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dam-l (Fwd) LS: SC panel submits report on SSP
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Date sent: Mon, 19 Apr 1999 10:23:41 -0800
From: Medha Patkar <medhap@bom5.vsnl.net.in> (by way of patrick@irn.org (Patrick
McCully))
Subject: LS: SC panel submits report on SSP
To: irn-narmada@igc.apc.org
Indian Express
Saturday, April 17, 1999
SC panel submits report on SSP
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, APRIL 16: The authority set-up by the
Supreme Court to look into the relief and rehabilitation
work for Narmada oustees submitted its report in the
court
on Thursday. The independent Committee was headed by
Justice P D Desai.
The authority was set-up after an interim order by the
Court in February this year which included the permission
for the height of the dam to be raised by five metres. The
decision had come after the government of the three
states
had stated in the Court that the R&R work could be done
satisfactorily for the project-affected persons (PAPs).
The findings of the report are significant because they
will decide whether further construction will be allowed on
the disputed dam.
In another significant statement, the three-member special
bench comprising Chief Justice A S Anand, S P Bharucha and
B N Kripal took severe note of the activities of NBA. The
activists took to the streets, sat on dharna and gave
speeches espousing the cause of the oustees in the last two
months.
"Youcan either petition through us or through other means
or agencies," said Chief Justice A S Anand. He was
specially referring to the NBA asking the Ministry of
Social Justice and Welfare Ministry to look into the R&R
issue. "You have to chose between the two - the government
or the Court," he added.
Also counsel for the Government of Gujarat, Maharashtra and
Madhya Pradesh, Harish Salve also alleged that the
officials conducting the inquiry were beaten up in a few
places and not allowed to work.
To this, the counsel for the petitioners NBA, Shanti
Bhushan said that if that were the case, the Court should
relieve them of the petition. "If anybody says anything
against the Supreme Court, then I will castigate them but
it has not happened," he said.
Justice Bharucha said that the press reports of the last
fortnight had indicated that the activists were busy airing
their
grievances while the matter was been investigated by the
Authority.
The NBA had also written a letter to the President in
whichpersonalities like Arundhati Roy, Bhim Sen Joshi,
Jayant Narlikar, Rajendra Yadav, Madhavi Mudgal and Raghu
Rai have supported the cause.
The report, the Judges said, was only meant for court
proceedings and was not to circulated elsewhere till the
Court meets again on May 7 for the next hearing.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay)
Ltd.
Dianne Murray, Coordinator/Webmistress
Dam-Reservoir Working Group; Ottawa, Canada
Dam-Reservoir Impacts and Information Archive
http://www.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca/dams