NEW DELHI: The Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) has alleged that the Narmada basin States were violating the Supreme Court order in the Sardar Sarovar Project case by disbursing cash to the displaced families instead of providing "land for land." They were also violating the directive of the Minister for Water Resources, Priyaranjan Dasmunsi, and the Narmada Control Authority (NCA), headed by the Secretary, Water Resources, it said.

Mr. Dasmunsi had called for suspension of cash compensation. The NCA had also directed the Resettlement and Rehabilitation sub-group to ensure that the States adhered to the Supreme Court order of March 2005. In fact, raising the height of the dam from the current level of 110.64 metres was suspended so that all families in the submergence zone in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh could be resettled and rehabilitated as per the Supreme Court order.

The NCA has asked the basin States to file an action taken report on the rehabilitation and resettlement by December 2005.

According to NBA leader Medha Patkar, it is mandatory for the States to provide irrigable and cultivable land to the oustees. "Each State had claimed that the Sardar Sarovar Project rehabilitation package was the best but they were failing to claim land for resettling people.

Instead, Madhya Pradesh is insisting on giving cash compensation. Not only this, there is a conspiracy to force the ousted tribals, farmers and villages to sign on officially prepared document that says `I don't want land but cash compensation,'' she said.

At the meeting of the sub-group, Maharashtra had admitted that it was yet to allot the mandatory two hectares land to major sons, as per the order of the Supreme Court.

Madhya Pradesh admitted that it was giving cash to those who did not accept the land offered to them under a Special Rehabilitation Package. The State said it had sought the opinion of the Grievance Redressal Committee (GRA), a body set up by the Supreme Court to address complaints with regard to rehabilitation.

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