steps towards formalizing land use issues and rights of these farmers to own or lease the land, will be taken together with Geocadastre specialists, who will participate in selection of new land plots, and with khokimiyats, and in close collaboration/consultation with farmers.