Itanagar 3rd September : Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has informed the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that in light of the exploration of oil and gas onshore development, drilling and production of the state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL) in Changlang and Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh, “no forceful eviction to be conducted without compensation to the persons affected,” sources said.An NHRC order stated that in consideration of the assurance of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NHRC) dismissed the complaint against the alleged forcible expulsion of the Chakmas and Deoris tribesmen.
The Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI) filed an action with the NHRC on 20 January against the attempted eviction of the Chakmas and Deoris tribes by the state government in cooperation with the OIL without paying fair compensation in accordance with the terms of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Act, 2013.
To ensure that it does not pay a fair amount for rehabilitation and compensation as required by the LARR Act, the state government had previously claimed that the land was within the forests.
The CDFI had informed the NHRC that the Chakma and Deori tribal families are “project affected families” in accordance with the section of the LARR Act.
For many years, Moddaka Nallah village in Changlang district is inhabited by the tribe of Chakma.Sompoi II village in Namsai district is inhabited by the Deori tribe.
The Chakmas have been settled in the Moddaka Nallah village in 1966.
The Arunachal Governor of the Pradesh in an announcement on August 31 changed the name of the Moddaka Nallah village to Modduknong.
“This protection order of the NHRC will help protect the rights of the affected by the project Chakmas and Deoris tribespeople,” CDFI Founder Suhas Chakma stated.
He added that the affected families are not opposed to the drilling for oil in general but seeking compensation under the LARR Act which the Forest Department denies as it seeks compensation on behalf of itself which is illegal and unjust.
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