---
title: "Ken-Betwa Displacements: Union Ministry Cites State Jurisdiction in Response to Protests"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/ken-betwa-project-displacement-dispute-union-state-responsibility-f4ga4
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: India
published: 2026-08-07T04:52:12.000Z
modified: 2026-08-07T07:00:39.558Z
language: en-IN
---

# Ken-Betwa Displacements: Union Ministry Cites State Jurisdiction in Response to Protests

The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has deferred responsibility for grievances regarding the Ken-Betwa river interlinking project to Madhya Pradesh authorities. Despite national attention on intense local protests, federal officials maintain that state governments hold the mandate for land acquisit

## Key takeaways

- The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has redirected all displacement complaints regarding the Ken-Betwa project to Madhya Pradesh state authorities.
- Protesters allege irregularities in compensation distribution and the bypass of mandatory Gram Sabha consent under the Forest Rights Act.
- Despite its role as the nodal agency, the Ministry claims state governments are the primary implementers of land acquisition and rehabilitation laws.

## Background

Conceived in 1980 under the National Perspective Plan, the Ken-Betwa project seeks to redistribute water resources between basins. The engineering plan involves building the Daudhan Dam to divert excess water from the Ken river through a 221-kilometer canal system into the Betwa river. Beyond water management, the infrastructure aims to produce 103 MW of hydropower and 27 MW of solar energy. However, the scale of the project necessitates the displacement of more than 7,000 families.

## Why It Matters

Resistance to the project escalated significantly in Chhatarpur district, where demonstrators used symbolic nooses and pyres in the Barana river to signal their desperation. The removal of activist Amit Bhatnagar, who underwent a 14-day hunger strike, and the forced clearance of 150 protesters by police on July 19, have intensified scrutiny of the project's social cost. Opponents allege the government bypassed mandatory Gram Sabha consent and utilized flawed data to determine compensation eligibility.

## Key Facts

- The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs confirmed on August 6, 2026, that all project-related complaints were redirected to district and state officials in Madhya Pradesh.
- Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and MP Ajendra Singh Lodhi formally questioned the government regarding the specific number of tribal families affected and the status of their compensation.
- Legal frameworks cited by the Centre include the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act (2013) and the Forest Rights Act (2006).
- While the Union Jal Shakti Ministry leads the project, the Tribal Affairs Ministry serves as the nodal agency for forest rights issues and sits on the project's monitoring committees.

## What Happens Next

While federal ministers insist they have instructed state administrations to process all forest rights claims before evictions occur, the jurisdictional divide complicates the path for protesters. The Union Ministry maintains its role is limited to advisory oversight, leaving the Madhya Pradesh government to address allegations of procedural impropriety in land acquisition and rehabilitation efforts.

Source: The Hindu — National

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/ken-betwa-project-displacement-dispute-union-state-responsibility-f4ga4
Reported from: The Hindu — National