1 message
Kirity Roy<> / Tue, Aug 18, 2015 at 2:56 PM
To:
Cc: Chief Minister West Bengal <>, Chief Secretary Gov of WB <>, Secretary Home Dept Gov of WB <>, "District Magistrate, Murshidabad" <>, SDO DOMKAL <>, , Home Ministry <>
Bcc:
To
The Chairman
National Human Right Commission
Manav Adhikar Bhawan, Block-C, GPO Complex, INA, New Delhi-110023 18 August 2015
· District Magistrate, Murshidabad
Ref No. MASUM/DM/MSD/567/4117/15
· Superintendent of Police, Murshidabad
Ref No. MASUM/SP/MSD/567/4118/15
Respected Sir,
In the border area of Murshidabad, the erosion of the Padma River has created a situation of ongoing catastrophe stretching back for decades. The Padma, the section of the Ganges River along the Murshidabad border and the official dividing line between India and Bangladesh, has been changing course deeper into Indian territory, eating away huge chunks of fertile land. The river sweeps thousands of homes and landholdings into the river every year. Ongoing erosion has had a catastrophic effect on the agrarian economy upon which the vast majority of local people rely. Overnight, families discover that they have become refugees in an area without new lands for cultivation and bereft of alternative economic opportunities. The river has wiped out huge tracts of fertile land, eliminating generations-old familial holdings and leaving people homeless without a means to provide for their families. The eroded soil eventually resurfaces as hugecharislands in the middle of the river. With few other options available to them, displaced villagers move to the char to restart their lives. Official records regarding the number of people residing in thecharlandsdo not exist, so reliable population estimates are difficult to come by. When chars first emerge above the water level, they are sandy and infertile, only becoming cultivatable over a long period of time. Conflict over land is a regular occurrence.The life on the chars goes on despite the absence of educational or medical facilities, a market, proper sanitation or even drinking water. The national and local governments have responded to a two-decade long crisis with a woeful combination of apathy, ineptitude and corruption. Embankment protection schemes have failed, rehabilitation programs for those who have lost homes and lands to the river are nonexistent and poverty alleviation programs are poorly implemented.
In an attempt at comprehensive revitalization of the border areas for security reasons, the Border Area Development Program (BADP) was initiated in 1987 and extended to include West Bengal in 1993. It represents as comprehensive attempt to tackle the chronic underdevelopment of the border areas by making a massive investment in essential infrastructure. Funds are provided to the state government, which then prepares schemes relating to infrastructure development, livelihood, education, health, agriculture or security. The project is intended to emphasize participatory planning and focus the disbursement of finances in villages within 10 km of the border.
It is revealed during the fact finding that the victim Mr. Upendranath Mondal, son of Late Batakrishna Mondal, aged about-74 years resides in village-Char Borderpara which falls under the jurisdiction of Malibari-I Gram Panchayat, Raninagar. The villages under the said gram panchayat are located near Indo-Bangladesh Border. The villagers living under the said Gram Panchayat area are victims of erosion of river Padma.
The villagers of Char Mahadebpur came to know that the money sanctioned for repairing the road running from the house of Mr. Dipu Mondal (village-Char Mahadebpur) to the house of Mr. Ananta Mondal (village- Char Mahadebpur) was misappropriated and in official papers it was shown that the road was repaired. In order to get the truth the victim on behalf of the local people filed one application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 on 26.8.2014 before the Block Development Officer, Raninagar-II, Raninagar, Murshidabad. In the said application he sought information nine points relating to the repairing of the road described above. On 26.9.2014 the victim received one letter(Memo no.2665/XI/1/Rani-II) from the office of the Block Development Officer, Raninagar-II, Raninagar wherein the victim was requested to contact the office of the Prodhan, Malibari-I Gram Panchayat where all the documents and information as required by him were lying. Again on 30.12.2014 the victim received one letter from the Prodhan of Malibari-I Gram Panchayat, Raninagar wherein he was asked to deposit Rs.22/- in Government Treasury fulfilling T.R. Form-7 for getting information as sought by him in the application under the RTI Act. On 5.1.2015 the victim duly deposited the money in the government treasury and with the money receipt he went to the office of the Prodhan, Malibari-I Gram Panchayat, Raninagar to get information on his application under the RTI Act.
Since then the victim went through a phase of mental and physical harassment by the Prodhan and the officials of Malibari-I Gram Panchayat, Raninagar. Till date he was not provided the information which he sought in the RTI Application as the Prodhan and the officials of Malibari-I Gram Panchayat, Raninagar refused and denied to provide the information on false pretext and whenever the victim visited the office of the Gram Panchayat he was verbally abused and physically harassed. Even the Prodhan and the officials of Malibari-I Gram Panchayat, Raninagar teased him being a mentally imbalanced person.
On 10.4.2015 the victim submitted one written complaint before the District Magistrate, Murshidabad stating the above mentioned facts and circumstances and he prayed for appropriate action, but in spite of receiving the said complaint, the District Magistrate, Murshidabad did not take any action till date.
The above incident is an eye opener which shows that corruption and poor implementation have prevented government money from ever reaching the hands of the local people living in Indo-Bangladesh border area.
According to Article 25(1) of the UDHR, every Human being by virtue of being a human has a right to a life adequate for the health and well being of her/himself and of her/his family, which is seen to include food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services. The Constitution of India also guarantees Right to life and livelihood. But it seems that the people residing in border areas under Murshidabad district are being deprived of such rights due to sky high corruption in administration to implementation of various government schemes for the benefit of the people residing there.
Under such circumstances I seek your urgent intervention in this matter with the following demands:-
·The alleged corruption as stated in this complaint must be enquired into by a neutral authority preferably by the Commission’s own investigating wing and the corrupt officials must be booked under the law if found guilty.
·A separate enquiring agency must be engaged to enquire into how the government schemes has been implemented for the last 5 years in the development of border areas in the district-Murshidabad .
·The life and livelihood of the people residing in border areas under district-Murshidabad must be secured.
·The authorities concerned must be directed to implement the government schemes properly for the development of the bordering areas under district-Murshidabad.
Thanking You
Yours truly
KirityRoy
Secretary, MASUM
National Convener, PACTI