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DAM-L LS: Narmada Villagers Storm Digvijay Singh's Residence (fwd)
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subject: LS: Narmada Villagers Storm Digvijay Singh's Residence
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Narmada Bachao Andolan
B - 13, Shivam Flats, Ellora Park, Baroda
Press Note 9.1.2001
Representatives of Narmada Valley Storm into Chief Minister’s Residence
Demands for a just and Pro People stand in the Review Committee
Over100 representatives of farmers and peasants from the Nimad and
Alirajpur villages of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, affected by the
gigantic Sardar Sarovar project, stormed into the residence of the
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri. Digvijay Singh at Bhopal
today morning. They were demanding that the Chief Minister meet them
and clarify the position that the Government of Madhya Pradesh was
going to take on the immediate future of SSP in the Interstate Review
Committee meeting of the Chief Ministers of all concerned states
(Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan) at Delhi on the
10th of January, 2001. They were, however, arrested and moved out of
the premises.
The Chief Minister later met a delegation led by Medha Patkar at the
state Guest House. In the meeting, NBA briefed the Chief Minister on
the present ground status of rehabilitation in the State. The October
18th, majority decision, of the Supreme Court had ordered
construction of the dam upto 90m along with the complete resettlement
of those affected upto this dam height and also ordered for the
preparation of a Master plan within a month's time. For this the
project affected families were to be resettled by 31st December 2000.
NBA brought to light most recent documents of the Narmada Control
Authority, which clearly prove that, in blatant violation of the
Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal Award and the Supreme Court order,
960 families were yet to be resettled as of January. In Madhya
Pradesh alone at least 740 families were still to be resettled. In
reality, the number of oustees who are affected at 90 mts and yet to
be resettled is in excess of 2000 families.
After giving a patient hearing, Shri Digvijay Singh told the
delegation that the position of the Madhya Pradesh Government in
tomorrow's meeting would be decided today evening after his meeting
with the concerned officials.
This situation in Madhya Pradesh is due to that the fact that the
Government of Madhya Pradesh does not have a single acre of
agricultural land to facilitate resettlement for any project affected
family in Madhya Pradesh. Instead of making available cultivable
agricultural land the Government of Madhya Pradesh is trying to force
the people to accept cash compensation. The people have rejected this
offer as being illegal and detrimental to their future and to the
future of the coming generations. In fact such an offer is violative
of the land for land policy clearly stipulated in the Narmada Water
Disputes Tribunal Award. NBA asked for an immediate stoppage to such
an anti-people proposal of the Government.
NBA further pointed out that the required Master Plan was still not
ready. The Narmada Control Authority had prepared a time frame for
the construction of the dam and resettlement processes. NBA urged
that the Government of Madhya Pradesh NOT approve this since it
contains no details of the final number of project affected families
nor does it carry any details whatsoever of the availability of
agricultural land for resettlement. Shri Digvijay Singh clarified
that they had not yet approved that proposed time frame.
NBA also added that there were several outstanding issues regarding
resettlement in Madhya Pradesh that needed to be resolved
immediately. The facts that the number of PAFs in the State has
officially increased from 33014 to 35716 families, as per NVDA and
NCA, and will increase by ‘few thousands more’ according to them.
Till the final number of PAFs to be affected is not arrived at, there
can be no estimation of the amount of agricultural land required for
them in resettlement. Coupled with this is that the land records are
in shambles in the submergence villages which needs to be resolved
immediately. NBA also reiterated its finding that the level surveys,
for demarcating the submergence zone, is erroneous by at least 3m
which if not looked into immediately would lead to a Bargi-like
situation where 162 villages were actually submerged instead of the
slated 101 villages!
The people raised the important question that "Why is the Government
of Madhya Pradesh taking such a compromising position at the cost of
tens of thousands of its people?" They insisted that the Chief
Minister should not adopt this kind of a position when faced with the
bullying tactics of the Government of Gujarat. Andolan made it clear
that it would decide and take its next step depending on the position
taken and the outcome of the Interstate Review Committee meeting.
Clifton Rozario M.K.Sukumar
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