Monday, September 11, 2006

Stir on Dams

Multi-purpose projects...
A dam/MPP provides water to several hectares of land. We can harvest the large unused barren lands if we redirect the river water. This is the common understanding of many people. Yes, the notion is perfectly correct and dams are indeed very much helpful. Then why are people protesting against the Government’s policy of constructing dams???
So there is dissatisfaction in people. Just like any other issue, this one also has another important issue to be considered. We are constructing canals to redirect the water and for that Government is collecting lands. So where is that land coming from??? Who are the owners of 'that land’, the Government??? Or the tribal people who are living since ages???

I agree that government has right to acquire lands but it also has the responsibility of taking care of the people. Government very generously announced the rehabilitation programmes and agreed to give lands to people who lost their lands in the construction of dams. But the lives of the people who lost their land are still in dilemma. Because... very few people have legal land pattas... So only a few will be beneficiary. So what about the rest??? Who will give lands to them???

Govt. must first solve this problem. So the main important thing that Govt. must do is issuing land pattas to the "authorised people". Authorised means those who are living there for many years. All of us know about the nature of realtors who embark on poor people whenever Govt. proposes a project. So if Govt. can do this job perfectly then there won't be any objections from the people. After all this is the Government of the people, by the people, for the people.