NBA to approach Supreme Court on land acquisition

Bhopal, Sep 9 (UNI) Welcoming the Madhya Pradesh High Court order granting separate rehabilitation to adult sons and unmarried daughters of displaced families, the Narmada Bachao Andolan today said it will appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the flawed land acquisition and denial of land entitlements to small and marginal farmers affected by the Indira Sagar dam.

The NBA also welcomed the court directive to set up a land bank for allotment to eligible oustees, setting aside the state government objections about non-availability of land.

The High Court has opened a tremendous new opportunity to lead dignified and productive lives not only for the displaced people of Indira Sagar project, but also for the displaced families of other projects in the Narmada valley, the NBA said.

''The NBA along with the oustees will cooperate and monitor the entire process and continue to raise its voice until relief and rehabilitation of every single oustee is complete,'' NBA activists Alok Agarwal and Chittaroopa Palit told reporters here.

Though the rehabilitation policy specifically provided that all small and marginal farmers would get a minimum five acres of land, even if they owned less land, the state government and Narmada Hydro Development Corporation had deliberately denied this, forcing the farmers to take cash compensation, they said. The NBA prayer to give land for land to the oustees or special rehabilitation grant was not considered.

The High Court held that land acquisition by NHDC was done in an authorised manner, the NBA pointed out, adding land acquisition by a corporate body and awards based on it were unreasonable and arbitrary.

The High Court also restrained the state government and NHDC from raising the water level to full reservoir level of 262.13 metre by permitting to fill water upto 260 metre only, Mr Agarwal said.

UNI AG-SP MSJ DS1505