BJP alleges diversion of border fencing compensation

The Shillong Times, 22 June 2009

Aizawl: The Mizoram BJP on Sunday alleged that the compensation meant for affected people of the India-Bangladesh border fencing amounting to Rs 3,02,42,500 has been siphoned off.
State BJP information secretary K Lalchhanhima said the compensation to the tune of Rs 95,87,300 for landowners of Jarulsury-Kukurduley sector had been drawn under 30 fictitious names or land passes, while another Rs 2,06,55,200 for Kukurduley-Borakobakali sector had even been drawn the same way under 60 fictitious names or land passes.

The BJP further alleged that three officials siphoned off the money for their relatives. ''Of the Rs 7,87,70,250 sanctioned, Rs 3,02,42,500 has been diverted, '' he stated.

The party had filed an FIR with the Lawngtlai police station, he said and demanded the Congress government to book the culprits and ensure that the money reaches the true landowners. (UNI)

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Another report is available at http://news.webindia123.com/news/Articles/India/20090621/1279941.html

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Misuse of BADP funds in Mizoram

Meri News.com, 19 June 2009, available at http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15773212

Mizoram chief secretary said that in a number of cases, contractors have drawn 60 per cent of BADP fund in advance but failed to carry out the developmental works. He further warned anybody found misusing the BADP fund will not be spared.
CJ: Paritosh Chakma

RECENTLY MIZORAM chief secretary Vanhela Pachuau confirmed that funds under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) have been siphoned off in Mizoram and warned that ''anybody found misusing the BADP fund will not be spared." According to the chief secretary, in a number of cases contractors have drawn 60 per cent of the fund in advance but failed to carry out the works in Lawngtlai and Saiha districts. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Certainly, acts of misappropriation of funds as well as use of funds to develop areas beyond the ambit of the BADP or in violation of the scheme's guidelines come under the meaning of 'misuse of funds'. Non-use of funds is another problem that needs to be addressed.

The main objective of the BADP is to meet the special developmental needs of the people living in remote and inaccessible areas situated near the international border. The BADP is a 100 per cent centrally funded programme. If implemented properly, the BADP can transform the lives of the “people living in remote and inaccessible areas.” But that is not happening as yet, indicating that the funds are being misused.

Some of the schemes/projects that can be taken up under BADP sectors are:

1) Education: Construction of primary/middle/secondary/higher secondary school buildings, development of play fields, construction of hostels/dormitories and public libraries and reading rooms.

2) Health: Building infrastructure (primary health centre, community health centre and sub health centre), provision of medical equipments of basic/elementary type x-ray, ECG machines, equipment for dental clinic, pathological laboratories etc, setting up of mobile dispensaries/ ambulances in rural areas.

3) Agriculture and allied sectors: Animal husbandry and dairying; pisciculture; sericulture; poultry farming/ fishery/pig/goat farming; horticulture/floriculture; public drainage facilities; water conservation programmes; social forestry, parks, gardens; use of improved seeds, fertilisers and improved technology; veterinary aid centres etc.

4) Infrastructure: Construction and strengthening of approach roads, link roads (including culverts and bridges); small scale industries viz handloom, handicraft, furniture making, etc and food processing industry; provisions of civic amenities like electricity, water, pathways, ropeways, foot bridges, hanging bridges, public toilets in SC/ST habitations, bus stands etc; development of infrastructure for weekly haats/ bazaars and for cultural activities etc; construction of mini open stadium/indoor stadium/auditoriums; new and renewable electricity like bio gas/ biomass gasification, solar and wind energy etc.

5. Social sector: Construction of community halls; construction of Anganwadis, cultural centres; vocational studies and training for youth for self employment and skill up gradation of artisans and weavers etc.The BADP scheme has been in implementation in Mizoram from 1993 to 1994. In the initial years up to 1997 to 1998, only four rural development blocks along Indo-Bangladesh border were covered. During this period of five years, a total of 11.55 crore was allocated to Mizoram only to develop the India-Bangladesh border, which is predominantly inhabited by the minority Chakma tribals. The year-wise allocations were as follows:

• 1993 to 1994 – Rs 2.84 crore
• 1994 to 1995 – Rs 3.25 crore
• 1995 to 1996 – Rs 2.73 crore
• 1996 to 1997 – Rs 2.73 crore

But no development took place along the 318-km Mizoram-Bangladesh border. The border people continued to live in broken houses without any sanitation. Most of the villages up to 1998 were without schools, health sub centres, roads, water facilities, play grounds, community halls or livelihood (except traditional 'jhum' cultivation).

In 1997 to 1998, the programme was extended on the Eastern side of Mizoram bordering Myanmar.

Presently, BADP scheme is implemented in 16 rural development blocks whose geographical area totals 12665.09 sq kms. Of these, 11 RD blocks are situated along the Indo-Myanmar border and the rest five RD blocks are along the Indo-Bangladesh border.A total of Rs 146.82 crore has been released to the state under BADP to develop the border areas from 1997 to 2008 as given under:
· 1997 to 1998 - Rs 6.73 crore
· 1998 to 1999 - Rs 6.82 crore
· 1999 to 2000 - Rs 8.00 crore
· 2000 to 2001 - Rs 12.32 crore
· 2001 to 2002- Rs 16.08 crore
· 2002 to 2003 – Rs 16.32 crore
· 2003 to 2004 – Rs 12.48 crore
· 2004 to 2005 – Rs 15.56 crore
· 2005 to 2006- Rs 9.03 crore
· 2006 to 2007 – Rs 22.62 crore
· 2007 to 2008 – Rs 20.86 crore
Hence, a total of Rs 158.37 crore have been released to Mizoram from 1993 to 2008. There is no transparency and accountability in the implementation of BADP. Yet, curiously, Mizoram is dubbed as “better performing state”. Mizoram state government has claimed to have utilised the full amounts every year except an amount of Rs 991.83 lakhs which it did not utilise during 2006-07 (position as on February 13, 2008). But there is no semblance of development in the areas nearest to the India-Bangladesh border. Even this non-utilisation of funds to the tune of Rs 991.83 lakhs when the targeted population are in dire need of facilities, is a criminal act.

Certainly, the BADP funds are not reaching the targeted population. In order to fine tune the programme, the Ministry of Home Affairs – Department of Border Management has revised its guidelines. The 2009 guidelines has asked the state governments to utilise the BADP funds only in those villages which are located within zero to 10 km from the international border.

The 2009 guidelines further stated:

“Those villages, which are located nearer to the international border will get first priority. After saturating these villages with basic infrastructure, the next set of villages located within zero to 15 km and zero to 20 km need to be taken up. If the first village in a block is located at a far away location from the international border, the first village/hamlet in the block may be taken as "zero" km distance village for drawing the priority list.”

For so long, the Chakma minorities living along the India-Bangladesh border have been denied the right to development. Their villages are still without access to education, health care, roads, electricity, water supply and other infrastructure and livelihood.

Now, with the stringent provision in place requiring BADP funds be utilised first only within zero to 10 km from the international border, can the state government hoodwink the Central government and deny the inhabitants of India-Bangladesh border villages development?

AAPSU files PIL against Chakmas

Students’ union files PIL against Chakmas, Telegraph, India, 11 June 2009

A STAFF REPORTER

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090611/jsp/northeast/story_11090637.jsp

Guwahati, June 10: The All Arunachal Pradesh Student Union (AAPSU) has filed a PIL in Gauhati High Court terming the Election Commission’s guidelines to include the names of Chakma refugees in the electoral roll for the Lok Sabha elections as illegal.

They also demanded re-election in the constituencies dominated by Chakmas.

The PIL stated that the Election Commission has tried to include not only the names of those refugees who had entered India in 1964-65 and their descendants, but also those who have come thereafter to the state.

The students’ union has also questioned the Dorjee Khandu-led state government’s silence over the matter and accused it of clandestinely trying to help the Chakmas.

The apex students’ organisation of Arunachal Pradesh stated in the PIL filed yesterday that anyone who is found to have entered the state without valid inner line permit cannot be allowed to be a voter in any election.

The people of Arunachal Pradesh have long been protesting against the attempt to include the names of Chakmas — refugees from Bangladesh who migrated to India in 1964-65 — in the electoral rolls.

The Chakmas, on their part, approached the Supreme Court, which directed that no action shall be taken against the community and that both the Union and the state governments shall ensure that the lives and property of Chakmas remain safe.

The PIL challenged the legality and validity of various guidelines issued by the Election Commission in respect of the revision of electoral rolls in the state.

“The guidelines are in violation of not only relevant provisions of the Constitution but also the Representation of the Peoples Act,” the student’s organisation stated in the PIL.

The organisation also stated that though the state governments in the past had taken a strong stand against inclusion of names of Chakmas in the electoral roll, it was surprising that the present government has done nothing.

“The attitude of the state government is causing a lot of resentment among the indigenous people of the state,” the PIL stated.

Chakmas face discrimination in Mizoram

Sentinel, Assam, 2 June 2009

AIZAWL, June 1: According to the ACHR report, the state government has failed to provide Chakmas access to basic health care facilities. Most villages had no health care facilities at all and the poor villagers lived at the mercy of ojhas (traditional herbal doctors), a press release sttaed.A regional human rights watchdog, the Asian Centre for Human Rights in its report “2009 India Human Rights Report,” released in New Delhi on Friday, accused Mizoram of practising ‘systematic discrimination’ against minorities.

The ACHR stated that minorities were denied employment, basic health care, education and right to development. The state government has failed to “address systematic discrimination against minorities – ethnic, linguistic and religious,” the report added.

The ACHR alleged that Chakma minorities who live outside the Chakma Autonomous District Council have to face “more discrimination and neglect.” Majority Chakmas live on the border with Bangladesh and the Central funds for the development of the border areas under the Border Area Development Programme have been misused.

The report claimed the Ministry of Home Affairs released Rs 1,556 lakh during 2004-05, Rs 903.48 lakh during 2005-06, Rs 2,262 lakh during 2006-07 and Rs 2,086 lakh during 2007-08, to Mizoram under BADP.

But the ACHR team during its visit to the border areas “found very limited evidence of development activities.”

The state government failed to provide Chakmas access to basic health care facilities. Most villages had no health care facilities at all and the poor villagers lived at the mercy of ojhas (traditional herbal doctors). Deaths of children were often not recorded. This was stated in a press release.

Chakmas face discrimination in Mizoram

Meri News.com, http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15771276

According to the ACHR report, the state government has failed to provide Chakmas access to basic healthcare facilities. Most villages had no health care facilities at all and the poor villagers lived at the mercy of ojhas (traditional herbal doctors).
CJ: Paritosh Chakma
1 Jun, 2009
A REGIONAL human rights watchdog, the Asian Centre for Human Rights in its report “2009 India Human Rights Report,” released in New Delhi on Friday, accused Mizoram of practising “systematic discrimination” against minorities. The ACHR stated that minorities were denied employment, basic healthcare, education and right to development. The state government has failed to “address systematic discrimination against minorities – ethnic, linguistic and religious,” the report added.

The ACHR alleged that Chakma minorities who live outside the Chakma Autonomous District Council have to face “more discrimination and neglect.”

Majority Chakmas live on the border with Bangladesh and the Central funds for the development of the border areas under the Border Area Development Programme have been misused.

The report claimed the Ministry of Home Affairs released Rs 1,556 lakh during 2004-05, Rs 903.48 lakh during 2005-06, Rs 2262 lakh during 2006-07 and Rs 2086 lakh during 2007-08, to Mizoram under BADP. But the ACHR team during its visit to the border areas “found very limited evidence of development activities.”

The state government failed to provide Chakmas access to basic healthcare facilities. Most villages had no health care facilities at all and the poor villagers lived at the mercy of “ojhas” (traditional herbal doctors). Deaths of children were often not recorded.

According to the report, Chakma minorities faced discrimination in state employment. Various recruitment rules have been legislated requiring linguistic minority candidates to pass Mizo subject up to Middle School level to be eligible for government jobs. There is no provision for teaching Mizo subject in schools in Chakma villages and hence they faced “regular discrimination” in government employment. Due to such institutionalised discrimination, the Chakmas’ representation in government services in Mizoram remained negligible.

The report also highlighted the problems of compensation and rehabilitation faced by the Chakmas who have lost their lands by the ongoing India-Bangladesh border fencing, a project of the Ministry of Home Affairs. A total of 35,438 Chakma tribals from 49 villages along the international border would be displaced. Although their lands and houses have been either destroyed or acquired by the government under the Land Acquisition Act of 1894, the state Home Department has stated that the government did not consider the out-fenced Chakmas as displaced.

‘BADP fund misuse will not go unpunished’

Newslink, Aizawl, May 27, 2009

Bureau ReportAizawl, May 26: With grave concern over gross misappropriation ofborder area development programme fund during the past few years,Mizoram chief secretary Vanhela Pachuau today warned that such fundmisuse would be dealt with an iron hand.

“Anyone found misusing the BADP fund will not be spared from beingpunished,” Vanhela said a meeting of a state level screening committeeheld at the secretariat conference hall here today.

The chief secretary, who took charge from January this year, informedthe meeting that there had been gross misappropriation of BADP fundduring the past few years. He said there were a number of cases wherethe contractors drawn 60 percent of the fund in advance, but failed tocarry out the works in Lawngtlai and Saiha districts. He instructedthe DCs of the two districts to prepare a list of such contractors andsubmit it to him as early as possible.

“Such kind of wrongdoings will no longer be tolerated. The law willtake its own course against them,” he said.

Border Area Development Programme (BADP) was implemented in Mizoram in1993-1994 and it covered four RD blocks then along Indo-Bangladeshborder. In 1997-1998 the programme was extended on the eastern sidebordering Myanmar.

Mizoram shares an international border of 502.19 kms along theIndo-Myanmar front and 360 kms along the Indo-Bangladesh sector, thustotaling an international border of 818.19 kms. Today, BADP isimplemented in 16 RD blocks whose geographical area totals 12665.09sq.kms. Of these, 11 RD blocks are situated along the Indo-Myanmarborder and the rest five RD blocks are along the Indo-Bangladeshborder.

The meeting today approved the BADP annual action plan and perspectiveplan during the current financial year in principle. It also reviewedthe ongoing projects outside the radius of 20 kms from the border. Itagreed that no new projects be made outside the radius of 20 kms fromthe border as per the guidelines.

The Central government released Rs 22.62 crores during 2006-07, Rs20.86 crores during 2007-08 and Rs 25.35 crores during 2008-09 toMizoram under the BADP.

“Mizoram has claimed to have fully utilized all the funds it receivedduring 2006-07 in its utilization report submitted to the ministry ofhome affairs. But there is truly no semblance of development in theChakma inhabited areas along the India-Bangladesh border. Yet Mizoramsays it has spent only a fraction of BADP funds received in 2007-08,”alleged a source.

Considering that two-third of the BADP funds had been spent in theMizoram-Myanmar borders, one-third i.e. Rs 7.54 crores during 2006-07,Rs 6.95 crores during 2007-08 and Rs 8.41 crores during 2008-09 musthave been spent for the development of the Mizoram-Bangladesh borderswhich is predominantly inhabited by the Chakma minority tribals.

“This money, if spent judiciously, is enough for socio-economicdevelopment of the border Chakmas but the Mizoram government’sspending under BADP in the sajek areas is almost nil,” said a Chakma social activist.

Bangladesh: Buddhist monks harassed by army

The Chakma News has received information that Buddhist monks were harassed and verbally abused in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh by the Bangladesh army personnel.

CHT remains heavily militarized despite the agreement to withdraw the army from the CHT as provided in the CHT Peace Accord signed between the government of Bangladesh and the indigenous jumma peoples. Contrary to the Peace Accord, the military have set up too many army barracks and check points here and there unnecessarily to harass the indigenous peoples of CHT.

According to the sources, Buddhist monks including Ven. Bishuddhananda Mahathero (chief priest of Ratnankur Bana Vihara, Buddhist temple) were returning to their temple in Naniachar after attending a religious ceremony at Tarachari village in the morning of 21 May 2009. As their vehicle was about to cross the Bogachari army check post in Rangamati district, the army stopped them and asked them to get down. The army wanted to body search all the Buddhist monks.

Ven. Bishuddhananda Mahathero protested saying they were Buddhist monks and should not be subjected to body search. But army officer Captain Shamim forced them to get down and used abusive language at the Buddhist monks. At the order of Captain Shamim a group of army personnel came down to the scene with clubs and ropes in their hands.

However, a senior army officer rushed to the rescue of the Buddhist monks and asked for their forgiveness for the harassment meted out to them by the army personnel.

The indigenous peoples of Naniachar led by Hill Women’s Federation took out a protest rally against the harassment of the Buddhist monks by the Bangladesh army. The army arrested two of the participants identified as Ms Juthika Chakma, Convenor of Hill Women’s Federation, Naniachar Unit; and Ms Mika Chakma, a member of Hill Women’s Federation while they were returning from the rally. Both of them were later released. But the army forced them to put their signature on a blank sheet of paper in army custody and took their photographs prior to their release. This has put these indigenous women activists at risk of arrest and prosecution.

In Bangladesh there is no freedom of religion for the minorities. In CHT Buddhism has often come under target by the army. For more detail, see "Bangladesh: The Army attacks Buddhism to facilitate illegal settlement in the Chittagong Hill Tracts", available at http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2008/203-08.html

Mizoram villagers agree to vote after Guv’s assurance

Aizawl: Residents of three villages of Mizoram near the Bangladesh border have agreed to exercise their franchise after Mizoram Governor Lt Gen (rtd) M M Lakhera assured them all possible help in getting their shares of compensation.

Alleging that they had not been given compensation, three villages of Marpara South, Tarabonia and New Sachan, affected by the ongoing Indo-Bangla border fencing had threatened to boycott the coming Lok Sabha polls until the Governor pacified them on Thursday.
After the Governor’s assurance,the villagers agreed to participate in the polls, official sources said. (UNI)
(Source: The Shillong Times, 27 March 2009)

Bangladesh: Rally against minor rape

This picture shows a huge rally by Chakma women in Khagrachari demanding immediate arrest of the rape accused, Mostafa who brutally raped a four-year-old Chakma girl, Ety Chakma. As stated below, there is allegation that the authorities are trying to protect the accused.

Chakma News expresses solidarity with the protest, and demands immediate arrest and punishment to the rapist. There is no compromise. The civilised society does not and should not tolerate a shameful act such as rape , irrespective of the caste/religion of the victim and the perpetrator.

Bangladesh: Minor Chakma girl raped by illegal settler

As the entire world observed the International Women’s Day on 8 March 2008, all hell wrecked upon a Chakma family in a remote village in Chiittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) region of Bangladesh.

Four-year old Ety Chakma was raped by one Mostafa Mian, an illegal Bengali settler of Betchari village in Dighinala Upazila in Khagrachari district, CHTs. According to the victim’s parents (father Zhimit Chakma and mother Joshi Chakma), the girl went to the nearby river to take a bath when the accused raped her at 1 pm. The Miyeeni River is half a Kilometer away from the victim’s house at Shanti Lakshmipur village in Madhyom Boalkhali under Dighinala Upazila. The minor girl was found by the villagers and taken to Dighinala hospital from where she was referred to Khagrachari District Hospital. Her condition is stated to be critical

The victim’s parents alleged the Officer-in-Charge of Dighinala police station under duress got their signature on a “blank paper”.

The local indigenous peoples NGOs fear the police will try to shield the accused, as they have always done earlier in similar situations. The Bengalis from the plains are settled in CHTs as part of State Policy to annihilate the identity of the indigenous “Jumma” peoples of CHTs. The illegal settlers have been provided free ration by the Bangladesh government and protection by the army.

CHTs is a heavily militarized zone. Due to the presence of the military and the illegal settlers, the indigenous peoples in particular the women are extremely vulnerable to gross human rights violations. The women are often victims of sexual abuse, like the case of Ety Chakma, who is only four years old.

Displaced Chakma community hit by border fencing work

Zee News, 14 February 2008, http://www.zeenews.com/nation/2009-02-14/507534news.html

Aizawl, Feb 14: More than 35,000 people, majority of them belonging to the Chakma community are facing difficulty in the ongoing fencing along the 318-km long Mizoram-Bangladesh border but Mizoram government says they are not 'displaced'.

The Mizoram Home department, in reply to the complaint filed by the Asian Indigenous and Tribal People's Network (AITPN) to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said that the Chakmas along the Indo-Bangladesh border are not 'displaced' as the fencing line is not along the international border.

Deputy Secretary of Home Department Romawia said the families fenced out by the ongoing border fencing can remain outside the fencing or shift from the outside to the inner side.

"There is no objection if the 'fenced-out' families continue to reside outside the fencing," Romawia wrote in response to the AITPN's complaint which put the number of people to 35,000.

Reports said the entire Tarabonye hamlet has fallen outside the border fence and the families were prevented by the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel from collecting river sand for sale, which was earlier their main source of income. Former state Chief Secretary Haukhum Hauzel was informed by villagers of Bindiasora, where around 80 families now fall outside the fence, about their plight, reports said. The government maintained that those affected by fencing were being compensated appropriately.

However, disputing the government's claim the Chakma residents ask "if we are not called displaced then who can be so?" A Chakma resident of Tarabonye hamlet said the villagers lodged a complaint to the Chief Secretary last year alleging inadequate compensation. Four public sector companies undertook the Mizoram-Bangladesh border fencing works. But neither the Centre nor the state government has publicly announced any resettlement and rehabilitation plan, the NGOs claimed.
Bureau Report