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dam-l GRA Visits Valley
subject: LS: MP Grievance Redressal Authority Visits the Valley
For Publication -17.6.2000
Grievance Redressal Authority Visits the Valley : People Expose False
Claims of Government.
The Grievance Redressal Authority (GRA) of Madhya Pradesh, headed by
Jst. (Rtd) G.G.Sohoni visited the affected villages and the proposed
rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) sites of Madhya Pradesh from
13-16<smaller><smaller>th</smaller></smaller> June. The said GRA was
appointed by the Government of Madhya Pradesh under the directions of
the Hon'ble Supreme Court.
While concluding the 6 year long hearing on the comprehensive case
against Sardar Sarovar Dam, the Court directed the GRA to submit a
report to the Court by July 1<smaller><smaller>st</smaller></smaller>
on:
<fontfamily><param>Symbol</param>· </fontfamily>The availability and
suitability of the land for rehabilitation, identified by the
government, and
<fontfamily><param>Symbol</param>· </fontfamily>Violations, if any, of
Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award (NWDTA) while establishing the R&R
sites.
The said order is applicable to the GRAs of Gujarat and Maharashtra
too, for their respective states.
Jst. Sohoni, along with the senior officials of Narmada Valley
Development Authority (NVDA) and representatives of Narmada Bachao
Andolan (NBA) visited 18 rehabilitation sites and over 30 villages to
have a first hand knowledge of the situation. People, who assembled in
hundreds at each places, explained the GRA their problems related to
the displacement due to Sardar Sarovar dam. Except in Gopalpura R&R
site, nowhere else could the officials show land for cultivation for
the oustees adjacent to the residential sites identified. And that land
too (shown at Gopalpura) is grazing land, which is of bad quality for
cultivation. The people of Gopalpura village opposed turning grazing
land into agricultural land of R&R site as it will deny them the land
for grazing of their cattle.
The land which were shown at Kapsi and Bagdiya villages (tah. Kukshi)
turned out to be rocky and cultivation is impossible there, the
hundreds of farmers assembled there informed the GRA. They also told
the GRA that none of the sites are habitable for farmer communities.
No amenities were found in any of the rehabilitation sites visited by
the GRA. Never the consent of the people were sought in selecting or
establishing the R&R sites. As mentioned earlier, except in Gopalpura,
nowhere else agricultural lands were available adjacent to the site.
Thus not only by building the dam, or by displacing the people, but
even by trying to establish R&R sites the Government violated NWDTA so
blatantly and grossly.
Jst.Sohoni patiently heard different sections of the oustees during his
4 day visit. Time and again people could expose the false claims of the
Government officials. Especially, the survey done by the officials
showing the level of villages, proved to be wrong at different places.
The cost of villages in Bargi dam area had to pay for this kind of
callous and irresponsible survey is that instead of the projected
submergence of 101 villages, Bargi dam (near Jabalpur, built on
Narmada) submerged 162 villages, including many R&R sites made by the
Government.
Earlier on June 7 - 8<smaller><smaller>th</smaller></smaller>, GRA held
public hearings of the affected people and officials at Indore.
Jst.Sohoni has now invited the officials and NBA for yet another
meeting at Bhopal on 21<smaller><smaller>st</smaller></smaller> June,
before he submits the Report to the Apex Court by July
1<smaller><smaller>st</smaller></smaller>. The report is going to be
followed by the final order of the Supreme Court. The fate of SSP and
of the people in the valley is to be decided at the end of this process
in the Apex Court since 1994 and which is now going to be finally
decided upon.
Clifton - Karuna
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