NHRC Demands Urgent Action on Basic Amenities in Keonjhar Villages | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Keonjhar collector to submit an action taken report within four weeks on a plea alleging the district administration has failed to provide basic amenities in three villages, including chief minister Mohan Majhi’s native Raikala.
Radhakanta Tripathy, a human rights activist and lawyer, filed the petition alleging the district administration failed to provide drinking water and pucca houses under govt schemes in Jagannathpur and Balabhadrapur villages under Naradpur gram panchayat. Tripathy claimed the district administration has not ensured benefits of welfare schemes and entitlements under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) reach the villagers. “Chief minister’s own village, Raikala, was also neglected on various standpoints. All the facilities that are mandatory under the Panchayat Raj Act and other welfare legislations are not available to these villagers,” he added.
The petition stated the villagers are not getting housing benefits due to the lack of Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data from the 2011 Census. “There is no action to date as to how the data is missing, and no corrective measures were taken to ensure the benefits of welfare schemes, especially the houses under the central or state schemes,” alleged the petitioner.
He said govt should address problems such as superstition, sorcery, witchcraft and man-elephant conflicts by creating awareness. Non-availability of potable drinking water and other amenities, as prescribed under the Panchayat Raj Act, are causing problems for the villagers, he added. He urged NHRC to ensure basic amenities for villagers and their rights as prescribed under the Forest Rights Act, rules and regulations, with proper land records and demarcation for residents of forest areas. Thousands of such cases are pending at various levels, he added.
Kumar Nagabhushan, chief development officer-cum-executive officer, zilla parishad, Keonjhar, said he does not have knowledge about the matter. “We need to go through the NHRC directive before making comments,” he added.
Radhakanta Tripathy, a human rights activist and lawyer, filed the petition alleging the district administration failed to provide drinking water and pucca houses under govt schemes in Jagannathpur and Balabhadrapur villages under Naradpur gram panchayat. Tripathy claimed the district administration has not ensured benefits of welfare schemes and entitlements under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) reach the villagers. “Chief minister’s own village, Raikala, was also neglected on various standpoints. All the facilities that are mandatory under the Panchayat Raj Act and other welfare legislations are not available to these villagers,” he added.
The petition stated the villagers are not getting housing benefits due to the lack of Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data from the 2011 Census. “There is no action to date as to how the data is missing, and no corrective measures were taken to ensure the benefits of welfare schemes, especially the houses under the central or state schemes,” alleged the petitioner.
He said govt should address problems such as superstition, sorcery, witchcraft and man-elephant conflicts by creating awareness. Non-availability of potable drinking water and other amenities, as prescribed under the Panchayat Raj Act, are causing problems for the villagers, he added. He urged NHRC to ensure basic amenities for villagers and their rights as prescribed under the Forest Rights Act, rules and regulations, with proper land records and demarcation for residents of forest areas. Thousands of such cases are pending at various levels, he added.
Kumar Nagabhushan, chief development officer-cum-executive officer, zilla parishad, Keonjhar, said he does not have knowledge about the matter. “We need to go through the NHRC directive before making comments,” he added.
