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DAM-L LS: A shift in M.P. stand on Narmada dam (fwd)
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Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 13:58:44 -0800 (PST)
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subject: LS: A shift in M.P. stand on Narmada dam
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The Hindu
Saturday, December 16, 2000
A shift in M.P. stand on Narmada dam
By Our Special Correspondent
GANDHINAGAR, DEC. 15. The barrier between the Gujarat and Madhya
Pradesh Governments over
construction of the Sardar Sarovar dam on the Narmada has been
broken with a visit to the site today by the Madhya Pradesh Deputy
Chief Minister, Ms. Yamuna Devi.
The Gujarat Narmada Affairs Minister, Mr. Jaynarayan Vyas, described
her visit to the dam site, first by a senior leader from M.P. in
several years, as the "beginning of a dialogue'' for better
cooperation between the two Governments for speedy implementation of
the project. Gujarat hitherto viewed the M.P.
Government's lukewarm attitude to the project as the second major
impediment in its construction after the agitation by the Narmada
Bachao Andolan.
Talking to mediapersons Ms. Yamuna Devi said she was impressed with
the work being carried out by
the State Government in the construction of the dam and the
rehabilitation of the affected people. Though, she said, she did not
represent the M. P. Government in her visit, she would take up the
matter with the Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay Singh, to ensure better
coordination between the Governments.
She claimed a definite shift in the stand of the M.P. Government
towards the dam project though she
admitted that it was still in favour of a reduction of the dam
height to ensure minimum land submergence in M.P. The delay in the
rehabilitation of the people to be affected by the project in M.P.,
she claimed, was not due to non-cooperation by her Government but
because of the "problems'' created by the NBA.
She said the NBA was not even allowing Government officials to carry
out a survey of the affected and
was adopting "all kinds of undemocratic means'' including "attacking
the Government personnel in their
offices'' to intimidate them from carrying out their duty.
Describing the NBA as a "tool in the hands of
some foreign powers,'' Ms. Yamuna Devi said she would do her best to
"crush'' all anti-Narmada
movements in her State. She said the fact that the NBA issued
posters in English in the tribal areas,
instead of in the local language understood by the tribals, proved
that the Andolan leaders wanted only to "please their foreign
masters.''
Ms. Yamuna Devi said that with large parts of Gujarat and the
tribal-dominated areas of M.P. facing acute drought and shortage of
water for the three consecutive years, the two Governments could
ill-afford any further delay in the construction of the dams on the
Narmada. They were the best hope for the people in the two States.
Ms. Yamuna Devi agreed that there was not enough Government land
available in M.P. to rehabilitate all
the project- affected but said it was holding talks with owners of
the private land.
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