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Ken-Betwa project movement ends after 15 days, police arrived early in the morning and vacated the protest site

By Sandy Verma

Chhatarpur. The agitation that has been going on for the last 15 days in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh over the Ken-Betwa Link Project and its related rehabilitation issue ended on Sunday. Early in the morning, the police and administration team reached the protest site on the banks of Barana river near Kupi village and removed the protesters from there and sent them to their villages through buses. The administration and the agitators have their own claims regarding this action.

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Police arrived at five in the morning, agitators made serious allegations

Divya Ahirwar, who is leading the movement, says that a large number of policemen reached the protest site at around 5 am on Sunday morning. They allege that even before the media arrived, many people including social activist Amit Bhatnagar, who was leading the movement, were taken into custody. He claimed that this action was taken to suppress questions related to alleged corruption and displacement in the project.

Administration said- no arrest, sent people to safe place

Meanwhile, Additional Superintendent of Police Aditya Patle denied any detention or arrest. He told that due to continuous rains the water level of Barana river was rising and the protest site was no longer safe. For this reason, people were made to sit in buses and sent to their villages. According to the administration, a team of doctors was also present on the spot, which conducted the health checkup of the protesters.

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Women took command of the movement

The protests had been going on since July 3 and were led by a large number of tribal women. During the movement, different methods of protest like water satyagraha, pyre satyagraha and symbolic hanging satyagraha were adopted. Social activist Amit Bhatnagar was on a fast unto death for the last 11 days and was pressurizing the government regarding the demands of the displaced families.

Displacement and rehabilitation became the biggest issue

The protesters say that apart from the Ken-Betwa link project, the families affected by the Mazgaon and Runj irrigation projects have not yet received proper rehabilitation and compensation. They allege that many people lost their land, forests, water sources and livelihoods, while the administration did not provide a permanent solution to their problems.

Amit Bhatnagar said that false cases were registered against the affected families, forced evictions were carried out, electricity connections were cut and at some places even schools were demolished. He also alleged that many promises made by the administration in April have not been fulfilled till date.

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Affected families put forward these demands

The agitators demanded that the complete list of affected families should be made public in every village, transparency should be brought in the rehabilitation process and no pressure or atmosphere of fear should be created on the villagers.

The government rejected the allegations

The administration has termed all the allegations as baseless. Officials say that the Ken-Betwa Link Project is a scheme of national importance, which is being implemented following all legal procedures. He claims that this project will increase irrigation facilities in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, reduce the drinking water crisis and give a new impetus to the development of the region.

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