ADB delegitimises NE NGO's complaint
Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal
Manila, February 28 2012:
The Asian Development Bank's office of the Special Project Facilitator in Manila has reported that a complaint filed by Civil Society Women's Organization, a Shillong based NGO against the North Eastern Region Capital Cities Development Investment Program (NERCCDIP) in January last year was ineligible as per the criteria of the Bank .
The said complaint letter raised issues of the rights of land of the indigenous people inhabiting the area.
Reportedly the complaint was further directed to the South Asia Department , which went on to visit the complainants, concluding that the issues raised by the NGO could not be entertained due to the limited role of the Bank.
In a meeting today with NGO representatives from India, Pakistan, Indonesia and Vietnam, the project facilitation specialist of the Bank , Karin E.Oswald said that victims directly affected by the Banks' project, or an authorised representative of the project affected people or an individual are eligible to complain.
She further informed that complaints should follow proper channels, that such complaints should be addressed to Operations department.
The redressal mechanisms, mostly in the form of compensations, the official said, are given as per the norms of the respective Governments.
The official also accepted concerns related to matters of compensation, adding that it is a grey area , and can be tricky.
The Development Banks' NERCCDIP was designed to improve the urban environment and promote reforms for sustainable, efficient, and responsive urban service delivery in the capital cities of five states in the North Eastern Region (NER), namely, Agartala (Tripura), Aizawl (Mizoram), Kohima (Nagaland), Sikkim (Gangtok) and Shillong (Meghalaya) .
The proposed development program will include improvements in water supply, sanitation and sewerage, and solid waste management infrastructure.
This infrastructure will look at improvement of urban governance, finance, and service delivery reforms and a capacity-building program and urban reform.
This will further enhance economy of the north eastern states of India, providing provide improvement in the growing needs of industry and trade.