Gujarat opposes PM's panel on Narmada

NEW DELHI: BJP-ruled Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have taken a stand different from the Centre on the relief and rehabilitation (R&R) of the oustees of the Narmada Dam with the Narendra Modi Government opposing the setting up of a committee on the issue and Shivraj Singh Chauhan accusing the NBA of creating hurdles in the process.

In its affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, Gujarat Government questioned the rationale behind Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's announcement to set up a committee to go into the R&R of the oustees saying the existing mechanism was working satisfactorily.

There was already a well laid out mechanism for overseeing the implementation of the directives given by the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal and the apex court which has functioned satisfactorily so far, Gujarat Government said.

"It will be in the interest of all concerned to allow this mechanism to function without let or hindrance. For this to happen, it should be ensured that the integrity of the supervisory mechanism set out in the NWDT Award...is maintained by all the stakeholders," it said.

Claiming that R&R of the project affected families (PAFs) in the state was ‘almost complete,’ Madhya Pradesh charged Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) with creating 'all manners of hurdles' in the process.

“The activists of NBA put all manners of hurdles in the process of R&R of the PAFs. In fact, NBA sympathisers prevented Government machinery from doing expeditious R&R works, survey etc. so as to provide themselves with a handle to raise the complaint of non-completion,” it said in its affidavit.