Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), the country's first muti-purpose river valley project, is under fire from the topmost Right to Information (RTI) panel for its “disheartening” treatment of land oustees who have "sacrificed" their land for power infrastrusture.

The scathing observations against the DVC came in the light of its alleged denial of rehabilitation to a physically-disabled person whose 20-acre land was acquired on the promise of a Rs 3 lakh compensation and alternative employment.

Mohammed Rafique Ansari of Pakdih village in Jamtara district of Jharkhand appealed to the Central Information Commission (CIC) against “discrimination” shown by the corporation in not giving him the “promised” job as he was unable to pay a bribe to DVC officials.

Information Commissioner M M Ansari observed that Rafique’s case indicated that the DVC had “so far failed in the promotion of corporate social responsibility”.

The DVC which came into being on July 7, 1948 on the strength of a Constituent Assembly Act had its initial focus on flood control, irrigation, generation, transmission and distribution of electricity, eco-conservation and afforestation, as well as job creation for the socio-economic well-being of people residing in and around areas affected by its projects. However, over the past few decades, power generation had gained priority.

The Bench criticised the corporation for concentrating solely on development of infrastrusture, mainly power, without no regard for the welfare of land oustees, who are “marginalised or pushed to worse-off economic conditions”.

“While the DVC may have made significant contribution to the process of development of infrastructure, mainly power, it has also contributed to the marginalisation of displaced persons/land oustees, who have sacrificed their land for DVC's project,” the Bench said in a recent judgment.

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