New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday held
that the government cannot displace people for irrigation or
other projects without providing them alternative sources of
livelihood as otherwise it would lead social unrest like
"extremism."
"In the process of development, the state cannot be
permitted to displace tribal people, a vulnerable section of
our society, suffering from poverty and ignorance, without
taking appropriate remedial measures of rehabilitation.
"The court is not oblivious of the fact that social
and economic reasons had caused disaffection and thus, the
tribal areas are today in the grip of extremism as the tribal
youths have become easy prey to the extremists? propaganda,"
the apex court said in a judgement.
A three-judge bench of justices J M Panchal, Deepak
Verma and B S Chauhan made the remarks while disposing of a
bunch petitions challenging the orders of the Madhya Pradesh
High Court on the rehabilitation measures to be adopted for
oustees of Omkareshwar hydro project on Narmada River.
The apex court, however, quashed the high court order for
treating every major member of a family as a separate unit for
allotment of rehabilitation land.
On February 21, 2008, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had
issued directions for allotment of agricultural land to the
displaced persons in return for the land acquired for
construction of the dam in terms of the Rehabilitation
and Resettlement Policy.
It also asked the government to treat a major son of the
family, whose land has been acquired, as a separate family for
the purpose of allotment of agricultural land.
Aggrieved, the state government appealed in the apex
court even as several other oustees under the Narmada Bacha
Andolan filed separate appeals seeking reliefs.
PTI
