The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has protested against the Madhya Pradesh government seeking to declare that all the tribal villages affected by the Sardar Sarovar dam as having been rehabilitated, a flawed stand, it claims, was also taken by the previous state BJP rulers of Madhya Pradesh, as also the present rulers of Maharashtra. Pointing out that the present Congress rulers had assured reconstitution of all rehabilitation committees, NBA in a statement wonders, why they have still not been formed.
“Where are the MLAs, MPs and ministers, who gave statements in favour of the affected people?”, asks NBA, pointing out, “The extent of plight on the tribals can be seen when one looks at Manilal Gopal Tadvi, aged 75, and his wife Judd Kaki, whose houses in Manibeli village of Maharashtra were drowned in 1993. Like many other Tadvi families, they have received no assistance.”
The situation is the same with “After declaring Bhitada as the model village of Alirajpur district in Madhya Pradesh in 2008, it is now abandoned for drowning”, the statement continues, adding, “Rayabhai of Bhitara, who had gone to demand the allocation of residential plots to eligible families affected by the illegal drowning of Sardar Sarovar dam, has been told by the tehsildar they have been given notice, and they should quit.”
Pointing out that many farms of Bhitada have also been drowned, NBA said, “In 2017 around 17 houses of Bhitada were suddenly demolished with the help of the police. They were not given any alternative housing plots, hence they rebuilt their houses”, adding, the Madhya Pradesh government “has not set up a rehabilitation site for even a single village in Alirajpur district… The housing plots were to be allotted yesterday. But this work has been postponed till Monday.”
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