Fresh directions on Narmada dam oustees' corruption case: MP high court refuses to hear Gujarat petition

By A Representative
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has said that it may have to “proceed against” those state officials who have failed to comply by the Justice Jha Commission of Inquiry into large-scale corruption in the payment of cash in lieu of land acquired from thousands of Narmada dam oustees. It simultaneously dismissed the petition filed by the Gujarat government to not to allow the outees’ corruption case come in the way of raising the Narmada dam from 121.92 metres, where it is stationary today, to the full reservoir level (FRL) of 138.64 metres, saying it would not hear it, as the matter is pending with the Supreme Court.
Calling it a “significant order”, the anti-dam Naramda Bachao Andolan (NBA) said in a statement, a bench consisting of chief justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court (Jabalpur principal seat) AM Khanwilkar and Justice KK Trivedi said the state government has failed to look into various directions by the Justice Jha Commission, appointed by the court in 2008. In particular, the “state government has failed to provide suitable assistance of police officers, revenue officers and PWD engineers to the commission”. Asking it do it, the bench added, it may consider issuing “appropriate directions including the option of proceeding against the authorities who have failed to comply with the directions”.
The NBA, which had appeared through its leader Medha Patkar, said, “This order assumes significance in the light of the fact that the High Court had on numerous occasions in the past has issued stern orders to the state government to provide full-time officers, staff, finances and other facilities to the commission to be able to effectively carry out the herculean task of inquiry into thousands of land registries alleged to be fake, examination of thousands of witnesses, assessment of the resettlement sites, disbursement of livelihood grants, inquiry into irregularities in the house plot allotments, etc.”
The NBA said, “The Supreme Court has repeatedly endorsed and strengthened the power of the High Court and the Justice Jha Commission to proceed on the corruption issue. The latest order of the Apex Court dated August 2, 2014 emphasized that corruption cases could continue in accordance with law before the High Court although the issue of dam height would have to be agitated before the Supreme Court. This order was in the light of the petition by the Narmada Control Authority, responsible for taking all decisions on the Narmada project.”
“The High Court also issued notices to the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) and the NCA requiring mandatory scrutiny by the Justice Jha Commission of all cases of disbursement of cash compensation to the oustees. The commission had complained to the court in its latest report of July 1, 2014 that the NVDA has taken back files for scrutiny from the Commission my referring to certain other orders”, the NBA said, and welcomed the High Court’s rejection of the plea of Gujarat to intervene in the ongoing corruption PIL, since the issue of raise in dam height is to be agitated before the Supreme Court.”

Comments

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

School closures across states raise concerns amid Govt of India claims of improved access

By A Representative A recent report has raised concerns over the closure and merger of government schools in several Indian states, particularly in Bihar, where a significant number of institutions have reportedly been shut down or earmarked for closure.

Health activist group raises concerns over HPV vaccination drive, seeks temporary halt

By A Representative Swasthya Adhikar Manch, a public health advocacy group, has urged the Union government to ensure greater accountability and transparency in the ongoing Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign, and called for its temporary suspension pending a comprehensive review. In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the group flagged what it described as unresolved concerns surrounding the nationwide rollout of the HPV vaccine, which began on February 28, 2026. The campaign targets 14-year-old girls and involves administering Gardasil, a quadrivalent vaccine intended to protect against certain strains of HPV linked to cervical cancer.

Health Day ads spark row as NAPi targets Britannia campaign, criticizes celebrity endorsement

By A Representative The advocacy group Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) has raised concerns over what it describes as misleading advertising of ultra-processed food products (UPFs), particularly those high in sugar, fat and salt, calling for stricter regulations and an end to such promotions across media platforms.

Search This Blog