The Narmada district administration was rendered unconscious for more than six hours on Friday after a man and a woman from two villages affected by the Narmada project climbed the telecom tower in Kevadia Colony to press for the demands raised in 2016.
They agreed to come down the tower only after Sardar Sarovar Rehabilitation Agency (SSPA) officials assured them that they would send an urgent letter to reassure them and convey their demands to the government.
On Friday morning, Dinesh Tadvi of Chichdia Basahat and Babita Tadvi of Badhiya village climbed the BSNL tower with a hand-written banner tied to the bottom of the structure and warned the authorities to “remain loud” until their demands including 2016 are met. Compensation, found.
The banner bore the names of former cabinet minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasma and BJP leader Bharat Pandya, who met the protesting Narmada-affected residents in July 2016 and assured them of meeting their demands, asking them to call off the six-month-long agitation. bustle
The banner said, “Today eight years have passed but our problems have not been resolved… SSNNL (Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited) must fulfill its promise…”
Fire and emergency services from the Statue of Unity and Vadodara city reached the spot after the news of the two people in the tower spread, while district police and administration officials including provincial officer Kishan Gadhvi reached the spot. The villagers said that it will be resolved soon. After six hours of talks and assurances, the fire brigade took Dinesh and Babita down from the tower and took them to the hospital for treatment.
Babita claimed that her family had not received any compensation for the land “acquired without consent” by SSNL from her father. “My father’s land is shown to have been acquired (in the 1960s) but his consent was never sought. We have not received any compensation and we have been running from pillar to post for the past few years. Every time, we are asked to show the documents but the fact is that my father did not sign any document.
Rajpipla deputy collector and district officer Garhvi said, “Two persons climbed the BSNL tower because they had unresolved issues. After receiving the information at 8 am, we immediately reached the spot. We tried to explain that we can talk to the authorities after coming down from the tower. Vadodara fire brigade team was called to help. We have assured both that their problem will be looked into. “
Meanwhile, the Joint Commissioner of SSPA has written to the Additional Secretary of Narmada Water Resources, Water Supply and Kalpsar Department to look into the “practical” demands made by Dinesh.
Giving details of the incident in Kevadia, SSPA’s letter on Friday said, “Demands of the flood victims are attached with the letter. If they are within the purview of the policy, it is requested to take immediate action.”
In 2016, Shira Vasahat – a settlement of Narmada dam evacuees – became the center of a protest hunger strike that lasted more than six months and was led by activist Jiku Tadvi.
The affected residents submitted a memorandum of 27 demands to the then Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, seeking a solution and threatening an indefinite relay fast. The Gujarat government’s resettlement policy offered five acres of land to each displaced family, including adult sons of landowners, but controversies included the lack of irrigation or canal networks for these lands and the revised cut-off date of January 1. , 1994 for identification of adult sons for allotment of land, in lieu of notification of Gujarat Govt., identifying sons of majority before January 1, 1987.