Rahul Gandhi Raises Tribal Rehabilitation Concerns Over Ken-Betwa Project

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asked an unstarred question on Thursday regarding the rehabilitation and displacement concerns of tribal people affected by the Ken-Betwa River Link Project. The Centre informed him that it had received representations on the matter and had forwarded them to the Madhya Pradesh government.

Gandhi and Samajwadi Party MP Ajendra Singh Lodhi sought information from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs regarding the households affected by the country's first river-linking project.  

The Leader of Opposition further enquired whether any rehabilitation beneficiaries had expressed dissatisfaction over not receiving compensation.

Centre Forwards Tribal Complaints To State

In a written reply, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey said the ministry had received "various representations raising issues of displacement due to the Ken-Betwa River Link Project". 

He added that the representations had been examined and forwarded to the Madhya Pradesh government and the concerned district administrations for "examination and necessary action", as the implementation of the Forest Rights Act falls under the jurisdiction of state and Union Territory governments.

Tribal Communities Stage Chita Protest

The Centre's response comes amid a "chita (pyre)" protest by tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district, who have alleged irregularities in the rehabilitation of project-affected families, including inadequate beneficiary coverage.

Uikey also said the ministry is a member of the Steering and Monitoring Committee for the Ken-Betwa Link Project, which monitors the implementation of the action plan for the relief and rehabilitation of families affected by the project. 

According to the ministry, the Environment Ministry granted forest clearance on the condition that the state government ensure compliance with the Forest Rights Act and implement the relief and rehabilitation plan in accordance with its policy.

Major River Link Project Explained

The Rs 44,605-crore project aims to transfer water from the Ken River basin in Madhya Pradesh to the Betwa River basin in Uttar Pradesh. The construction of the Daudhan Dam on the Ken River, located in the core area of the Panna Tiger Reserve, along with its submergence zone, is expected to displace thousands of households. Water from the Daudhan Dam reservoir will be transferred to the Betwa basin through a proposed link canal.

Amit Bhatnagar, leader of the Jan Kisan Sanghathan, led protests over the alleged irregularities and inadequate coverage of the project's relief and rehabilitation scheme in April. Since then, demonstrations have continued.