Narmada Bachao Andolan challenges false claims on Sardar Sarovar Rehabilitation
Narmada Bachao Andolan challenges false claims on Sardar Sarovar Rehabilitation
With 40000+ families yet to be rehabilitated.
Corruption in rehabilitation can not be suppressed
Modi
government can’t put up and close gates
Badwani, September 4, 2015:
The
claims by the Gujarat officials in relation to Sardar Sarovar Project as
reported in the Times of India (Gates of Narmada Dam are jammed by 3 saffron
states:1st September, 2015) are seriously questionable. The decision by the
Modi government, taken on June 12th, 2014 to raise the Sardar Sarovar Dam
height from 122 m. to 139 m. has certainly been against law and Supreme Court’s
own judgements. While there are a number of applications filed by the Sardar
Sarovar affected persons before the Supreme Court, not just describing the
ground reality but explaining violation of law by the submergence imposed on
thousands of families, the concerned state and central government are filing
false or incomplete information and mis-briefing the apex court.
The fact about rehabilitation is that out of the 244
villages and one township, Dharmapuri, in Madhya Pradesh there are a few
villages in the hilly areas that are vacated and the adivasis resettled;
although with continued problems at resettlement sites too. What is more
serious is that the large number of farmers, labourers, fish workers, traders
who are in the agricultural villages are still without full and fair
rehabilitation and neither their lands nor their houses can be submerged till
six months after completion of resettlement and rehabilitation. This is not
only against Narmada Tribunal Award but also against Supreme Court judgments.
Almost every village has schools, dispensary, shops, Panchayats, rationing
shops running along with agricultural fields on prime agricultural land and
houses with which life is on! People are voters in the same village too. Gram
Sabhas in the scheduled areas (where all villages lie) have passed resolutions
during last many years! But who cares?
The Supreme Court, the Social Justice Bench is no
doubt taking review of the number of families with applications pending before
the Grievance Redressal Authority but it has not yet been seized with the whole
matter. When the decision to raise the dam and construction is illegal and will
cause a great human tragedy, putting up the gates and closing doors will be a
brutal act on the part of Gujarat as well as the Prime Minister. Hundreds of
adivasis in Gujarat, some original villages like Mukhadi (next to the dam site)
and the rest at Rehabilitation and resettlement site are yet to get their
complaints redressed, about undeclared families or bad lands and problems of
water supply and approach roads at many sites.
In Maharashtra 1200 families await rehabilitation in MP not
less than 40000 residing in the submergence area are to face drowning of homes
and livelihoods, not replaced. This is the dam where 11000 families are
resettled with alternative land but now the government of MP is unwilling and
trying to dupe oustees with meager cash in lieu of land. Since the state
government and its authority is fully trapped in massive corruption which is
under inquiry by Justice Jha Commission, appointed by the Madhya Pradesh High
Court. Not less than 2000 registries by the oustees showing purchase of land
with cash are to be found to be fake. Corruption, in not this one alone but in
five aspects, including house plots allotment as well as constructions at
resettlement and rehabilitation sites has resulted in total derailing of policy
costing the State Exchequer at least 1000 crores! Modi-Shivraj alliance is
surely wanting to damn all evidence and make the inquiry report redundant.
The water available today is not being used beyond 20%
as the canal network is not ready. And whatever is lifted is used for
industries rather than for irrigating farms or satiating thirst. Raising
the dam is therefore unjustifiable.
It is in this background that the judicial propriety
and honesty demands that the dam work is stopped immediately and the gates not
erected nor closed. Thousands of oustees have been participants in the Jeevan
Adhikar Satyagraha at Rajghat on the Narmada bank in MP. Although that may not
be making news in Gandhinagar, the future will not forgive Mr. Modi for the
genocidal attack on the oldest of the civilisations i.e. Narmada Valley.
Meera, Rahul Yadav, Devisingh Tomar, Medha Patkar.
Contact: 9179148973
*************************
Narmada Bachao Andolan,
Narmada-Ashish, Off Kasravad Road,
Narmada Bachao Andolan,
Narmada-Ashish, Off Kasravad Road,
Navalpura, Badwani,
Madhya Pradesh – 451551
Ph: 07290-291464; Fax: 07290-222549
E-mail:
Ph: 07290-291464; Fax: 07290-222549
E-mail:
nba.medha@gmail.com
National Alliance of People’s Movements
National Office: Room No. 29-30, 1st floor, ‘A’ Wing, Haji Habib Bldg, Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai - 400 014;
6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi - 110014
Phone : 011 26241167 / 2435 4737
E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com | napmindia@napm-india.org
Web : www.napm-india.org
National Alliance of People’s Movements
National Office: Room No. 29-30, 1st floor, ‘A’ Wing, Haji Habib Bldg, Naigaon Cross Road, Dadar (E), Mumbai - 400 014;
6/6, Jangpura B, Mathura Road, New Delhi - 110014
Phone : 011 26241167 / 2435 4737
E-mail: napmindia@gmail.com | napmindia@napm-india.org
Web : www.napm-india.org
