SC seeks report on rehab

The Supreme Court today asked the Madhya Pradesh Government to file a detailed affidavit on the relief...

The Supreme Court today asked the Madhya Pradesh Government to file a detailed affidavit on the relief and rehabilitation of people affected by the Narmada Project within two weeks.

Issuing a directive to this effect, the Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said only then would it look into the plea by the Narmada Bachao Andolan and others for constitution of a commission or committee to identify the oustees requiring land as compensation before submergence takes place. The petitioners have have alleged that authorities, including the Madhya Pradesh Government, has not provided relief and rehabilitation package to the affected families while raising the height of the dam from 110m to 121.92m, in tune with the earlier apex court directions.

Arguing before the Bench, also comprising Justices S B Sinha and S H Kapadia, advocates Sanjay Parikh and Prashant Bhushan along with former Delhi University Vice Chancellor Upender Baxi objected to the Special Relief Package SRP offered by the state government instead of cultivable land to the oustees. It was also pointed out that there was no cultivable land available in the land bank from which the farmers were offered land as a R038;R measure, besides it was 8220;forced8221; upon the oustees.

However, refuting the arguments senior advocate Arun Jaitely appearing for the Madhya Pradesh Government maintained that SRP was not forced and the facts and figures presented by the NBA on relief and rehabilitation were 8220;incorrect.8221; He submitted that at present the Narmada dam was at a height of 121.92m and the number of project affected people were 2,4421 and land as compensation was given to those who have lost 25 per cent of their cultivable land while the rest were given cash compensation.