In recent years, thanks to the Narmada agitation, the attention of the country has been focused on the rehabilitation of the people, particularly Dalits and tribals, from the villages submerged by the reservoirs created for irrigation and/or power generation — an age-old problem that has been neglected by the governments in India during the last century.
Against this background, the government of Madhya Pradesh, led by Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, took a very innovative decision five years ago.