Now Reading: Centre Sends Ken-Betwa Displacement Complaints To Madhya Pradesh
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Centre Sends Ken-Betwa Displacement Complaints To Madhya Pradesh
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the Lok Sabha on August 6 that it had received complaints about displacement linked to the Ken-Betwa river-link project and forwarded them to the Madhya…
The Story in Brief
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the Lok Sabha on August 6 that it had received complaints about displacement linked to the Ken-Betwa river-link project and forwarded them to the Madhya Pradesh government and district authorities. Minister of State Durgadas Uikey said implementing the Forest Rights Act, and handling consent, rehabilitation and compensation, rested with the state and project authorities. The ministry said it had received no complaint specifically alleging that compensation had not reached beneficiaries.
A 2016 National Water Development Agency proposal estimates that Phase I will displace 1,913 families, or 8,339 people, including 648 Scheduled Tribe families. Protests have continued in Chhatarpur over alleged forced evictions and consent and compensation irregularities. Police removed nearly 150 protesters in July, including hunger-striking activist Amit Bhatnagar. The ministry said eligible forest-rights claimants must not be evicted before verification is complete.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy narrative that the Centre has solved the issue by forwarding paperwork is hard to sustain. Yet claims that every compensation process is illegal also need evidence. The real gap is accountability: the ministry says states implement the law, while it remains the nodal ministry and keeps no centralised records of Gram Sabha proceedings. The first test is whether Madhya Pradesh can publish verified beneficiary lists, consent records and payment details for all 1,913 families.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
