Wednesday, April 19 2006 18:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhopal: Accusing the Centre of playing politics in sending a team of its ministers to areas affected by Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) and thereby denting rehabilitation process, Madhya Pradesh government today sought people's cooperation in resettlement of the oustees.

"Visit of Union Ministers Saifuddin Soz, Prithviraj Chavan and Meira Kumar to areas affected by SSP was a part of politics. The Centre has not respected democratic and constitutional system," Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan told reporters here.

"The Centre should have asked the elected government in the state to furnish details on rehabilitation instead of acting in a manner sponsored by Narmada Bachao Andolan and initiating the hasty tour by ministers who spent most of the time addressing public meetings rather than visiting affected sites," he said.

"Furthermore, the team did not tell us about flaws, if any. It was after the media broke the news that we came to know about some kind of report prepared by the Ministers," Chouhan claimed, asking how can the team assess the situation in a day's visit?

The visit of ministers has retarded rehabilitation in the SSP affected area as the number of families opting for land compensation or purchasing it through government help fell sharply from 200-300 to 19-20 per week after it, he claimed.

"I appeal to all people to cooperate in rehabilitation process. It is a sensitive process and small things can create confusion, like the ministers' visit which allowed rumours about possible hike in compensation and cancellation of dam project, to spread," he claimed.