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Medha Patkar's Demands Accepted

By STAFF

Sify, Mumbai (India), Jun. 12, 2003



"Maharashtra Cabinet has accepted the demands of Narmada Bachao Andolan (N.B.A.) leader Medha Patkar regarding rehabilitation of 899 tribal families affected by the Sardar Sarovar Dam project. The demands were placed by Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde before the cabinet yesterday and duly approved. The Chief Minister had earlier assured Ms. Patkar when she was on a hunger strike that he would place her demands before the cabinet for approval. The cabinet decided that one affected village will be rehabilitated at one place only. The Action Taken Report (A.T.R.) on rehabilitation will be first approved by the cabinet before being submitted to the Narmada Control Authority (N.C.A.)."
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"An official release issued here said that the claims of the project-affected [those negatively impacted by the Sardar Sarovar Dam project], submitted to the Task Force for rehabilitation, should be forwarded to the Grievances Redressal Authority (G.R.A.) and if there is no positive solution, the list of claims should be sent to the N.C.A. The N.B.A. had stated that some of the claims were not included in the N.C.A., for which the cabinet took a decision in which all such claims not included in the list of the N.C.A. will be forwarded to the G.R.A. The cabinet also decided that adequate staff as well as financial assistance will be provided to the G.R.A. to expedite the decision on claims of project affected. The state government officials will co-ordinate with their counterparts in Gujarat to resolve the grievances of the project-affected from Maharashtra, who had been rehabilitated in Gujarat at their wish but returned back home."
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"If the project-affected demand farm land or residential plots, their demands would be considered, the cabinet decided. On starting ashram schools in the newly settled villages, it was decided that the demand of N.B.A. to be allowed to run the schools, would be considered and an appropriate decision would be taken as per the rules of the Tribal Welfare Department. The District Rural Development Authority (D.R.D.A.) will implement the developmental rehabilitation schemes. District collector of Nandurbar will be authorised to make 'land pool' of farm land for the rehabilitation purpose."
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