Supreme Court admits all SSP affected are not rehabilitated and a large number of them haven’t received land.

Press Release | Feb 08, 2017

The Supreme Court, the Hon’ble Chief Justice bench of Justice Kehar, Justice Chandrachud and Justice Ramanna heard the applications of Sardar Sarovar Affected from three states including the largest number from Madhya Pradesh, Mahrashtra and Gujarat. After about four hours long hearing, the CJI bench directed that Gujarat will pay 60 lakh rupees (instead of 5.58 lakhs rupees offered as Special Rehabilitation Package since 2005 in M.P.) to those PAFs who have not taken any cash from SRP or have taken 50% of SRP i.e. 2.79 lakh rupees and have not received land, which is their entitlement. Others, about 1589 PAFs who had accepted SRP in full (2 installments) but got duped in the fake Registry Scam, investigated & reported by Justice Jha Commission, are to be granted 15 lakh rupees per PAF. This is to be done within next two months, the Supreme Court concluded.

The judgment has directed Grievance Redressal Authority (Retired High Court Judges) to redress grievance related to Resettlement sites where amenities are lacking to an extent that those are unlivable as the Report by IIT Mumbai, MANIT Bhopal has concluded & covered in the Jha Commission Report.

The judgment further states that those PAFs who receive the New Special Cash Package from Gujarat through GRAs will vacate their lands by July 31st when the water gets filled in the reservoir.

The governments of Maharashtra & Gujarat are also directed to complete their resettlement and Rehabilitation work within next few months which the Hon’ble CJI agreed, is to be, as per the NWDTA (Tribunal Award) & policies of the states.

Narmada Bachao Andolan, the main petitioner along with the Affected Persons as applicants, admits that the judgment is a victory for those farmers-adivasis and others, who didn’t accept meager cash of 5.58 lakh for 2 hectares of land. Hundreds, who took only half of the cash package (SRP) since 2005, but demanded land & have not taken 2nd installment. Madhya Pradesh & Gujarat will have to allocate hundreds of crores of rupees since they have not allocated cultivable, irrigable land to the oustees in Madhya Pradesh.

The NBA believes the issues of the landless-fishworkers to shopkeepers, will have to be pressured further. If the R&R sites are ready & well serviced with civic amenities as per the law & Judgments along with all socio-cultural sites & services in the original villages, the PAFs can resettle at the new sites. The PAFs are to be rehabilitated before submergence since Right to Rehabilitation is a part of Right to Life, which cannot be denied to the Project Affected Families who sacrifice for any Development, for which have been struggle by NBA over last 31 years & the same continues across the country even today.

NBA with all the PAFs adivasis & farmers and our supporters, will decide on further action soon.

Kailash Awasya                      Bhagirath Dhangar                  Mukesh Bhagoria                    Rahul Yadav

Contact: 9826811982
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