2) Mrs. Sonia Gandhi New Delhi Fax: +91-11-3018651
3) Chef Minister M.P., Bhopal fax: +91- 755 - 540501
o o o
Mr. Pulok Chatterji
PS to Mrs. Gandhi
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha
New Delhi
Fax: +91-11-3017470
Dear Mr. Chatterji,
I enclose a short Note on the Man Dam Project, listing
the immediate demands of the oustees and the financial
implications of a revised package.
Four people have been on hunger strike for twenty days
now, since May 21st. They are demanding only their
rights under the Madhya Pradesh government's policy on
rehabilitation for the Narmada Valley Project oustees.
It would take the Madhya Pradesh government an
additional Rs. 5 crores to meet their avowed and
expressed obligations under the policy, in addition to
the amount of Rs. 13 crores that has already been
announced as a special rehabilitation package. Rs. 5
crores is not a major amount, especially when it means
that 1226 families can get decently rehabilitated. Of
course, the best option would be for the government to
buy the land and give it to the adivasis.
If Mrs. Sonia Gandhi could give me an appointment, I
could put up the case personally. I would also be
happy to provide additional material if necessary. If
she is convinced of the merits of the case, of which I
am confident, she might want to talk straightaway to
the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Digvijay
Singh. Either way, it would be a great humanitarian
step.
I would be very grateful for your help in this.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
(Dr.) Nandini Sundar
Associate Professor
Centre for the Study of Law and Governance
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi -67
Ph: 6440616/6480822, em:
nandinisundar@yahoo.com NOTE ON MAN DAM PROJECT
The Man Dam, on the river Man in Dhar district
(Manawar tahsil) is one of the thirty large dams in
the Narmada valley. The Man reservoir will submerge 17
villages, consisting of 1226 Bhil and Bhilala adivasi
families. These villages have rich black cotton soils
fully irrigated by the river, but which will now be
submerged by the reservoir.
The affected villagers have been on dharna in Bhopal
since May 15. Four of them went on an indefinite
hunger strike on May 21. The oustees are demanding
nothing more than rehabilitation according to the MP
government policy on rehabilitation.
The Madhya Pradesh Government Rehabilitation Policy
for the oustees of the Narmada project, (issued in
1989, amended upto 1992), stipulates that:
Every displaced family will be allotted a minimum of 2
hectares (ha) and a maximum of 8 ha in lieu of land
acquired. (Clause 3.2b)
The government will assist displaced families in
providing irrigation by well/tube well or any other
method on the land allotted, provided such land is not
already irrigated. In case the allotted land cannot be
irrigated, the displaced family would be allotted a
minimum of 4 ha of land. (Clause 3.2 c)
Grant-in-aid would be paid to cover the gap between
the amount of compensation and the cost of allotted
land in these cases where the cost of allotted land is
more than the amount of compensation. (Clause 4.4)
Between 1991 and 1994, the MP government violated this
policy by giving the adivasis cash compensation. This
was not enough to buy alternative land even at rates
prevailing then. The villagers have been protesting
since 1997, taking out several rallies, dharnas etc.
There has still been no progress on rehabilitation.
Last year the government blasted the river sluices,
and avoided submergence. This year, the oustees are
faced with a similar situation - no rehabilitation and
imminent submergence, in about a fortnight's time when
the monsoons begin. In addition, the government has
been felling trees, uprooting hand pumps and
bulldozing schools, in an effort to make them abandon
the villages.
In March 2002, the government announced a new
financial package of Rs. 13 crore for rehabilitation
based on land rates prevailing in 1997-98. This
amount, however, is only sufficient for un-irrigated
land at the rate of Rs. 1.07 lakhs per hectare
(1997-98 rates). The market prices now are much
higher, especially for irrigated land. The Government
is also arbitrarily deducting the compensation for
trees and wells which has already been paid.
The specific demands of the affected people are:
1. Since the oustees are entitled to irrigated land
under the policy, the special rehabilitation package
must be fixed at the current price of irrigated land.
(Even if this were calculated at 1997-98 rates, it
would amount to Rs. 2.12 lakh per hectare in place of
Rs. 1.07 lakhs per hectare).
2. The value of trees and wells should not be deducted
from the special rehabilitation grant as is being
presently being done, in an ad hoc and arbitrary
manner.
3. The Special Rehabilitation Grant should equal the
value (at current prices) of the amount of land that
an oustee is entitled to, with a minimum of 2 hectares
as the Rehabilitation Policy stipulates.
4. The MP government and the NVDA must create
community infrastructure for them as laid down in the
Rehabilitation Policy.
5. The cut off date of adult sons and daughters must
be changed to 30th June, 2002, the time of
submergence, as was done in Bargi by the MP
government, so that they become entitled to a house
plot and the stipulated grant in aid.
6. The value of lands, houses, wells, trees and other
resources that have been underestimated or excluded in
some cases must be estimated and included for
compensation. (The lists have already been submitted
to the MP government)
Financial Implications (rough estimate):
Amount announced by MP government in March 2002: Rs
13 crores
If government were to provide compensation
@ irrigated land (Rs. 2.12 lakhs per ha, even at
1997-98 rates): Rs 16 crores
Adult sons (House plots& grant in aid): Rs 4
crores.
Thus, total requirement: Rs 20 crores.
Out of this, Rs. 2 crores approx. has already been
paid in compensation between 1991-1994.
Thus, Current additional burden: Rs. 18 crore. In
other words, the MP Government would have to increase
its special rehabilitation package from Rs. 13 crores
to Rs. 18 crores, or by an additional Rs. 5 crores.
This works out only to an extra Rs. 40,783 per family.
It is of interest to note too, that the oustees have
identified land which can be bought by the MP
Government and allotted to them. They would prefer to
be given this land, rather than the money, provided
the Government pays to irrigate it, as the
Rehabilitation Policy promises.
In Solidarity,
Jharana
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