GUWAHATI, Sept 2: The Petroleum Ministry has informed the NHRC that no forceful eviction of tribals will be made in two Arunachal Pradesh villages for an Oil India Ltd project without paying compensation to the affected people.
Following the assurance from the Union Ministry, the National Human Rights Commission has closed the complaint filed by Chakma Development Foundation of India, a CDFI press release said on Friday.
The Ministry has also informed the NHRC that action be taken in accordance with law, leading the rights body to close the complaint by an order on August 31.
Welcoming the development, CDFI founder Suhas Chakma said, “This protective order of the NHRC will go a long way to ensure the rights of the project-affected Chakmas and Deoris.”
The complaint against the alleged forcible eviction of Chakmas and Deoris from Mudokka Nallah and Sompoi-II villages of Arunachal Pradesh for onshore oil and gas exploration, and development, drilling, and production in Ningru Oil and Gas field in Changlang and Namsai districts was filed on January 20.
The CDFI complaint had alleged that the attempted eviction of the Chakmas and Deoris was being carried out by the state government in connivance with OIL without paying fair compensation under the provisions of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, by claiming the lands as forest “with the aim to not pay fair compensation and rehabilitation”.
The CDFI claimed that the Chakma and Deori families are ‘project affected families as per section 3(c) of LARR Act’, which specifies the definition of such families eligible for compensation.
The Chakmas had been residing in Moddaka Nallah and Deoris in Sompoi-II village for decades, the release said.
“The project affected families are not opposing the oil drilling project per se but seeking compensation as per the LARR Act which the Forest Department is denying as it seeks the compensation for itself which is illegal and unfortunate,” he claimed. (PTI)
