Rs 1,000 crore scam in payment to Narmada dam oustees: Commission asked to scrutinise into all cases

By A Representative
In an important setback to the protagonists of the Narmada project, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has come down heavily on rampant corruption, alleged to be to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore, asking the state government to ensure that the Justice Jha Commission of Inquiry looks into every case of corruption. Ramant corruption resulted from the Madhya Pradesh government policy of handing over cash instead of land as compensation to the Narmada dam oustees. The top anti-dam body, Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), welcoming the High Court order, said, the court has "validated" the Jha Commission, wanting the inquiry to "reach its logical conclusion."
The NBA claimed, “The order shall have a significant effect on the working on the commission, which has to scrutinize all cases of cash disbursals, in order to ensure that the oustees, mostly non-literate, tribals, farmers and landless, are not swindled by the corrupt nexus of officials and agents. Payments without scrutiny would have opened up a Pandora’s Box, which has been avoided by the High Court’s intervention.”
The NBA quoted the court order to say that the Jha Commission must be allowed to proceed with its inquiry without any delay, adding, the Madhya Pradesh government “is obliged to honour the direction given by the Supreme Court on May 11, 2009 regarding disbursement of compensation by way of cheques or cash after April 24, 2009, subject to the scrutiny by the Justice Jha Commission." Saying that this condition is now become "inviolable”, the NBA added, now payments to oustees would have to be obligatorily made by the government after verification from the Jha Commission.
In fact, the NBA said, all payments would have to be placed before commission for verification "within seven days, after which the commission shall furnish the report within two weeks, for necessary orders" for payment. The order was passed on an application by the NBA, which challenged the action of the state government and the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) for not complying with the orders of the Supreme Court and the High Court on mandated pre-payment scrutiny of rehabilitation.
Significantly, the Madhya Pradesh government was interpreting the Supreme Court order as applicable to only 396 oustees, whose case was examined in the apex court. The NBA said, “After exchange of detailed pleadings and hours of oral submissions, the High Court upheld that the order dated May 11, 2009 of the Supreme Court mandating pre-scrutiny of all cash/cheque payments shall not be eclipsed by the subsequent specific order of the Apex Court, permitting cash payment only in cases of 396 oustees. Thus, the contentions of the state, based on misrepresentation of judicial orders were rejected.”
The NBA further said, “It is well-known that as per the High Court’s orders since 2008, the commission has been investigating a massive corruption scam in the rehabilitation of oustees in Madhya Pradesh to a tune of Rs 1,000 crore, including almost 2,000 fake land registries, irregularities in civic amenities at 88 resettlement sites, fraud in house plot allotments, resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) grants to ineligible persons and betrayal of thousands landless persons entitled to alternative livelihood.”
“After issuing stern orders to the Chief Secretary, which has led to appointment of three senior full-time officials to assist the commission in the last months of 2013, the court took into consideration the undertaking given by the senior counsel, appearing for the government of Madhya Pradesh, that henceforth all permissible cooperation would be extended to the commission for its smooth functioning”, the NBA said.

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

CFA flags ‘welfare retreat’ in Union Budget 2026–27, alleges corporate bias

By Jag Jivan The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has sharply criticised the Union Budget 2026–27 , calling it a “budget sans kartavya” that weakens public welfare while favouring private corporations, even as inequality, climate risks and social distress deepen across the country.

From water scarcity to sustainable livelihoods: The turnaround of Salaiya Maaf

By Bharat Dogra We were sitting at a central place in Salaiya Maaf village, located in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh, for a group discussion when an elderly woman said in an emotional voice, “It is so good that you people came. Land on which nothing grew can now produce good crops.”

When free trade meets unequal fields: The India–US agriculture question

By Vikas Meshram The proposed trade agreement between India and the United States has triggered intense debate across the country. This agreement is not merely an attempt to expand bilateral trade; it is directly linked to Indian agriculture, the rural economy, democratic processes, and global geopolitics. Free trade agreements (FTAs) may appear attractive on the surface, but the political economy and social consequences behind them are often unequal and controversial. Once again, a fundamental question has surfaced: who will benefit from this agreement, and who will pay its price?

Why Russian oil has emerged as the flashpoint in India–US trade talks

By N.S. Venkataraman* In recent years, India has entered into trade agreements with several countries, the latest being agreements with the European Union and the United States. While the India–EU trade agreement has been widely viewed in India as mutually beneficial and balanced, the trade agreement with the United States has generated comparatively greater debate and scrutiny.

'Big blow to crores of farmers’: Opposition mounts against US–India trade deal

By A Representative Farmers’ organisations and political groups have sharply criticised the emerging contours of the US–India trade agreement, warning that it could severely undermine Indian agriculture, depress farm incomes and open the doors to genetically modified (GM) food imports in violation of domestic regulatory safeguards.

Penpa Tsering’s leadership and record under scrutiny amidst Tibetan exile elections

By Tseten Lhundup* Within the Tibetan exile community, Penpa Tsering is often described as having risen through grassroots engagement. Born in 1967, he comes from an ordinary Tibetan family, pursued higher education at Delhi University in India, and went on to serve as Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile from 2008 to 2016. In 2021, he was elected Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), becoming the second democratically elected political leader of the administration after Lobsang Sangay.

From Puri to the State: How Odisha turned the dream of drinkable tap water into policy

By Hans Harelimana Hirwa, Mansee Bal Bhargava Drinking water directly from the tap is generally associated with developed countries where it is considered safe and potable. Only about 50 countries around the world offer drinkable tap water, with the majority located in Europe and North America, and a few in Asia and Oceania. Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and Singapore have the highest-quality tap water, followed by Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the USA, Australia, the UK, Costa Rica, and Chile.

Territorial greed of Trump, Xi Jinping, and Putin could make 2026 toxic

By N.S. Venkataraman* The year 2025 closed with bloody conflicts across nations and groups, while the United Nations continued to appear ineffective—reduced to a debate forum with little impact on global peace and harmony.

Search This Blog