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Patkar lashes out at Gujarat govt, RSS

Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar today lashed out at the Gujarat government and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for presurising the Centre to prevent the World Commission on Dams, a world body for global review of dams, from holding its meeting in India.

The step was a result of the unwarranted overreaction on part of the Gujarat government, based on ignorance or deliberate distortion of facts, further compounded by meek submission by the Centre under the pressure of Gujarat politicians, Patkar told the media in Bombay.

She said Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Jaswant Singh in a message to WCD Chairman Kader Asmal on August 19, had welcomed the Commission's visit to India. However, on September 11 at 2000 hours, Kader, water resources minister in the South African government, was informed of the ''non-revisable'' decision of the Prime Minister's Office to stop the Commission's Gujarat visit. The PMO said the project was coming up before the Supreme Court and this was not the opportune time for the WCD visit.

The anti-dam crusader said the Gujarat government had raised the bogey of the Narmada dam even when the purpose of the WCD visit was to inspect all major dam sites.

UNI

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