SC dismisses plea seeking modification of order on compensation to oustees of Narmada river project
Sep 22, 2022
New Delhi [India], September 22 : The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking modification of its 2017 order where it had directed payment of final compensation of Rs 60 lakh to each of the families affected by the Sardar Sarovar project on the Narmada river.
The bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud declined the plea saying that directions issued by the court are not susceptible to clarification.
Once the final settlement package has been determined as Rs 60 lakh per family, the modification would not hold as it would be a substantive review of the order of this court, the bench said.
Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, appearing for a person seeking modification of the order, submitted that a proper reading of the apex court's order would show that the compensation would have to be at 30 lakh per hectare and the actual compensation would come to be Rs 1.28 crore.
On February 8, 2017, the Supreme Court had cleared the way for monetary compensation for the oustees of the Sardar Sarovar Project on river Narmada in Madhya Pradesh by ordering Rs 60 lakh for each of the families which are likely to be displaced.
The top court while passing directions to address the grievances of 681 such families had ordered compensation of Rs 60 lakh per family for two hectares of land with an undertaking to be taken from them that they would vacate the land within one month failing which the authorities would have the right to forcibly evict them.
