The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an application by the Madhya Pradesh government and the Narmada Valley Development Authority for a modification of its judgments of 2000 and 2005 upholding land rights for adult sons of the Sardar Sarovar Project-affected farmers.
The apex court’s Social Justice Bench led by Justice Madan B. Lokur said the State’s application suffered from gross delay, after having been filed several years after the Supreme Court gave its verdict on the issue.
Arguing for the Narmada Bachao Andolan, advocate Sanjay Parikh submitted that as per the Narmada Tribunal Award and the Supreme Court verdicts, all adult sons were indisputably entitled to five acres of cultivable and irrigable land, and any discrimination would lead to the violation of the constitutional rights of the oustees.
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The Bench dismissed the State’s application.