Date:18/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/18/stories/2008071860790700.htm

National

High Court cancels grievance redressal cell appointments

Staff Correspondent

On the ground they were officials of the Narmada Valley Development Authority

BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has cancelled the appointment of three newly-inducted members of the Grievance Redressal Authority (GRA) on the ground that they were earlier officials of the Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA).

The High Court order came during the hearing of a case filed by Narmada Bachao Andolan for rehabilitation of Omkareshwar dam oustees. The Court directed that in place of these ex-officials of the NVDA, two retired District Judges and one retired IAS officer not connected with NVDA in the past be appointed members of the GRA so that three double benches could speed up hearing of the oustees’ grievances.

Appointment objected

The Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice Anang Kumar Patnaik and Justice Ajit Singh was informed by the senior counsel for Narmada Hydro-electric Development Corporation that three new members had been inducted into the Grievance Redressal Authority as per the directions of the High Court. The petitioner, Narmada Bachao Andolan, objected to the appointment of three retired IAS officers -- J. P. Vyas, Suraj Prakash and J.N. Sharma -- who were earlier officers of the NVDA.

The GRA also submitted a report to the Court on the number of land-holders eligible for agricultural land. As the report was not signed by all three members, the GRA counsel sought permission to withdraw it.

The report would be re-submitted to the Court on July 21.

In a separate development earlier this week, a CBI team raided the offices of the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation Limited in Khandwa and arrested the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation Officer, R.S. Asadkar, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs.20,000 from a farmer.

Farmer’s complaint

The farmer had complained to the CBI that he was being asked to pay a bribe for allotment of compensation. The land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement works of the Indira Sagar Project and the Omkareshwar Project were being carried out from Mr. Asadkar’s office.