UTTARAKHAND FLOODS: THE ROLE OF DAMS IN THIS ‘NATURAL’ DI Interview with Matu Jan Sangathan Leader and NAPM convener VIMAL BHAI RICHARD KAMEI on Hydro-Power Projects in the North—Eastern States
The Uttrakhand floods have been the lead story of channels and papers alike. Many chose to label it as an environmental hazard But how many bothered looking into the role that dams have played in propelling this disaster. The Footprints team spoke to Matu Jan Sangathan Leader and NAPM Convener Vimal Bhai on the management of the floods and the unchecked development in the state. Where there early warnings of such a disaster occurring?
U
ttarakhand was facing destructive weather conditions much before monsoons hit the state. 3 days of non – stop rain had triggered
The entire Ganga - Yamuna b ecologically sensitive - earthq slides andcloudbursts have be in frequency and intensity in Floods in 2010 led to the Tehri full capacity, consequently tri slides over 80 villages. The basin by floods in 2011. There was a the August of 2012 followed b cloudburst month later in whi
DECISION TO RAISE HEIGH
SARDAR SAROVAR ILLEGA
The Resettlement and Rehabi
mal Bhai on this calamity t result of unchecked devele state.
ECISION TO RAISE SSP
AL orities take this decision ling resettlement and rehaies.
UTTARAKHAND’S UNCHECKED
T: FRESH DISASTER IN THE
3
4
cholar Richard Kamei on ecked development projects —Eastern states
H: BRAI BILL
5
grima Gupta analyses the y Regulatory Authority of Bill 2013
URITY Vs. PRIVACY CONFLICT Meghna Majumdar reviews vs. privacy debate in the overnment launching the toring System
6
A AND LINGARAJ ATTACKED
13
STATION
sts Prafulla Samantara and d attacked by supporter of uktel Project in Bolongir re-
There has been a lot of emphasis on agement even initiating it as a specia universities. What does this event say edness? The Disaster Management committee h meeting in years and management was s as villages and bridges kept getting washe ter the other. With most roads either washed away helicopters were the only m victims. However there wasn’t enough s run helicopters between Dehradun and No arrangements were made to supply functioning of mobile towers. In the tourist/pilgrimage spots there mechanisms or protocols in place. No in communicated to the people regardin themselves in such a situation. Although devotees increases every year there is s tion process, unlike the Amarnath o Yatras, to keep count of the number of p cles going up. The government has no e don’t know how many people are up ther how will you know how many are mis many dead?
Is it true that the Uttrakhand floods man-made disaster than a natural ca the number of dams that have been tive areas. Could you explain how th such flash floods? Dams are solely responsible for the ma calamity. The advent of the cloudburst 2012 in which numerous small dams, u tion, were washed away brought in the dam construction greatly increases the of floods due to unchecked deforestation of disorganised practices. Retaining wall the Centre in 2012 were all washed floods. The dam Walls can’t stand up to fl The claims of dams preventing floods w 2010 when floods lead to the Tehri Dam capacity and consequently causing fa damage as it overflowed, triggering land villages. In all instances things would have be had the rivers been left free to travel the termined course.
There have been casualties in last year as well - mainly construction workers Has the government responded to thes
numerous landslides and sent them to nt, and the project was shifted. Dam polilobby and contractor lobbies have beong in the state, and even politicians take choosing the side of the lobbies. Even of roads, bridges and hospitals are desigdam construction companies, one of in charge of the 108-ambulance service The state administration appears to be a ands. It is important to note that the rec. The roads built by unauthorised buildthe influx of tourists have contributed in
avail. And today, for a few thousands have perished or lost their loved ones. For more information log on to Matu Jang
official blog:- http://matuganga.blogspot.
UTHORITIES CANNOT PERMIT DROWNING OF 2 LAKH POPULATION WI
TION
tes that this decision should have been fter the neighbouring states - Madhya rat and Maharashtra – confirmed that ref the displaced people is complete. Howbsolutely unbelievable and unacceptable re more than 40,000 families in the 245 e submergence area spread across three lages are in Madhya Pradesh alone.
e at least 4,000 families in M.P. and about arashtra who are yet to receive alternative and as per the eligibility. Thousands of ding agricultural labourers, fish workers, ther artisans are yet to get an alternative lihood as per the state policy and Action d by the Supreme Court. Those at the ree in Gujarat or Maharashtra or at a very age in M.P. are certainly not rehabilitated, here are hundreds of families without full ntitlement or amenities, yet to be attained.
. Government cannot approve their reharts especially when the Justice Jha Combeen inquiring into a massive scandal of 1,000 crores, misappropriated by officials volved in rehabilitation activities. M.P. has o only 21 families till date, that too in the ths, while 4,000+ remain to attain their them were cheated through fake land reginclude hilly adivasis habited in the Satdhya ranges, to be taken special care of as and judgements.
The Narmada Water Disputes Tri (NWDTA) and all the Supreme Court’ (1991, 2000, 2002, 2005) and the last that has clearly directed full and fair impl the NWDTA, will be violated once again height is raised at this stage. Flooding where life is on with pucca houses, sh schools, temples and mosques and lakh be a gross injustice, against law and cont
The Prime Minister himself had gi commitment to the Apex Court on 17th A on the 21st day of fast in New Delhi, tha lies residing up to 122 meters were not while that height was sanctioned and th tion would be complete within 3 months 2006. The same has not yet happened an
There are at lea
families in M.P. an
1,000 in Maharash
are yet to
alternative agricultu
as per el
and plans on protective / preventive measnsatory afforestation and health measures ee states.
erefore, obvious that any clearance granted sult of political expediency. The last few seen Mr. Narendra Modi raising SSP isy to blame or challenge the UPA Govt, cumbing to these pressures unnecessarily ably. When Gujarat doesn’t have its canal
building of canal network phase-wise an ize the already ponded waters?
The issue has been politicized as the 2014 elections but people’s lives a will be at stake, if such a heinous crime ted. No such action should be taken ti conditions are fulfilled.
HAND’S UNCHECKED DEVELOPMENT: FRESH DISASTER IN THE MAKING
ei
pur Declaration made it across to various adlines that focuses on pressing issues of rojects such as hydro power projects and jects in the recently concluded ‘North East vention on water and dams’ held at Beh Welfare Centre, Dimapur, in the month 3. This declaration is a reflection of the d work of anti-dam activists from various ortheast India. The Dimapur Declaration length the protection of the inherent l people over their water, land, forest and es, as well as the self-determined developr water bodies in their region, based on eed by customary and international laws ersal Declaration of Human Rights and the on on the Rights of the Indigenous People
th- eastern states of India became promiy makers for development since India got early 1990s, as the region had been idenro power projects due to its rich natural the year 2001, the Central Electricity Audid a study of the Brahmaputra basin, 68 hydroelectric projects with an estimated 3,328 MW. Similar exploration is currently out in other regions of northeast India. d pace of development of hydro power proegion dangerously undermine the rights of eople as well as the ecology.
re reports of monetary advances close to a 333 crores being paid to the Government Pradesh for hydro power projects at the signing of 186 Memorandum of Under-
struction of dams for hydro power projects this blooming industry feed off the nu power projects, but it also provides fodde their boom in return. The indigenous peo are rarely- if ever- properly consulted or about these projects. Even if there is a c usually takes place after all the major been made.
According to a study conducted by Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SAN February 2013, the hydel Environment Committee (EAC) of Ministry of Environme (MoEF) has evaluated close to 262 hydropo irrigation projects of India in six years and not a single rejection so far. This casts do supposed lack of risk posed by the nu power projects sanctioned in Northeast Ind
The impact of the mega dams goi structed for this hydro power project in N will be immense and thousands of indigen expected to be displaced, their livelihoods the ecology damaged. An even bigger dang ever, as researchers and activists have b great concern and clamouring to bring to fact that the Brahmaputra region and all o ters lie in the active seismic zone. With pas several major earthquakes in Northeast bigger disaster is apprehended, spurred construction in the region.
There are lessons to be learnt from t made disaster of Uttarakhand, mostly sai fuelled by unchecked tourism, pilgrimage
the local community should al a priority.
Earlier view of Vishnupryag HEP (400MW), V 20 February, 2012
TCH
gy Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill 2013
ment introduced the Biotechnology Reguority of India (BRAI) Bill 2013 in the Lok il. It is a new version of the BRAI 2011, d the National Biotechnology Regulatory bill could not be passed in 2010 and of objections by citizens and Parliament. roposed by the Ministry of Science and signed the job of promoting biotechnolbjective of the bill, as stated in the open, is “to promote safe use of modern bionce private promoters are taking up the hority, they have conveniently kept away of Environment and Forests and Health, pposed safeguard against environmental ards.
he bill has a provision to set up an Enviisal Panel to offer "opinions" to the BRAI vironmental impact of organisms and mentioned that the BRAI will prevail in nflict, and merely pass an order justify-
ndustry and its promoters in the governuggling with the refusal to allow open erala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya a, Bihar and West Bengal. To overcome m state governments, the BRAI bill says t in the public interest that the Union der its control the regulations of organand processes of modern biotechnology
on RTI (Right to Information) application public scrutiny. The Bill also has certain limit the jurisdiction of courts, providing legally-tight protective shield to biotechn nies.
On 11th June the Bill was released f sultation. The Parliamentary Standing C Science and Technology, Environment an charge of reviewing the bill, advertised f suggestions from the public and organisati within one month. Greenpeace, on the sam to Dr. T Subbarami Reddy, Chairman of t tary Standing Committee, urging him to time limit for public consultations from 30 days. Neha Saigal, a campaigner, Sustain ture, Greenpeace India says, “The 30 day from today, for the public to comment on which is going to impact every citizen, ou environment, our livelihoods, our food an very short. This would not suffice if one adequate public participation on a legis gravity.”
It is important to understand that advancement is vital for a country’s grow one like India, but not at the cost of its and their health. India has seen adverse e GM seeds (in case of Bt Cotton) in the pa convinced about taking similar risks witho ance of a safe and secure future.
the Central government has prompted about this conflict between national secuacy of citizens, though not on as large a might have hoped.
ntral Monitoring System (CMS) is a surveilm that will enable government officials to phone conversations, access emails, text d social media conversations and keep m for signs of terrorist activities or tax vioboost this system can give to national semaintenance of law and order is obvious. capacity for misuse is also starkly evident, o in light of the fact that the government r need a court order to tap the personal on channels of any citizen. The governbe dependent on service providers to proth information either, once the system is od from the Home Secretary at the Centre nly approval required. It can directly acread messages, monitor internet activity, ne conversations and record all of these need for a middleman.
elligence Bureau- one
most distrusted
ment organisations in
s of civil society- will
wed to use the Central
ing System to tap
phone conversations,
emails, text messages
ial media conversations
p tabs on them for
f terrorist activities or
tral Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Analysis Wing (RAW), the Central Board (CBDT) and the Narcotics Control Burea ers. The IB, already a bone of contention because of its unaccountability and lack statutory existence, has recently come in repute. IB Special Director Rajinder Kum found to have given the Gujarat police fa that led to the infamous Ishrat Jahan f The Intelligence Bureau is one of the m governmental bodies in the eyes of huma ists and civil society. It is a matter of while human rights activists, journalist tired IB officials are clamouring for incre and accountability of the IB, it is being further authority and access by the g stead. As such, the fears of misuse of th well justified.
Fears of censorship have also arise the new surveillance system. The implem Information Technology (Amendment) years has already made the 120 million of the country (source: Reuters) extreme ernmental surveillance. Memories of youn ing arrested for voicing their opinion o still linger, and the people would be jus ing that this fresh mode of surveillanc more for harsher censorship and suppre than for maintenance of security and la Hyderabad- based activist of the People’s Liberties (PUCL) was arrested as recently for criticising a Congress leader on the ing site, Facebook. The activist, Jaya Vin rested on the basis of section 66A of t Technology (Amendment) Act, which allo imprisonment and fine for a person for p tion that is “grossly offensive” or menacin online. While the validity of Section 66A lenged by a Delhi student in 2012 and is amined by the Supreme Court, what is turbing is the Central government’s supp sive and suppressive provision. When c response to the plea for amendment a misuse of the law, the Centre merely stat 66A is “not bad in law” and qualifies as restriction” to the freedom of speech and gist, the Manmohan Singh governmen lieves that the criticism of a politician on form is valid grounds for arrest and impr dian citizens. In such circumstances, it
hat it is the best way to detect and prevent ty and planning. What they failed to menmost of these countries, including the privacy laws in place to protect their citibitrary snooping and interference. The ety for privacy violation in the name of sen greatly increased by the recent revelaNational Security Agency’s (NSA) surveilPRISM, though the government already shed reputation for using internet browsbtained from leading search engines like hoo to spy on its citizens.
Indian people have no such safeguards in
A committee had been formed unde tice AP Shah by the government in Febr submit its report and recommendations Privacy Bill. The committee did so in July, month delay, and the recommendations acted upon. It is hoped that the rise in deb citizen privacy, opposition to the CMS and trust of government agencies like the IB w government to act upon it soon, and to gra this much- needed right.
SAMANTARA AND LINGRAJ AZAD ATTACKED AT BOLONGIR STATION
ht of 26th June, Prafulla Samantara, senst and National Convener, NAPM and Linmajwadi Jan Parishad were attacked at on, while returning from a Padyatra orpose the Lower Suktel Project in the rere attacked by the President of Bolangir Action Committee and his supporter, all of the commencement of this project.
n of the Bolangir press and local police spot and rescued them. Post this incident ntara returned to Bhubaneswar. It was d of the President of the Action Committee resort to such undemocratic and brutal e a latest issue of Samadrusti, Prafulla d appealed to Mr. Panda, to come for an on on the issue. Mr. Panda chose to recking him at Bolangir station.
ktel Project is one of the hundreds of proplemented in name of development in Odg the local adivasis, workers and farmers. t its environment clearance in the 1980s uction started after that. On paper the eems to have spent a large amount of rehabilitation of the displaced people. In vernment tried initiate construction by uiring the land but had to stop due to and resistance of the people. Villagers tally attacked on many occasion but their continued. National Alliance of People's pports their struggle for a dignified livelisave their land, water and forest from ition.
leader and Secretary of Samajwadi Jan Pa
We understand that the recent attac other previous attacks on the life of Prafu is based on the committed action and wr against the massive ecological dest displacement initiated by the indus capitalists with the help of the State G o v e rn m e nt . T he Odisha government has managed to create a conflict and division amongst people, who is fuelling this kind of violence in the region, only to grab land, water and forest from communities. NAPM demands that the s ta te gove rnme nt desist from further acquisition in the area, since precious water supplies will be used for m ee ting industrial needs rather than irrigational purpose. It should also stop dividing and supporting a section of people pitching them against their own fellow beings.
nstream English media has been agog
the Odisha government finally
n the acquisition of 2, 700 acres of land Korean company POSCO to set up its the state. The fact that somehow
vade the media glare is the fact that most isitions were achieved by the
c and brutal use of force by the state
t agitating locals, especially in the case of
nd in Jagatsinghpur, which marked the
ion earlier this month.
question for long. In fact, though it is government land,
2,700 acres that have been acquired since
ing of the Memorandum of Understanding
between POSCO and the government, is cl
forest and revenue land. This effectively m
the land had officially been recognised and
designated as a source of forest produce,
as a source of revenue for a large local pop
which was never given a voice in this rega
only were the betel growers in Jagatsingh
he Odisha government a little more than a
depend on this land for income and livelih
up with the final 700 acres required for
manhandled and brutally beaten up when
eat it achieved by getting the state police
to protest the acquisition, but they also ha
lathi- charge the dependents of the land
there and watch the betel vines which had
ho were on the scene protesting the
ported and sustained their families for yea
f their source of livelihood for the sake of
destroyed before their very eyes.
n. This is blatant suppression of public
ally in light of the fact that the betel never given a recognised platform, nor
sgivings and concerns heeded, despite
conomically dependent on the land in
d had officially
cognised and
ted as a source of
roduce, and also
urce of revenue for
local population
was never given a
All this, tragically, has been done to fu
terms of a MoU (Memorandum of Underst
that had expired three years ago and is no
valid today. The state government has bee
rendering people jobless and acquiring lan
force for the sake of a Rs. 52,000 crores d
had lapsed in 2010. The MoU had expired
five years after it had been signed on June
In the three years post expiration, the gov
has been unable to finalise a draft MoU to
deal, though assurances were given in Jun
year of the draft being finalised in a month
never seemed to deter the state administra
going ahead and forcefully snatching away
livelihoods of its own people over the span years.
to concern voiced by farmers from 44 Gu-
s about potential land acquisition by the
ndal- Bechraji Special Investment Region
Delhi- Mumbai Industrial Corridor
days to the concerned authorities during P
ister Manmohan Singh’s visit to the count
reportedly as part of New Delhi’s attempt t many as a “major potential investor”.
ef Minister Narendra Modi on 12th July
no forceful acquisitions will be carried out
Bihar government grants minimum wag
ct.
MNREGA labourers
have an open mind about the problems of
After protests and demands by MNREGA l
di invited any four among the 100 repre-
in the state and a verdict by the Patna Hig
who had approached him, to present the
regarding payment of minimum wages to l
all 44 villages to a high- level committee.
employed under the Mahatma Gandhi Nat
tee is to comprise of four ministers, and
Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), C
s of Kisan Sangh have also been invited
Minister Nitish Kumar announced that lab
ny the farmers.
s in to protests, cancels DMIC port in
etback to the Maharashtra leg of the
bai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) and a vic-
esting farmers in Raigad district, the Cen-
ment has dropped its plan to develop Dighi
port for the project.
o the Delhi- Mumbai Industrial Corridor
t Corporation (DMICDC), farmers in the
d to give up their fertile land for industrial
d the Maharashtra government has been
ntify a new venue for the port. However,
thorities have also stated to the press
harashtra government has been unable to
d anywhere in the Konkan region.
national investment imminent for DMIC
the state of Bihar would be payed a least m wage of Rs. 162 per day henceforth.
Minimum wages under MNREGA is an iss
merous states in India, and Bihar had rep
been facing migration of labour due to low the state.
espread corruption having come to light in f resettlement, and with even more lives ial homelessness in the near future, the chao Andolan brought together and led es of the Sardar Sarovar Dam’s Projectons (PAPs) as they took a stand and the Indore- based office of the Narmada ority (NCA) on 2nd July, in protest against height of the dam.
amilies across states are awaiting land enities that will enable them to restart heir homes, farms and livelihoods were state to construct the Sardar Sarovar e promise of rehabilitation. They have for more than two decades. Meanwhile, Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra state , in charge of rehabilitating those heir respective states, have only been claims and ignoring those rendered landround. The falsification and corruption ught to light by the farmers themselves.
e Maharashtra Secretary for Rehabilitation ght misreporting the rehabilitation status he Madhya Pradesh government has adHigh Court that a massive number of its
been made 5 years ago, and the High Cour awaiting the report of the inquiry it had or the meantime, the situation on the ground unchanged. The Gujarat government, on t hand, has been channeling its share of the towards its industrial region, ignoring the prone regions of Saurashtra and Kutch th pitched to the NCA to get a larger slice of t Moreover, as an easier way out, the govern begun substituting allotment of land with disbursement as “special packages” to the foregoing the promise of home, hearth and amenities.
Amongst those who stormed Narmada were representatives of farmers, fishermen potters, small shopkeepers, Dalits and Adi were protesting not only the corruption th them homeless, but also the mismanagem led to decline in local industries like fisher thing the Narmada Project authorities had them would flourish through the SSP (Sar Project) Reservoir.
The numerous glaring examples of cor apathy and mismanagement has not deter state governments- especially the Gujarat - from creating political pressure to increa height of the dam further, for further econ The previous increase in the height of the 2006 had been met by protests and even f activists like Medha Patkar, Bhagwati beh Jamsing bhai. Evidence was produced to p thousands of families were still to be rehab and that increasing the height would incre vulnerable “submergence area”, leading to of more villages and rendering thousands again.
The protesters cited that in view of the decision, any attempt to raise the height o without rehabilitating those affected alread contempt of the Supreme Court, going aga
o further raise the height of the Sardar m has received a go- ahead by the R & R nt and Rehabilitation) subgroup of the ontrol Authority. A massive population in desh and Maharashtra, including 177 he former, are at risk of submergence in d at the dam’s current height. Increasing urther will put more land and lives at risk.
been seven years, yet 40,000 of the 51,000 Project- Affected Families (PAFs) are still a R&R that is due to them in lieu of their ho livelihoods being taken away for the projec Madhya Pradesh and Maharshtra. The gobeing granted, in spite of the current state shows blatant disregard and apathy of au towards the Indian people.
l Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) gainst this decision to raise the height of pecially so in view of the devastating adhya Pradesh last year, in which at least over 1500 acres of land had been subthe current situation, around two lakh ss three states live in what is referred to mergence area�, which is vulnerable at the m height of 122 metres. This area vulnersent is occupied by a population as didivasis in the Satpura and Vindhya a densely populated township in Madhya
The decision also seems unwise and unne view of revelations that even the water bei supplied by the dam at present is not bein to the optimum, with less than 20% of the canal network in Gujarat having been con till date. Moreover, the Gujarat governmen blatantly been chanelling water into its ind areas, despite the fact that the state was a large share of the water so that the drough Kutch and Saurashtra areas could be prov drinking water supply and irrigation. It is the clamour and pressure to raise the heig dam is being created by a few interested p cannot possibly serve the actual purpose b great project.
height of the dam would put a much ation at risk, and NAPM is extremely nd apprehensive about the life- and rospects of such people. This concern the fact that even those who have faced e since 1993-94 still await allotment of nd irrigable land as per law and the policies, judgements of court and order of ater Dispute Tribunal. If the authorities o provide rehabilitation to affected over two decades, it can hardly be believed n shoulder the additional responsibility of ulation that will be put at risk if the e dam were to be raised.
ad by the Resettlement and Rehabilitation s also disturbing because it appears to be of insencere formality, aimed at validating
Even those displac
faced with subme
since 1993-94 stil
allotment of cultivab
irrigable land as p
How will the
shoulder add
responsibility of the
working class people living in urban
very often furnish false documents to the B
become a norm in the name of infra-
Development Authority (BDA) and other go
velopment, beautification, clearing en-
bodies to obtain licenses, approvals, NOCs
and even violating established norms
ances and the powers-that-be are often in
ental rights of citizens. However, it is
with them. Despite criminal cases and Lo
rab and transfer to private parties
vestigations against them, hardly any of th
tions for profit facilitated by the
culprits are arrested. Where are the bull-d
charges, forced evictions, arrests, acquisit
onal Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
otice to the Chief Secretary of Karnataka
ced evictions in January of over 5,000
nging to 1512 families, who were living in
looted lands and charges under the IPC fo
forgery, fraud, against these scamsters fro state?
The company being favoured by the go
more than 10-20 years on the economi-
with the EWS lands, coincidentally called
section’s (EWS) land in Ejipura.
Holdings�, is accused of having defrauded
-Finding report of the People’s Union for
s (PUCL) and the Housing & Land Rights
RN) released on March 6th, spoke of bull-
, brutal lathi charges, broken bones, po-
, disrupted schooling, homelessness, job
and devastation for innocent women and
ng to eke out meagre lives in the Ejipura who pleaded for their homes to be saved under the Indian Penal Code for unlawful
ting, insult and criminal intimidation.
st is the red-carpet treatment, favourit-
ddling, heaping of undeserved benefits treatment for monied violators looting The irony could not be grosser. While the
ts might with alacrity against the poor, re-
A.T. Ramaswamy committee and the V.
nian task force documenting the enof more than 11 lakh acres of land by the
r rejected citing inane reasons or left to
ment earlier by building a mall instead of
lot on public land, a case being investigate
Lokayukta. The state apparently has no q
about signing MoUs with and placing its tr
dressed but disreputable and known offen
actions against the poor Ejipura residents
fied by branding them as criminals indulg titution, goondaism and murders.
In a display of its duplicity, the state h
qualms about going back on solemn resolu
passed in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanag
(BBMP) council that all - the original allote
as the tenants - in Ejipura will be provided
the same land. It has also reportedly supp
misrepresented facts to the court. The gov
has no hesitation in issuing entitlement ce
the residents and then saying that these h
value, breaking the trust of the people. Th
no compunction about assuring slum-dwe
hat all existing slums, notified or non-
‘prior informed consent’... is a right of all.
ve to be upgraded and land and houses
tice of forced evictions constitutes a gross
armarked for EWS in public and private
a broad range of human rights...” While t
e state government decides to take away
international law, some BBMP officials ha
tle they have to build a mall instead.
edly stated, “No relief or rehabilitation is n
ms it has to go in for a public-private-
as residents have found shelter around th
(PPP) project as it has no money to build
he Ejipura residents, it announces an il-
00 crore for houses for the EWS in its
dget’. While 98% need houses for the
ands of luxurious sky-scraper-flats for the
acant in Bangalore waiting for specula-
st in them as their second or third homes.
are being provided for by voluntary organi
The much-favoured and touted moder
of PPP has come to mean People’s-Persecu
Partnership. If none other than Mr. Lyngd has held as high a Constitutional post as
Chief Election Commissioner, stated recen
governments were fully busy “polishing th
iv Awas Yojana (RAY) says communities
the corporates”, such a judgement could h
onsulted and plans drawn up with their
passed only after a careful and considered
nsent. The Fact-Finding Report says that
standing of the current tragic state of affai
no consultations or public hearings held
country. Will the NHRC notice make any
ent to the Ejipura residents on the pro-
on.
he National Resettlement & Rehabilitation
for committees including the affected per-
et up to plan and oversee complete reset-
ore displacement, such exhortations are
f a duck’s back for the state. While the
agreement puts the onus on the builder to
Reports of th
Ramaswamy com
and
Balasubramania
sit housing to residents at his own ex-
force documenti
tate overlooks this ‘minor’ violation by
encroachments o
t by the Advisory Group on Forced Evic-
) of UN-HABITAT says that the practice of
on without consultation or adequate al-
nd compensation is illegal according to in-
aw; it is also unjust, with devastating
than 11 lakh acres o
by the rich are
rejected citing
reasons or
activities, analytical articles,
terviews.
globalization spree and took a de
in 1996 after a long nation
ter will run on a fortnightly
ill be issued on the 1st and
month. We encourage you to
ss releases, photographs, ar-
ation updates to be featured
states by senior acti
alliance of progress
organisations and movement
retaining their a
identities, are working together
struggle for primacy
s.
communities over natura of
India,
NAPM’s
English
will continue as before.
conservation and
de-centralised democratic devel
towards a just, sustainable and
in all press releases to
gmail.com
otprints’ in the subject line.
society in the true spirit of gl
stand against corporate g
comm
religious fundamentalism
Alliance of People’s ts
Mathura Road, 10 014
437 4535 - 417
casteism, untouc
discrimination of all kinds. W
alliance emerging out of such a p
shared ideology
strategies can give rise to a s
political force and a natio
movement. In its ques alliance, beyond
movements, NAPM also re