Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed officials to visit the villages in Panna and Chhatarpur districts and meet the families that are being impacted by the Ken-Betwa river link project to hear their grievances.
Mr. Yadav issued the directions after holding a review meeting for the project in Khajuraho on Friday. The move comes just days after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, met with a group of protestors who had staged demonstrations in April and July demanding better compensation and rehabilitation for the families affected by the Centre’s ₹44,000 crore Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) as well as five M.P. Government works like the Majhgaon and Runjh irrigation projects.
Chief Minister Yadav directed the Panna and Chhatarpur district administrations to ensure that officials visit every household in the affected villages to understand the actual situation and problems of the families. He directed officials to listen sensitively to the difficulties faced by tribal families and resolve them on priority. Mr. Yadav also asked officials to ensure doorstep delivery of benefits of various government welfare schemes are reaching the eligible families that have been displaced due to the project.
The project, kickstarted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, 2024, aims to transfer excess water from the Ken river basin to the Betwa river basin in the region that covers parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. It is the first of 30 such link projects under a National Perspective Plan (NPP) for water resources development and interlinking of rivers with ‘surplus water’ to those with ‘deficit water’. The project would bring significant improvements in irrigation, drinking water supply and energy in the region.
Protestors claimed that the KBLP would impact around 7,000 families in 21 tribal-dominated villages in the two districts as well as about 46 lakh trees as part of the project falls under the Panna Tiger Reserve. Mr. Yadav also instructed officials to ensure early payment of the approved additional amount to those affected by the Runjh and Majhgaon projects in Panna. The compensation for the two projects was increased from ₹5 lakh to ₹12.5 lakh for each affected family during the protests in July, bringing it on par with the compensation package of the KBLP.
Earlier on August 19, Mr. Gandhi extended support to the affected villagers after meeting with activist Amit Bhatnagar and other protestors, and said that he would visit the area. Mr. Gandhi said that the problems, demands, struggles, and personal ordeals of the tribal brothers and sisters who are carrying out a satyagraha against the Ken-Betwa project deserve respect and support.
