Parliament Panel Pulls Up Tribal Affairs Ministry For Not Maintaining Data Of Displaced Tribals
20 December, New Delhi
The Parliamentary Standing Committee has pulled up Ministry of Tribal Affairs for failing to maintain data on number of tribals affected or displaced due to developmental projects in the scheduled areas.The Committee has also noted that the data furnished by the Ministry regarding the number of tribal people affected and displaced due to various developmental projects in tribal areas was incomplete.
The panel also said that keeping in view the mandate of the Ministry regarding overall policy planning and coordination of programmes for the development of Scheduled Tribes as well as accountability on matters relating to tribal welfare, it asked the Ministry to undertake immediate extensive projectwise survey of all the ministries regarding the number of tribal people affected and displaced due to various development projects as well as rehabilitated across the country.The Government on the other hand said that the department of land resources was the nodal department for this purpose.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs had requested the concerned Ministries to intimate the name of the project and number of tribal people affected or displaced in the last five years.The Government in a reply to the Committee further said that it has also requested information about the number of affected tribals who were rehabilitated and given R&R package and employment.
The Committee has recommended compensation to all affected or displaced tribals under The Right for Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 which has been notified and comprehensive Rehabilitation and Resettlement package and special provisions for SCs/STs under the said Act.
The panel said that in its earlier recommendation it had desired the Ministry to undertake immediate extensive project-wise survey of all the Ministries and Departments regarding the number of tribal people affected and displaced across the country due to various development projects
The ministry in its action taken note has maintained that the ministry of Rural Development (Department of Land Resources) was the nodal department for this purpose and they were trying to collect data of displaced people affected by land acquisition.
The panel has urged the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to keep pursuing the matter seriously with the Rural Development Ministry to have the requisite data collected at the earliest.