Congress alleges irregularities in gram sabha approvals for Ken-Betwa project

The project has also faced criticism for allegedly damaging the local ecology and wildlife, as most of it lies within the Panna National Park and Tiger Reserve.

Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Umang Singhar, who visited the site of the ongoing protest in Chhatarpur on July 14, alleged corruption worth billions in the distribution of compensations and awarding of contracts to companies that he claimed donated to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party through electoral bonds. He also called for an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities.

“According to villagers, compensation of around ₹11 billion has been approved for houses in Kharihani village. However, available documents show that around ₹8 billion has been paid to people who had no connection with the village or had left the village between 1980 and 1990,” Mr. Singhar said at a press conference in Bhopal, claiming that many truly affected people are yet to receive compensation.

“Protesters identified more than 500 fraudulent claims of compensation payments based on documentary evidence,” he claimed.

Residents of many villages, mostly tribals from Panna and Chhatarpur districts, have been protesting for nearly two weeks on the banks of Barana River near Kupi village against the Union Government’s Rs 44,000-crore project and various State irrigation projects; Several demonstrators tie nooses around their necks and lie on makeshift fires in the river in a symbolic protest.

The protest, first held in April under the slogan “Nyaya do varna maar do” (Give us justice or give us death), was reorganized earlier this month after talks and government efforts failed to address villagers’ concerns.

Mr. Singhar, a prominent tribal leader, also alleged that affected families in various villages did not participate in gram sabha proceedings.

“According to the affected villagers, the legal procedure for holding a gram sabha was not followed for the last four years. The affected families were not informed about the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and they were not included in the process,” he said, alleging that the same language was found in the minutes records of multiple gram panchayats, raising suspicions that the meetings were recorded on the same days and at the same time.

“Gram sabhas in tribal villages had been reduced to a mere paper formality,” he said, while claiming that the minutes of Kharihani village contained the signature of a person who served as sarpanch (village head) six months after the meeting was allegedly held.

Under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), 1996, gram sabha approval is mandatory for development projects in tribal villages.

The Congress leader also accused the police of intimidating protesters and demanding money from them after detaining them.

“There were numerous lathi charges in which elderly women were also injured. According to those affected, criminal cases were registered against more than 250 tribal villagers,” he said.

Mr. Singhar also claimed that the construction of the Ken-Betwa link project (KBLP) had started before the rehabilitation process was completed.

“Construction work started in early 2025. Many issues related to rehabilitation, compensation and rights were pending. There are allegations of forcible takeover of 6 to 7 villages in the Panna Tiger Reserve. Construction work was initiated and the houses of many affected families were demolished.”

Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, 2024, KBLP is the first of 30 such projects under the National Perspective Plan (NPP) for developing water resources and interconnecting rivers with “excess water” with rivers with “water deficit”. The project plans to divert excess water from the Ken river basin to the Betwa river basin in the poverty-stricken Bundelkhand region covering parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The project has also faced criticism for allegedly damaging the local ecology and wildlife, as most of it lies within the Panna National Park and Tiger Reserve.