Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister emphasises Narmada Valley rehabilitation

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has asked the Union Minister for Water Resources, Shri P.R. Dasmunsi, to visit the Narmada Valley to ascertain the ground situation for himself, so that the project could proceed without impediments. In a letter to Shri Dasmunsi, the Prime Minister has requested Shri Dasmunsi to visit the Narmada Valley, once the concerned State Governments submits the details on rehabilitation, before permission could be accorded to raise the height of the dam.

Taking note of the fact that it is proposed to raise the height of Narmada dam from 110 metres to 121 metres, the Prime Minister emphasized that once the onus on rehabilitation was fully met, raising the height of the dam could follow the established procedure.

Dr. Singh pointed out that the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, which chairs the R&R Sub Group, ought to put out complete information on rehabilitation on the public domain, to assuage any apprehension on the issue of rehabilitation. The Prime Minister, in his letter, has pointed out that the State Governments participating in the project have been asserting that rehabilitation has been taking place in accordance with the norms. Dr. Singh also sought to draw the attention of Shri Dasmunsi to the fact that the Narmada Bachao Aandolan has been agitating that the terms of rehabilitation, as stipulated in the directive of the Supreme Court are not being followed in the Sardar Sarovar project.