The Apex Court has put an end on a decade-old litigation began by those affected by the Sardar Sarovar project on Narmada River, directing payment of final compensation to the oustees. A bench headed by Chief Justice JS Khehar, ordered payment of Rs 6000,000 each, to 681 families in Madhya Pradesh, who are yet to receive compensation towards purchase of land in lieu of the property they lost under acquisition proceedings.
The government has been given two months to make the payment, with a July 31 deadline for the families to vacate the area. In case they fail to do so, they can be evicted by the authorities. "You cannot take everybody for ransom. You are not letting the project come up. When they offer you land, you don't want it," the bench told the counsel representing Narmada Bachao Aandolan. The association that has been fighting for the affected families, had moved the SC in 2014 stating that the relief and rehabilitation work adopted by MP government was not in terms of the SC's earlier order.
The NBA wanted to stop installation of gates up to full dam heights until the government rehabilitated all those whose lands would get submerged once the dam operates fully. SC also ordered a payment of Rs 1500,000 each, to 1,358 families who had accepted the compensation earlier. "They need to be further compensated so as to alleviate their hardship and enable them to purchase alternative land," the bench said. The court however, clarified the amount already received by them shall be deducted from this money. The bench also pulled the plug on all civil and criminal cases that arose after a Commission gave its report on the rehabilitation of the families. "We are doing this to render complete justice to the parties," it said.
Advocate CD Singh, who appeared for MP government, said that as per the order, the government will deposit the money to Narmada Valley Development Authority, which will further give it to Grievance Redressal Authority for the distribution. Singh said there were 4,998 project-affected families, out of which 4,774 had opted for special rehabilitation package under which, they were paid money to purchase land.
