Saiffudin Soz

NEW DELHI: Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz said on Monday that no action could be taken in raising the height of the Narmada dam in Gujarat unless the resettlement and rehabilitation of the project affected families was ensured. The Minister has decided to shortly convene a meeting of the political-level Review Committee of the Narmada Control Authority, which he chairs, to discuss the issue.

The Minister told a visiting delegation of Congress MPs from Gujarat that while he agreed with their demand that the height of the dam should be raised, "he was not satisfied, as yet, with the present level of resettlement and rehabilitation work and would need credible guarantees regarding the rehabilitation of the affected families."

Professor Soz explained to the MPs that a guarantee should come from both the Governments of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. He urged them to take up the issue with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. "The sooner the Gujarat Government ensures rehabilitation of the affected families, the better for the project and the State," he told them.

Mr. Soz told The Hindu that he had written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh as well about the resettlement and rehabilitation status of the Narmada dam displaced families in the State. On Friday, the Minister wrote to Mr. Modi and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan seeking "credible guarantees" from them about verification of resettlement claims from the gram sabhas/gram panchayats. He has not received any reply so far.

Sources said the Minister told the Gujarat delegation that he had no objection if the State Government undertook the responsibility of settling thousands of families in Madhya Pradesh, but it should be in accordance with the package envisaged under the Narmada tribunal award and Supreme Court orders.

The delegation of Gujarat MPs included Union Minister of State Dinshaw J. Patel, Madhusudan Mistri, Virjibhai Thumar and Alka Khatriya. They urged Mr. Soz to review his decision of putting on hold the implementation of a decision taken by the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) to raise the height of the dam in Gujarat.

The dam height affects the submergence zone in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat with Rajasthan as the fourth riparian State.

The MPs pleaded for raising the height of the dam from 110.64 metres to 121.91metres as recommended by the NCA. According to them, an early action was needed in the matter as continued delay would cause hardship to people, as also the fact of approaching monsoon season.

Earlier, Arjun Modhwadia, Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly, had also represented to Mr. Soz to review his decision.

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