World Bank told: Withdraw proposal to fund new Andhra capital project, it will lead to massive displacement

By Our Representative
Top civil society leaders and experts have got together to tell the World Bank board that it must comply by the recent recommendations of the Bank's Inspection Panel for funding the project (approximately Rs 4,700 crore soft loan) to build a new capital for Andhra Pradesh, Amaravati, which it had prepared following its visit to India in mid-September this year.
Uploaded in October, the recommendations were mysteriously pulled down within a few days. The Panel visited the project site on September 13-15, 2017 and heard various representations from the project-affected families. Justifying the decision to pull down the Panel's report, the World Bank said, it was "inadvertently" uploaded before being reviewed by the Bank’s board of executive directors.
Seeking investigation into the grievances of the complainants, the Panel had talked of the need to look into “issues of potential harm and policy non-compliance”, adding, people had “raised issues of a serious character that can only be fully ascertained in the context of an investigation.”
It had also recommended on the need to “carrying out an investigation,” which should "primarily focus on the resettlement aspects, as well as environmental concerns, and issues related to consultation, participation and disclosure of information as they pertain to the Bank’s financing, policies and procedures.”
Those who have signed the letter to the World Bank board include social activist Medha Patkar, former power secretary Dr EAS Sarma, Goldman Prize awardee Prafulla Samanthra, retired scientist of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) Dr Babu Rao, and others.
The letter says, all the affected groups, communities, supportive civil society organizations and media are now watching the board’s decision closely, which will decide on further investigation into the Bank’s non-compliance with its operating policies. In all, it adds, 56,000 acres land would be acquired, displacing 20,000 families.
Addressed to each of the executive directors of the World Bank Group, even while drawing "urgent attention" to various irregularities surrounding the proposed Amaravati Sustainable Capital City Development Project of Andhra Pradesh, the letter says, there has been "lack of sufficient public consultations" while going ahead with the project.
Also drawing attention to "grave threat to food security and loss of fertile floodplains" because of the Amaravati project, the letter says, the suggestions of the Panel’s report for a full investigation into the violations of the Bank’s operating policies must be followed by the Board, and the Board should not undermine the mandate of its own accountability mechanism.
It says, it is astonishing that the Bank has been silent on Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s instruction to the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to firmly deal with the people who filed complaints with the World Bank, adding, there is complete lack of an adequate and comprehensive Resettlement Policy Plan while going ahead with the project.
Referring also to the "failure" of the Bank to address the issue of uprooting the impoverished Dalit families from Lanka Lands in Krishna River islands, the letter said, this would lead directly to the creation of a wide marginalised community of informal sector on the outskirts of the capital city.
The letter concluded, the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a co-financier of the project, are accountable for the "impending crucial consequences of this mammoth capital city project", adding, as for the state government, it should withdraw the "faulty" land pooling scheme as also the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act (APRCDA Act 2014) be abolished.

Comments

Avoidable Narmada floods: Modi birthday fete caused long wait for release of dam waters

Counterview Desk Top advocacy group, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP), has accused the Sardar Sarovar dam operators for once again acting in an "unaccountable" manner, bringing "avoidable floods in downstream Gujarat." In a detailed analysis, SANDRP has said that the water level at the Golden Bridge in Bharuch approached the highest flood level on September 17, 2023, but these "could have been significantly lower and much less disastrous" both for the upstream and downstream areas of the dam, if the authorities had taken action earlier based on available actionable information.

Biden urged to warn Modi: US can declare India as worst religious freedom offender

By Our Representative During a Congressional Briefing held on Capitol Hill, Washington DC, Nadine Maenza, former Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has wondered why the Biden administration should raise issues of mass anti-minority mob violence -- particularly in Haryana and Manipur -- with Modi. Modi should be told that if such violence continues, the US will be “compelled by law” to designate India as one of the world’s worst offenders of religious freedom, she urged.

From 'Naatu-Naatu' to 'Nipah-Nipah': Dancing to the tune of western pipers?

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* Some critics have commented that the ecstatic response of most Indians to the Oscar for the racy Indian song, “Naatu-Naatu” from the film, “RRR” reeks of sheer racism, insulting visuals and a colonial hangover. It was perhaps these ingredients that impressed the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, one critic says.

Why iconic Urdu book stall, publishing house Maktaba Jamia died an 'unnatural' death

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed* We have all grown through the fragrant flavours and flairs of our childhood, one of them being our childhood mother-tongue historic magazines like, “Thakurmar Jhuli” (Bengali), “Khilauna”, Payam-e-Taleem" (Urdu), “Hans” (Marathi), “Parag” (Hindi), “Chitralekha” (Gujarati), “Chandamama” (Telugu), etc. I “drank” Urdu while suckling his mother and learnt the language not from any madrasa, school or college but from these publications only — my treasure trove!

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Asset managers hold '2.8 times more equity' in fossil fuel cos than in green investments

By Deepanwita Gita Niyogi* The world’s largest asset managers are far off track to meet the 2050 net zero commitments , a new study released by InfluenceMap , a London-based think tank working on climate change and sustainability, says. Released on August 1, the Asset Managers and Climate Change 2023 report by FinanceMap, a work stream of InfluenceMap, finds that the world’s largest asset managers have not improved on their climate performance in the past two years.

Evading primary responsibility, ONGC decides to invest Rs 15,000 crore in sick subsidiary

By NS Venkataraman* It is reported that Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) will infuse about Rs 15,000 crore in ONGC Petro-additions Ltd (OPaL) as part of a financial restructuring exercise. ONGC currently holds 49.36 per cent stake in (OPaL), which operates a mega petrochemical plant at Dahej in Gujarat. GAIL (India) Ltd has 49.21 per cent interest and Gujarat State Petrochemical Corporation (GSPC) has the remaining 1.43 per cent.

Why Bangladesh is achieving 'new heights' amidst economic collapse of Pakistan

By Sufian Siddique* Pakistan's economy is on the brink of bankruptcy like Sri Lanka's. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves have fallen below $3 billion. They have asked the IMF for a 'bailout loan' a long time ago, but the IMF is trying to impose strict conditions that Pakistan's current ruling coalition has no capacity to meet. Even China and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan's long-standing loyal friends, are now reluctant to shoulder Pakistan's burden.

Sales, profits of Indian firms 'deteriorate', yet no significant increase in cost pressures

By Our Representative The Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad's (IIM-A's) latest Business Inflation Expectations Survey (BIES), a monthly exercise, has said that while cost perceptions data does not indicate significant increase of cost pressures, sales and profits of the Indian firms have deteriorated.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Search This Blog