Shafaqna English- Ken-Betwa is the first of 30 planned river interlinking projects under India’s National Perspective Plan. Women who are displaced by this project are not entitled to independent compensation, and none of them has received a single rupee.
Campaigners fear that if the same interpretation of the law is applied elsewhere, women displaced by future projects could face the same exclusions.
In practice, officials apply only the definition that defines family conventionally around a person, their spouse and dependent minor children, while failing to apply the explanation that recognises adults of either gender as separate families. Women without land titles or whose names do not appear on government lists can therefore find themselves excluded from compensation.
Sources: AlJazeera