The Hindu : National : States contradicting their stands: Medha

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Monday, May 01, 2006

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National

States contradicting their stands: Medha

Staff Reporter

Hearing on application by affected families to come up in Supreme Court today

CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL: Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar and Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy light candles to express solidarity with the movement against forced evictions and dispossession in New Delhi on Sunday. — Photo: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY

NEW DELHI: With the hearing of the application filed by project-affected families from Madhya Pradesh coming up in the Supreme Court on Monday, Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar on Sunday said the State Governments concerned have contradicted their own stands in their report to the court.

While noting that the Central Government did not believe the reports of its own Ministers on the state of rehabilitation, Ms. Patkar said the Narmada Bachao Andolan would decide its future course of action following the court's decision.

"The Madhya Pradesh Government had itself told the court a couple of years ago that it does not have the land to rehabilitate people and has now, in its report to the court, said the rehabilitation is over. It is increasingly clear that they don't have the preparedness and are now making fake claims," she said.

The application, filed in February before a decision on raising the dam height was taken, claims that the affected families from 13 villages had not been rehabilitated even below the dam's current height of 110.64 metres. The Supreme Court had asked the three Governments to present a report on the rehabilitation and resettlement undertaken by them.

Street play staged

A candlelight vigil was taken out by supporters of the Narmada Bachao Andolan on Sunday night to express solidarity with it against forced eviction and dispossession. Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy also joined the vigil. A street play on displacement was staged and songs were sung by participants.

Video footage from the NBA's recently launched "Pol-Khol Yatra" in the Narmada Valley was screened.

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