The Hindu Business Line : Narmada: No plan to stop work, says PM

An all-party delegation from Gujarat, including parliamentarians from the Congress and the BJP on Sunday met the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, urging him to allow continuance of construction work on the Narmada Dam, following which the PMO said no decision has been taken to suspend construction work at the project.

Gujarat lifeline

The MPs told the Prime Minister that the river Narmada was the lifeline of Gujarat and the decision of the Narmada Control Authority to raise the height of the dam could not be reviewed as it was taken "unanimously". The MPs later told reporters that Dr Singh gave the assurance that the construction of the dam would not be stopped, in the larger interest of the people of the State.

Rehabilitation

The Media Advisor to the Prime Minister, Dr Sanjaya Baru, said that the PM heard the MPs and was deeply concerned about the rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected families. "The Prime Minister told the delegation that as long as the rehabilitation process was in progress, there was no question of stopping the construction of the dam," he said.

Later talking to presspersons the BJP General Secretary, Mr Arun Jaitley, who was part of the delegation, said the Prime Minister has assured that the ongoing construction work on the dam would not be stopped. "The Prime Minister gave a patient hearing and we believe that work will not be stopped," Mr Jaitley added.

Bandh called off

The Congress MP, Mr Bharat Singh Solanki, who was also part of the delegation said that "all political parties in Gujarat are unanimous that there should not be any lowering in the height of the dam."

He pointed out that following the PM's assurance, the Gujarat Congress has decided not to go ahead with the `bandh' call in the state.

The Review Committee of the Narmada Control Authority was unable to arrive at a consensus with Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on the Sardar Sarovar Dam (Narmada Dam) impasse on Saturday.

Ministry's stand

A statement issued by the Union Water Resources Minister and Chairman of the NCA, Mr Saifuddin Soz, had said, "It is open to the Supreme Court to consider whether construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam should be temporarily suspended till such time as rehabilitation and resettlement of the project-affected families is done in consonance with its directions.

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