Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure over the slow pace of implementation of its directions related to the registration of land allotment documents for people displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Project.
The court has summoned additional chief secretary Dr Rajesh Rajora again to explain the delay, observing that the matter has not been handled with the urgency it deserves.
The observations came while hearing a writ petition filed on behalf of Sardar Sarovar Project-affected families by social activist Medha Patkar.
The petition seeks registration of house plots allotted to displaced families more than two decades ago, without levying registration fees and stamp duty, as mandated under the Narmada rehabilitation policy.
The court noted that land allotment letters were issued as far back as 2002 by rehabilitation officers in Dhar, Barwani, Khargone, and Alirajpur districts. However, these documents were never registered under the Registration Act, depriving affected families of full legal ownership.
As a result, beneficiaries have been unable to carry out mutation, demarcation, partition, sale, or obtain loans against the land.
The bench observed that absence of registration and proper demarcation could lead to thousands of civil and revenue disputes in the future, particularly in cases of inheritance or transfer of property.
Earlier, on 14 October 2025, the court had directed collectors of the four affected districts to constitute committees comprising the Sub-Divisional Officer, Tehsildar, and Sub-Registrar to complete registration, mutation, and correction of revenue records. The court also instructed the Narmada Valley Development Authority and the Narmada Control Authority to nominate competent officers to assist the process.
The court had initially granted two months to complete the work and asked the collectors to submit compliance reports.
SOP delay draws court’s ire
During the latest hearing, the court was informed that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was framed only on February 3, 2026, and that the registration process may take another six months.
The Bench remarked that taking over two months merely to frame an SOP, followed by a projected six-month timeline, reflects a lack of seriousness, especially when the petition concerns displaced and vulnerable families.
Taking a stern view, the court directed additional chief secretary Dr Rajesh Rajora to personally address the court via video conferencing on February 26 and explain the slow progress in survey and registration work, as well as other pending rehabilitation issues.
