NHRC directs Centre to release funds for kin of victims of Maoist violence

Bhubaneswar: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) directed the Centre to ensure sanction of necessary funds for the victims of Naxal violence.

NHRC also directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to release funds as per the scheme of Government of India for payment of the same to the family of the victim and called for response within six weeks.

The order came upon hearing a petition filed by rights campaigner Subash Mohapatra who has raised the issue of non-payment of victims compensation under Maoist menace. Two tribal persons identified as Deba Sodi AND Irama Banjamin from Malakangiri were killed by Maoist, and their family members were not paid as per the Central Scheme.

The matter related to the payment of financial assistance (under special schemes of Government of Odisha and well as Government of India ) to the family of a deceased who was killed by the naxalites. The victim’s family received only Rs. Two Lakhs from the Government of Odisha, but the rest amount of Rs. Three lakhs under the central scheme was yet to be paid to them by the Government of India, the NHRC observed.

Earlier, NHRC had directed the Collector Malkhangiri to furnish the details of the steps taken by him for obtaining funds from the Central Government for payment of the same to the family of the deceased.

In response to direction of the Commission, the Malakanagiri Collector intimated that necessary communications were sent to the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, (IS-II Division) Government of India, New Delhi. The DM requested the central authorities to release the required funds for payment of the same to the victims family.

NHRC carefully considered the contents of the report and directed to the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, (IS-II Division) Government of India, New Delhi to ensure sanction of necessary funds as per the scheme of Government of India for payment of the same to the family of the victim.

On January 25, 2014, Deba Sodi and Irama Bangami of Silakota village of Podia block were killed at Praja court in a dense forest in Malkangiri district. The matter came to the notice of the commission on January 28, 2014 when rights activist Subhash Mohapatra lodged a complaint at the NHRC.

The petitioner alleged that the Government has failed to protect the right to life of the victims and denied compensation to the next of kin of the deceased. Pursuant to the directions of the commission, the Crime Branch CID, Cuttack Superintendent of Police on March 31, 2014 had submitted the report with the commission that the next of the kin of two deceased victims did not cooperate with the district police in submitting the requisite documents thereby delaying in paying in the same.

I have no hesitation to condemn the Odisha police for blaming victims’ family for non-coperation when the money is not actually available, Mohapatra lamented Odisha police for false reporting. Families of 435 deceased persons, who were killed by Maoist, have not been paid due to non-available of central assistance, Mohapatra added.