ITEM NO.301                    COURT NO.1                  SECTION PIL




              S U P R E M E   C O U R T   O F   I N D I A

                           RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS


         I.A. NOS.18-22 IN WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO.328 OF 2002




NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN                                  Petitioner(s)


                        VERSUS


UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.                                 Respondent(s)


(For directions, permission to file appln., exemption from filing O.T.)


With I.A.No.23in I.A.No.18-22 (For directions), I.A.No.24 inI.A.No.21-22 (For exemption from filing

O.T.)




Date: 08/05/2006   These matters were called on for hearing today.




CORAM :

        HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE

        HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE K.G. BALAKRISHNAN

        HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.B. SINHA




For Applicant(s)        Mr. Shanti Bhushan, Adv.

                                  Mr. Sanjay Parikh, Adv.

                                  Ms. Anitha Shenoy, Adv.

                                  Mr. A.N. Singh, Adv.


                                  Mr. S. Murlidhar,Adv.

                                  Mr. Amit Sharma, Adv.


For Petitioner(s)       Mr. Shanti Bhushan,Sr.Adv.

                                  Mr. Prashant Bhushan,Adv.


For Respondent(s)

For Rajasthan:          Mr. Aruneshwar Gupta,AAG.

                                  Mr. Naveen Kumar Singh,Adv.


For Maharashtra:                  Mr. S.S. Shinde, Adv.

                                  Mr. Naresh Kumar, Adv.

                                  Mr. V.N. Raghupathy, Adv.

                                  Mr. R.K.Adsure, Adv.


For Gujarat:                      Mr. Ashok H. Desai,Sr.Adv.

                                  Ms. Hemantika Wahi,Adv.

                                  Ms. Shivangi, Adv.


For Union of India:               Mr. Gopal Subramaniam,ASG.

                                  Mr. T.S. Murthy,Adv.

                                  Mr. D.S. Mahra,Adv.



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For M/o Environt.:                     Mr. T.S. Doabia, Sr.Adv.

                                       Ms. Varuna Bhandari Gugnani,Adv.

                                       Ms. Anil Katiyar, Adv.

                                       Mr. P. Parmeswaran,Adv.

                                       Mr. Shreekant N. Terdal,Adv.


For Madhya Pradesh:                    Mr. Harish N. Salve,Sr.Adv.

                                       Mr. Arun Jaitley,Sr.Adv.

                                       Mr. C.D. Singh,Adv.

                                       Mr. Vivek Narayan,Adv.

                                       Mr. Dhrupad Kashyap,Adv.

                                       Ms. Kiran Sarma,Adv.


For Narmada Control

Authority:                             Mr. Mukul Rohatgi,Sr.Adv.

                                       Mr. Syed Naqvi,Adv.

                                       Ms. Asha G. Nair, Adv.




           UPON hearing counsel the Court made the following

                               O R D E R 




                    We   have   heard  learned   counsel   for  the   parties   for   considerable   time.     The


          dispute   is   about   the   rehabilitation   of   the   oustees   in   terms   of   the   Award   of   the


          Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal and decisions of this Court in  Narmada Bachao


          Andolan vs. Union of India reported in (2000) 10 SCC 664 and (2005) 4 SCC 32.  



                    One of the issues is whether the oustees are to be rehabilitated in the State of


          Madhya Pradesh pari passu with the completion of the dam or a year prior thereto.


          Yet another   issue  is about  the  validity   and  the   operation   of   Special   Rehabilitation


          Package (SRP).  There are certain other issues as well.  During the course of hearing,


          Mr.Gopal  Subramaniam, learned  Additional Solicitor  General,  has brought to our


          notice   an   Office   Order   dated   24th   April,   2006   issued   by   the  Government   of   India


          constituting   Sardar   Sarovar   Project   Relief   &   Rehabilitation   Oversight   Group


          comprising of Shri V.K.Shunglu, retired  CAG, Government of  India, as Chairman


          and Prof. G.K.Chadha, Former Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and


          Dr.Jaiprakash   Narayan,   Convenor,   Loksatta,   as   its   Members.     This   Oversight


          Group has to report on the status of rehabilitation in the State of Madhya Pradesh of


          the Project Affected Families (PAFs) to the Prime Minister through the Minister of





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Water Resources.  The specific terms of reference of the said Group are as under:


         "a) Based on the Reports of the State Government ascertain the

         number of project affected families affected due to submergence

         caused by the raising of the height of the dam.


         b)  Estimate, on the basis of sample checks, the number of Project

         Affected   Families   who   may   not   have   received   so   far,   in   full

         measure,   the   Resettlement   &   Rehabilitation   package   as   per   the

         norms   laid   down   by   the   Award   and   the   orders   of   the   Supreme

         Court.


         c)   Ascertain, on the basis of sample checks, if offers of alternate

         land   to   eligible   oustees   were   made   in   a   fair   and   transparent

         manner.


         d)   Ascertain,  on the  basis of  sample checks, if  such offers  were

         voluntarily   refused   by   such   oustees   who   preferred   to  accept   the

         Special   Rehabilitation   Package   of   the   Government   of   Madhya

         Pradesh.


         e) Ascertain when all measures of rehabilitation, resettlement and

         civic amenities as mandated by the Award (para 152 of Supreme

         Court Judgement of October, 2000) will be in existence.


         f)  Recommend a system to ensure that all families affected by an

         increase   in   the   height   of   the   dam   to   EL   121.92   metre,   receive

         within   the   next   three   months,   the   benefit   of   the   Relief   and

         Rehabilitation package as per the norms laid down by the Award,

         the   relevant   orders   of   the  Supreme   Court   and  of   the   Grievance

         Redressal Authority of Madhya Pradesh."


The said Group had its first meeting on 27-28th April, 2006.  The summary record of


discussions   of   the   said   meeting   has   been   placed   before   us.     The   Group   desired   to


have detailed  account  of  PAFs  between  the  elevation  levels  (EL) 110.64 metre  and


EL   121.92   metre   in   the   State   of   Madhya   Pradesh   and   decided   to   request   the


Narmada   Valley   Development   Authority   to   provide   the   same.     The   following


decisions were taken in that meeting:


         "(i)  NCA to (a) provide updated status of relief given to PAFs; (b)

         provide submergence area for different levels of dam; (c) design a

         draft questionnaire to be posed to the PAFs so that the NSSO can

         finalise the same by 9th May, 2006; and (d) set up a control cell at

         Indore for processing the data.


         (ii)  NSSO to (a) constitute 40 teams consisting of two members for

         conducting the field work and simultaneously processing  the data

         commencing from 19th May, 2006 to complete the same within one

         month;   and   (b)   enumerate   particulars   of   non-listed   persons   who

         claim to be oustees.


         (iii)  Each team of NSSO to be accompanied by a revenue official of



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         NVDA.


         (iv)     A   separate   mechanism   to   scrutinize   the   claims   of   the   non-

         listed persons.


         (v)   Ministry  of Water  Resources to constitute four  teams to visit

         R&R sites to report on its development.


         (vi)  OSG to visit some villages after 15th June, 2006."


According   to   the   aforesaid   decision,   40   teams   are   to   be   constituted;   each   team


consisting   of   two   members   for   conducting   the   field   work   and   simultaneously


processing the data commencing from 19th May, 2006 to complete the same within


one month and also to enumerate particulars of non-listed persons who claim to be


oustees.  The Group has decided to visit some villages by 15th June, 2006.  The next


meeting of the Group is fixed for tomorrow, i.e., 9th May, 2006.


         It was submitted by the learned Additional Solicitor General that the Group


will   submit   its   report   by   the   end   of   June,   2006   to   the   Prime   Minister   through


Minister   of   Water   Resources   in   terms   of   the   Office   Order   and   that   the   Prime


Minister   would   be   in   a   better   position   and   would   be   better   informed   of   facts   on


receipt   of   the   report   from   the   said   Group.     We   hope   and   expect   that   the   Prime


Minister  will be able to take a decision on or before 3rd July, 2006.   We also hope


and   trust   that   all   concerned   would   fully   cooperate   with   the   teams   and   the   work


assigned to the Oversight Group and would not cause any obstruction in the project


assigned to the Group.  The decision taken shall be placed on record along with the


requisite material by 6th July, 2006.   We would also be in a better position of facts


which are highly disputed on receipt of such report.  


         As at present, we are not inclined to restrain the continuing work of raising


the height of the dam.  


         List these matters for further hearing on 10th July, 2006.





  (N. Annapurna)                                            (V.P. Tyagi)

   Court Master                                                     Court Master





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