MP govt ignored state's interests in Narmada pact, claims Cong; seeks white paper, assembly debate

Bhopal, Jul 9 (PTI) Opposition Congress on Thursday hit out at the Madhya Pradesh government over the Narmada Project agreement, saying the Mohan Yadav-led dispensation overlooked the state's interests and meekly surrendered before the Centre. The party also demanded a white paper and a debate in the state legislative assembly over the issue. The state unit of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also targeted the Yadav-led government over the agreement, alleging that it ignored Madhya Pradesh's interests to benefit Gujarat and increased the suffering of displaced people. However, the ruling BJP hit back at the opposition, accusing it of misleading people. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday reached an agreement in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the resolution of decades-old issues on displacement and land compensation within the Narmada Project. The agreement settled pending payments through a one-time settlement. Addressing reporters at his residence, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari alleged that the state government "surrendered" under the Centre's pressure and ignored the interests of farmers, citizens and the state's legal rights. He said the Narmada river traverses 1,312 km, with more than 1,000 km flowing through Madhya Pradesh. "Therefore, the people of Madhya Pradesh have the first right over Narmada maiya (mother). Yet, Madhya Pradesh has suffered the most due to the Sardar Sarovar project," Patwari said. Of the 230 villages likely to be affected, 178 are in Madhya Pradesh and only 19 in Gujarat, he claimed. Patwari said the dam displaced around 23,600 families in Madhya Pradesh compared to about 4,000 in Gujarat. He claimed that based on these losses, the previous state government had raised a claim of Rs 7,669 crore under an earlier agreement. "On the contrary, the Madhya Pradesh government has surprisingly agreed to pay around Rs 550 crore to Gujarat," he alleged. Patwari asked why the assembly, opposition parties and the people of the state were not taken into confidence before such a major decision. "The Congress demands a white paper on the entire matter and a detailed discussion in the assembly," he said. The ruling BJP, however, rejected the allegations and said an opinion given by the Attorney General of India in February 2026 had fixed Madhya Pradesh's share of rehabilitation expenditure at 31.98 per cent. BJP media department chief Ashish Agrawal told PTI Videos that Madhya Pradesh would have had to pay around Rs 1,500 crore to Gujarat under that formula. He said a meeting of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in Delhi unanimously reduced the state's share to 16.17 per cent. "As a result, Madhya Pradesh will now have to pay only Rs 231.80 crore," Agrawal said. He accused the Congress of spreading misinformation and misleading people, claiming that the agreement saved Madhya Pradesh around Rs 1,268 crore. "This decision is not merely about financial savings but is also an excellent example of cooperative federalism, dialogue and strong leadership. Madhya Pradesh will continue to receive the benefits of irrigation, electricity and Narmada water," he said. CPI (M) state secretary Jaswinder Singh said in a statement that the Madhya Pradesh government had sought Rs 7,669.86 crore from Gujarat under the 2013 land acquisition law, while Gujarat had offered only Rs 281 crore under the 2001 land acquisition law. He claimed Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was under such pressure over the agreement that the state had even given up the Rs 281 crore compensation offered by Gujarat. Condemning what he called the BJP government's "surrender", Singh demanded that the state government secure compensation either from Gujarat or the Centre and immediately arrange rehabilitation of the displaced people. PTI LAL NP