Madhya Pradesh High Court Directs State To Speed Up Plot Registrations In Medha Patkar’s Sardar Sarovar Dam PIL

The Madhya Pradesh High Court at Indore continued monitoring the long-pending issue of registration of plots allotted to families displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Project, directing the State to proceed with the process “in a promptitude manner” while also expanding the scope of inquiry to address broader rehabilitation concerns flagged by activist Medha Patkar.

Hearing the matter, a Division Bench of Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi was presented with a fresh status report filed by the State detailing district-wise progress of registrations as of April 27, 2026.

The report indicated that out of 25,602 allotted plots, only 2,095 registrations had been completed, despite 15,330 applications being received. The figures, broken down across districts such as Dhar, Barwani and Khargone, revealed significant gaps between allotment, application, and final registration, underscoring the slow pace of implementation.

The State attributed the delay to “practical hurdles,” including seasonal migration of displaced persons and disputes among legal heirs in cases where original allottees had died. It informed the Court that Land Acquisition Officers were conducting field camps to facilitate on-the-spot verification and registration, and expressed willingness to coordinate with the petitioner to bridge the gap between applications and final registrations.

While taking note of the status report, the Court directed that the registration exercise must continue with urgency. However, the hearing did not remain confined to procedural compliance.

Appearing in person, Medha Patkar raised a series of substantive grievances, alleging that several beneficiaries had still not been allotted plots, instances of fraud and fraudulent documentation persisted, and many displaced families were living in temporary tin sheds or government buildings without basic amenities. She further pointed out that the home building grant promised under the rehabilitation policy had not been disbursed in many cases.

Patkar also informed the Bench that she had previously appeared before the Additional Chief Secretary, Rajesh Rajora, in compliance with earlier directions of the Court, and had submitted a detailed representation highlighting issues such as backwater impact and gaps in rehabilitation. According to her, these concerns had not yet been addressed.

Taking note of these submissions, the Court directed the Additional Chief Secretary to examine and decide the issues raised by the petitioner, observing that he may call her again for a meeting before taking a final decision. The Bench ordered that a fresh status report along with the decision taken by the State authority be placed on record by the next date of hearing, fixed for June 29, 2026.

The proceedings form part of a continuing judicial engagement that began earlier in 2025, when the High Court entertained the matter as a public interest litigation concerning the rights of project-affected families. The petition had sought, among other reliefs, a direction to the authorities to complete registration of allotted plots “in time bound manner and without levying registration cost and stamp duty” in accordance with the rehabilitation and resettlement policy for Narmada projects. It also sought inclusion of all affected families within the definition of project affected persons, a comprehensive survey, and accountability for illegal transfers and administrative lapses.

At that stage, the Court had clarified that individual affected persons could not maintain a public interest litigation but permitted Medha Patkar, as a social worker, to pursue the case. It had also directed the State to file a reply explaining the delay in execution of registrations.

The matter is now listed for June 29, 2026.

Case Title: Medha Patkar v. The State of Madhya Pradesh and Others

Date of Order: April 28, 2026

Bench: Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi