26 September, 2001

PRESS RELEASE

NHRC directs Karnataka Chief Secretary to take action on human rights violations during Public Hearings on BMIC Project

The National Human Rights Commission has directed the Chief Secretary of the Government of Karnataka to “look into the grievance” of human rights violations in the conduct of the Environmental Public Hearings held during June-July 2000 for the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMIC). It has further directed that the Chief Secretary “take such action as is appropriate in the circumstances” and report back to the Commission within four weeks of receiving the order. NHRC’s decision was on the basis of a complaint filed by the undersigned against the brutal attack initiated by the State Government against citizens demanding transparency in the conduct of the Public Hearings for the BMIC project.

It may be recalled that the Government had initially held public hearings during March 2000 on the BMIC project as required per the Environment Protection Act, but adjourned them with the assurance that citizens’ demand for access to BMIC project information would be met prior to holding hearings again. Subsequently however, it proceeded to conduct the Hearings during June-July in Bangalore, Mandya and Mysore, but without keeping its commitment of sharing information. When citizens rightfully demanded that the commitment be met or the Hearings be postponed, the District Commissioners chairing the Hearings ordered selective arrests of those demanding transparency. The police conducted these arrests in a brutal manner vitiating completely the climate of participatory debate that the Hearings were meant for. The undersigned was a victim of this reprehensible action and raised the issue with NHRC in a formal complaint.

The present decision of NHRC provides the State Government an opportunity to set right a great wrong committed against the public interest, more particularly the project affected communities. The BMIC project directly affects over 170 villages and could potentially displace over 200,000 people according to some estimates. Because of the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the project, there has never been a validation of the claims to the project’s wider public benefits. Latest details are available on the website: www.indiatogether.org/campaigns/bmic

We have written to the Chief Secretary suggesting that per NHRC’s direction, the Public Hearings held as the basis of according clearances to the BMIC project should be considered null and void and that consequently, all statutory clearances accorded thus far should be termed void as well. The Chief Secretary has also been requested to ensure compliance with the Chief Minister’s 11^th July 2000 assurance that an enquiry by the Divisional Commissioner would be initiated into the actions of the Deputy Commissioners who ordered the highly questionable arrests. This commitment has not been met as yet.

Leo F. Saldanha

Coordinator

Environment Support Group