People of two Arunachal Pradesh villages facing displacement by oil drilling projects are being denied compensation, the National Human Rights Commission has been told.
In a complaint to the apex rights body on Saturday, the New Delhi-based Chakma Development Council of India (CDFI) said Oil India Limited has resorted to coercion to deny compensation to the inhabitants of two villages in the Changlang district.
The oil major has undertaken drilling work in the Mudokka Nallah and Sompoi-II villages dominated by the Chakma and the Deori communities respectively.
“Both are recognised villages according to the gazette notification issued by the Arunachal Pradesh government and the communities are owners and occupants of the lands. But the local authorities and the OIL have been using third parties to coerce the poor affected families to accept a [nominal] package without any formal process under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013,” the CDFI said in a statement.
“If any attempt is made by the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas, the OIL and the State government to evict the Chakmas without invoking the Right to Fair Compensation Act in clear violation of the Supreme Court direction, it becomes the responsibility of the NHRC to initiate contempt proceedings,” said Suhas Chakma from the foundation.
