Sardar Sarovar Project’s Affected Persons Availing Best Ever Benefits and Facilities

Bhopal: Shifting and rehabilitation work for displaced persons owing to Sardar Sarovar Project is being carried out with utmost seriousness and sensitivity by the state government. There are 23614 displaced families of 178 villages of Badwani, Dhar, Alirajpur, and Khargone districts of Madhya Pradesh under the project. Out of these 5551 displaced families in Gujarat and 18063 displaced families in Madhya Pradesh were to be rehabilitated. From these families, 9242 families have already been rehabilitated. According to the order of Supreme Court dated 08/02/2017 wherein directives to give Rs. 60 lakh to 681 families were issued, out of these families an amount of Rs. 60 lakh to a total of 629 families has been paid through Grievances Redressal Authority.

Similarly, as per the order of the Supreme Court, the 943 displaced families which were found victimized of fake registry in a report received from the Jha Commission, out of these, payment of Rs. 15 lakh to 862 families has already been made. All these families have received the amount with an affidavit to vacate submerge area, which clarifies that most of the displaced families are ready for shifting. Some affected families are not taking benefit despite notice. They have also been given facility to avail benefit at any day at their own will. An amount of Rs. 1.32 lakh equivalent to PradhanMantri Awas Yojana under the union government scheme or from the state is being given to each family of submerge area whether they come under the displaced definition or not if they do not own a pacca house outside submerge area. In the same manner, arrangements of temporary houses and free meals are being made for the families who have no arrangements till date.

For this 3400 fully equipped temporary houses have been constructed in which displaced families dwell free of charge and also free food will be provided to them.

Moreover a sum of Rs. 80 thousand will be provided to the displaced families which want to vacate the place by their own arrangements. Also an amount of Rs. 5000 for transportation or free transportation is being provided. Upgradation works at large scale and repair works have been undertaken on sites prepared 10 to 15 years ago for rehabilitation on multi-agency model as per the lines of Simhastha to provide uninterrupted basic facilities like roads, water and electricity. An amount of about Rs. 640 crore will be spent by Madhya Pradesh on these amenities. Also, Rs. 15 lakh package has been provided from about Rs. 170 crore by the Madhya Pradesh government to around 1783 displaced families which had received full amount of Rs. 5.58 lakh in cash for land against land and who had not received the benefit of Rs. 15 lakh package from the court. Total amount of Package is 640 crore which is an additional benefit to the benefits decided by the Narmada Water Dispute Authority Award/Tribunal.

Moreover, plots measuring 5400 square feet have been provided to the displaced families and their adult sons at developed rehabilitation sites. Compensation against land and houses has been given besides above mentioned facilities.

Benefits according to the decision of Supreme Court and provisions under the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal and Rehabilitation Policy have been given to all the eligible displaced families by the state government.

All the temples/structures located in submerge area have been acquired and the prescribed compensation amount has been deposited in the bank accounts of the concerned collectors with the purpose to facilitate concerned villagers/ members of society to undertake new constructions at fixed land on rehabilitation sites.

Moreover land required has been provided free for reconstruction of temples and sanction has been given for construction of new roads, bridge and culverts to reach remaining land of the submerge villages. Also, commercial site for 382 small traders towards shopping complex has been made available to grampanchayat at Nisarpur.
Under the special package announced on June 5 by the state government, special provisions for employment have been made for sailors, fishermen and persons involved in bricks manufacturing. Beside this, also rehabilitation arrangements have been made for those people dwelling in the submerge area who have not fall in the displaced persons’ definition under the rehabilitation policy and have no means or arrangements to shift to other places.

Displaced families in large number are availing benefits provided by the state government. House to house survey of all the affected villages of submerge area has been completed and drone survey of each village has been carried out to find out submergence situation clearly. In addition to this actual submerge condition will be monitored during water accumulation with the help of ISRO. Emergency action plan at a cost of Rs. 50 crore has been implemented in each district which will assist at the time of shifting and flood. Besides police arrangements, 2 teams of National Disaster Reform Force are being posted for assistance during emergency.-WTN