SC rejects plea for relief to oustees of Narmada dam project

The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a plea seeking relief and rehabilitation measures for oustees of the Narmada dam project.A bench headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar declined the plea saying the Madhya Pradesh High Court will deal with the matter after hearing the parties.

Senior advocate Fali S Nariman, who appeared for the oustees, told the apex court that the high court has not even started hearing the plea despite it had said to hear it from 13th last month.

Earlier, the apex court had ordered compensation of 60 lakh rupees per family for two hectares of land with an undertaking to be taken from them that they would vacate land within one month failing which the authorities would have the right to forcibly evict



them. 

The issue of compensation would cover 193 villages in Madhya Pradesh, 33 in Maharashtra and 19 in Gujarat.

However, Narmada Bachao Andolan, NBA, which is leading the campaign for the oustees, was of the view that there was no good land that could have be given to oustees as compensation.NBA had told the apex court that about 45,000 affected people are yet to be rehabilitated.

Welcoming yesterday's decision of the court, NGO National Council for Civil Liberties, who has been supporting and fighting for the cause of the Sardar Sarovar Project for 17 years, said, the decision will help in the rehabilitation process. 

It said, Sardar Sarovar Project is the lifeline of the people of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.