New Delhi, April 3
After castigating the West Bengal police for losing control over law and order situation in Nandigram, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is on its way to monitor the rehabilitation plans promised by the state government.
A three-member high-powered committee of the NHRC, headed by its secretary general Akhil Kumar Jain, today headed for Nandigram to assess the rehabilitation work. Accompanying Jain is
registrar, law A.K. Garg and special rapporteur Damodar Sarangi. The committee is expected to look at all aspects of rehabilitation work and prepare a detailed report.
In November last, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had announced a relief and rehabilitation package of Rs 1 crore for the farmers in the affected areas. He had said Rs 10,000 would be given to families for reconstruction of completely damaged houses while Rs 5,000 would be given to families whose houses had been partially damaged. Each family was promised Rs 1,000 for buying utensils. At the time Bhattacharjee had promised that funds would be extended to people irresespective of their political loyalties.
The NHRC, for its part, had in its February 8, 2008 order on Nandigram violence, made pertinent remarks about rehabilitation work in the affected areas. The commission had said the state government should take the locals into confidence in the process of rehabilitation.
“The government should ensure alternative means of livelihood and shelter for the displaced. In addition to monetary compensation, it may be considered whether land can be given to relocate people or can be linked to the project for which the land is acquired by allocating adequate number of shares. Provision of employment to at least one member of each affected family and other such measures may be considered.”
The NHRC added that agriculturists might not be in a position to wisely invest the money received by way of compensation, so steps might have to be taken by the state government to appoint advisors for making the right investments.
The Commission is now expected to assess the effectiveness of West Bengal’s relief and rehabilitation plan. The area had flared up in January last over a proposed special economic zone (SEZ), with the episode turning into an ugly war between the ruling Communist Party of India and the Trinamul Congress-backed anti-land acquisition Bhumi Uchched Pratirodh Committee (BUPC).
The NHRC, in its stinging order against the West Bengal police, observed, “To prevent land acquisition, people laid a siege over a large area covering five gram panchayats in Nandigram’s Block-1 and did not allow the police and some state agencies to enter the area. On March 14, the police tried to enter the area, and when it was resisted, it opened fire resulting in the death of 14 persons and injuries to several others. The period from March 15 to November five last was a period of comparative lull. It may be described as the period of calm before the storm.”
