The official reason for disallowing the programme: the site chosen is unsafe for people taking part in the kar seva.

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel on Monday met ministers of departments having to do with the dam, police officers of the Vadodara range, where the dam site is located, and officials of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd. They apprised him of what measures they had taken in and around the dam site.

Narmada Development Minister Jaynarayan Vyas told Express Newsline that site selected for the programme could be reached only after climbing an incline with a 70 degree gradient, and people could all come tumbling down.

``Even otherwise, if people gather just out of curiosity, it would still be unsafe,'' Vyas said.

He said kar sevaks would be prevented from reaching the site, and prohibitory orders will be imposed ``as and when required'' at places the government thought fit.

He said the government decision comes following NJA's insistence on sticking to its own chosen site for the kar seva. ``We have given them the option of performing the kar seva by taking water from downstream of the Narmada, and are still optimistic that a solution to this issue will emerge.''

However, NJA spokesman Madan Diwan said the site they had chosen for the programme would not be revealed till the last moment. ``But we have rejected the site proposed by the government.''

NJA also criticised the government for refusing to provide civic amenities to kar sevaks who gather at the site. Diwan alleged that the government was shirking responsibility to provide such utilities as one lakh people are expected to participate.

He claimed that the government had provided amenities during the Rally for the Valley, and even alleged that ``an anti-Narmada axis of Keshubhai Patel-Medha Patkar-Jaynarayan Vyas was at work''.

Vyas refused to have any part in ``this allegation business'' and declined comment, but about the provision of civic amenities, he said,``It's a goof-up on part of NJA. They should have approached GEB and the state transport department well in time. Later they will come out with statements they they could not succeed in the kar seva because the government did not provide transportation.''