MP questions reliability of report on R

New Delhi, Apr 26 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh government has questioned the reliability of a report filed by a group of ministers on Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) work for oustees of the Sardar Sarovar Dam project.

In an additional affidavit before the Supreme court, the state government pointed out that the group of ministers deputed by the Centre to look into the rehabilitation of oustees had claimed to have visited 86 sites in a single day, which was physically not possible.

The state government further alleged that there was no rehabilitation site at Kalghat as claimed by the group of ministers which included Union ministers Saifuddin Soz and Meera Kumar.

Mohan Lal, who has been quoted by the group of ministers in their report, does not belong to an affected family but was a Narmada Bachao Andolan activist.

The BJP ruled state also opposed the Centre's desicion to appoint a committee to look into the rehabilitation work, saying it will rather complicate the issue than solve it.

The state has also suggested that in order to expediate the R&R measure, the Centre should increase the number of officers in the Narmada Control Authority (NCA), which is a supervising R&R major.

The affidavit also said that there is no need to constitute a new committe in regard to the state of MP as all the families of oustees have already been resettled.

The state government has also refuted the allegations that black cotton soil is not fit for construction of houses as there is already a large number of houses in the area and it is a universally accepted fact that the soil is suitable for agriculture.

The state of MP has also submitted a CD alongwith the affidavit to refute the findings of a group of Union Ministers who have reported that the R&R major in the state were virtually non-existent and the R&R step was only confined to papers.

It may be noted that Prime Minister Manmhan Singh has already appointed a three-member committe headed by former CAG Mr Shunglu to oversee and moniotor the R&R work in the Narmada valley.

The height of the dam is to be increased from 110 meters to 121.92 meters, which according to the state of Gujarat shall provide a rinking water to 2000 additional villages in drought affected areas of Saurashtra and Kutch.

The state of Gujarat has also claimed that the dam shall produce around 1450 mws of electricity which will help in irrigation in the four states namely Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and MP.

The matter is listed for hearing in the Supreme court on May 1.

The apex court has already warned that if R&R majors were found inadequate, it shall be constrained to stop the ongoing construction work.

UNI AKS/SC RA HT2200