Involve NBA in rehabilitation of dam oustees: report

By Gargi Parsai

NEW DELHI, AUG. 6. The report of the five-member Daud Committee, set up by the Maharashtra Government to assess the rehabilitation and resettlement of the people affected by the Sardar Sarovar dam project, wants the Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) involved in the rehabilitation of the oustees. The NBA has the confidence of people and its influence should be welcomed, the report, on which the State Government is silent, says.

The report, submitted three weeks ago, has suggested that a seven-member committee be constituted to oversee the process of rehabilitation. The proposed committee should include representatives from the NBA and the local Punarvasan Sangharsh Samiti (PSS), representative of the tribal community each from the original villages and the rehabilitation sites. Rest of the members should be nominated by the Government from the Revenue, Forest, Tribal Affairs and Rehabilitation departments.

The Assessment Committee, chaired by retired judge, Mr. S.M. Daud, had as its members, MP, Mr. Manikrao Gavit, barrister, Mr. Sharad Palav, Mr. R.V. Bhuskute and as special invitee, Ms. Pratibha Shinde. The report says that displaced tribals will have additional protection if their representative oversees the work of rehabilitation. It suggests that the tribal MP, Mr Manikrao Gavit, and Mr K.C. Padvi, Member of the State Legislature from Nandurbar, also be involved in the rehabilitation process whether they continue to be members of the respective legislatures or not. About 40,000 families in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are facing submergence by the Sardar Sarovar project in Gujarat.

The committee has recommended that gram sabhas be associated with the assessment and development process of the people who are uprooted.

Land allotment

In what should be an eye-opener for the Government, the Committee has found several instances of same land being allotted to more than one person affected by the project, leading to problems between the oustees. Likewise, there are several instances of allotment of agriculture land, which does not measure up to the promised one or two hectares or being rocky or sandy and covered with streams and drains, irremovable weeds and shrubs. There were also cases of allotments of land on paper only.

During its visit to the rehabilitation sites, the committee found instances of tribals having being shifted to the rehabilitation sites, but not given their entitlements of farm land as it was not available. ``Non-availability of agriculture land to those being uprooted is not something for which the tribals can be held responsible. The Government has to make good this recompense, if not in the rehabilitation site, then somewhere in close proximity. Refusal of an affected person to move out from villages earmarked for submergence due to non- availability of rehabilitation land with legal titles cannot be given as a reason by the Government for making ex parte allotment of land,'' the Committee says.

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