Medha Patkar again raises Narmada issue

Bhopal

Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar today demanded that report of Justice Jha Commission that probed the alleged fake land registries and other issues related to the oustees of Sardar Sarovar dam project be made public.

She also demanded that people of Madhya Pradesh who were affected due to the project, whose construction is on in Gujarat, be rehabilitated without delay.

Patkar launched a hunger strike three days back with over 30 people at Neelam Park here demanding rehabilitation of the oustees of the dam project.

“Jha Commission report should be made public as oustees of the Sardar Sarvor dam have not been rehabilitated yet. Madhya Pradesh government is sitting tight on the report and not taking any action against the corrupt officers who had siphoned off huge money meant for rehabilitation,” the activist told reporters.

She said that around 50,000 people displaced by the project have yet to be rehabilitated.

“But water level of the Sardar Sarvor dam is increased further, which will spell a doom for the people living in the catchment area,” she said.

Jha Commission was set up by the Madhya Pradesh High Court on August 21, 2008 to probe allegations of over 3000 fake land sale registries, corruption in rehabilitation sites, issuance of livelihood grants, allotment of plots for construction of houses to oustees of the project in Alirajpur, Dhar, Khargone and Barwani districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Sardar Sarvor dam is built in Gujarat on river Narmada which originates from MP.

PTI