'Sardar Sarovar rehabilitation as per SC orders'

New Delhi, June 17: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today expressed confidence that the rehabilitation of affected people in Sardar Sarovar and Maheshwar Hydel Project was taking place as per the directions of the Supreme Court and prescribed June 30 as the deadline.

Talking to newspersons about the rehabilitation of affected families, the Chief Minister said the government's intention was to provide land for the families who lost the land for the project.

Since the takers were not inclined to accept the land offered by the government, they were being given compensation of Rs 2.8 lakhs per hectare land for enabling them to purchase land. The families could enter into the agreement availing 50 per cent of the money offered by the Government and rest of the 50 per cent would be paid at the time of registration. The rehabilitation is deemed complete after they start residing, he said.

He said about 24,000 families were to be rehabilitated and efforts were on to find suitable land at 11 sites. About 5,000 families had gone over to Gujarat side of the rehabilitation.

The Chief Minister said the visit of Task Force and three- member Shunglu Committee to the affected region did create some problems for the authorities to carry out the rehabilitation.

They visited house to house probing the issues posed by the Narmada Bachao Andholan people and found that things were quite satisfactory. "I don't say every thing is hunky dory but we are doing our best to considering the sensitivity of the situation", he said.

He said the Task Force and Shunglu Committee visits did add to the problems because it raised the hopes in people who thought that they were entitled to get something more than what they had already got. It took some time before they realised that they already had got their due share of money, he said.

In Maheshwar Hydel project, the rehabilitation was put on hold because the policy guidelines for comprehensive rehabilitation package was not ready. All the things are taking place according to S C direction. If there is any problem regarding the implementation stage, all he could tell at this stage that the law will take its course.

Asked if the NBA were coercing the people not to accept compensation, the CM said there were complaints to this effect and people knew the truth. "If somebody doesn't want to trust the fairness" of Supreme Court, Central Government and the State Governments, he could not have any solution.

About his predecessor and Bharatiya Janashakti Party leader Uma Bharti declaring that the government could fall in one week, Mr Chouhan said Ms Bharti was free to implement her threat and he would carry on with his task.

UNI