Statutory National Commission on the Rights of Displaced People

By Bijaya Mishra
Bhubaneswar , 26-11-23

In absence of a Constitutional Forum to redress the grievances, complains and deprivation of people after being displaced by the Projects like land, mines and industries, Lokshakti Abhiyan & National Alliance of People's Movements , Odisha urged for a Statutory National Commission on the Rights of Displaced People. 

Lokshakti Abhiyan as part of National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM) had organised Five Public Hearings from 2018-2021 on plights of the displaced people at Koraput, Rourkela, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar and Bhubaneswar where projected affected villagers participated. The final report of these hearings prepared by the jury members  has been released at Lohia Academy on Sunday , on the occasion of 97th Anniversary of veteran socialist leader Late Rabi Ray , by the eminent Social Scientist Professor Virginious Xaxa in a meeting ,presided over by Professor Manoranjan Mohanty .  In the meeting , Mr  Prafulla Samantara, President of Lok Shakti Abhiyan stated that there is no legal or Constitutional Forum to redress the grievances, complains and deprivation of people after being displaced by the Projects like land, mines and industries etc. No data on displacement is available with the Govt of India or State Governments like Odisha.

Therefore this initiative  started to Campaign to have Constitutional authority or forum to get justice for the displaced people. The Jury's recommendations in the report has priority to to have a National Commission with power to investigate and implement for the Displaced People in India as well as the State Commission.

NAPM will start Campaign in the Country to demand for a Statutory National Commission on the Rights of Displaced People with power to investigate and implement to  be created by an Act of Parliament having branches in all the states of India. 

In the report , the NAPM committee recommended that , the proposed National Commission would act as a grievance redressal mechanism for people who are already displaced and affected by those projects dating from the time of Independence.

It would publish a yearly status report on persons displaced from different projects and monitor the proper implementation of different legislations dealing with the displacement of people like the National Highways Act 1956, Forest Rights Act 2006, Coal Bearing (Acquisition and Development) Act 2013, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in LARR Act 2013, making also a periodic policy analysis.