NBA shocked at newspaper reports

VADODARA, Aug 16: The Narmada Bachao Andolan NBA has expressed shock at a report in a section of the press on Monday indicting it of involvement in the demolition of a building under construction in the proposed resettlement site of villagers from Behgaon, which will be submerged by waters of the Maheshwar Hydro-electric Project. The building was reportedly demolished by about 100 masked people on the night of August.

In a statement, Alok Agrawal of the NBA, Parvatibai of Behgaon village and Urmila Patidar of Pathrad refuted the report which held the Andolan responsible. They added that even the report of the local police does not mention the NBA8217;s involvement, nor does it mention any incident of the beating and stripping of rehabilitation officers.

The NBA has termed the report as 8220;unfortunate and an attempt to portray a false picture of the NBA as a group of thugs and vandals8221;.

Village Behgaon is one of the 61 villages in the fertile plains of Nimad in Madhya Pradesh where homes, livelihoods and communities will be destroyed and submerged forever by the Maheshwar Hydro-Electric Project. The affected people of the area have been waging a strong and peaceful struggle against this destructive Project for the last 2 years, under the aegis of the NBA.