Now Reading: Centre Refers Ken-Betwa Displacement Complaints to Madhya Pradesh
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Centre Refers Ken-Betwa Displacement Complaints to Madhya Pradesh
Centre Refers Ken-Betwa Displacement Complaints to Madhya Pradesh
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the Lok Sabha on August 6 that it had received several complaints about displacement linked to the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Madhya Pradesh. Minister…
The Story in Brief
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs told the Lok Sabha on August 6 that it had received several complaints about displacement linked to the Ken-Betwa river linking project in Madhya Pradesh. Minister of State Durgadas Uikey said the complaints were forwarded to the State government and district authorities, which are responsible for implementing the Forest Rights Act and handling consent, rehabilitation and compensation.
Tribal communities in Chhatarpur have protested for months, alleging forced evictions before full compensation, flaws in Gram Sabha consent and unfair beneficiary selection. They want each adult treated as a separate compensation unit. The Ministry cited a decade-old NWDA estimate for families affected in Phase I. Police removed nearly 150 protesters on July 19, while activist Amit Bhatnagar was taken to hospital after a 14-day hunger strike.
The Indian Opinion
The claim that the Centre has no role is as incomplete as portraying every project official as an evictor. The Ministry is the nodal authority for the forest rights law, even if the State carries out much of its implementation. The real test is whether rights are verified before removal, Gram Sabha consent is genuine, and compensation records are current. A decade-old estimate cannot settle present displacement. Parliament should publish the updated family count and case-wise rehabilitation status.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
