Title - Marandi sits on fast, protests zero rehab

RANCHI: Babulal Marandi is back where he left exactly a year ago when he ended his seven-day fast to protest the state government's eviction drive. And, nothing has changed to the displaced families.This time, the JVM(P) chief was on a daylong fast that assumed a new dimension with displaced and project-affected people from across the state joining hands. Independent Rajya Sabha MP Parimal Nathwani also joined Marandi at the protest ground. He also sat with the protesters demanding implementation of the rehabilitation policies.JVM(P) vice-president Saba Ahmed said a huge population in the state had been uprooted from their native places in the course of development work and most of them have not been either compensated or rehabilitated in accordance with the law. "We have demanded the Union and state governments along with private and public sector companies to rehabilitate these people and pay them sufficient compensation," Ahmed said, adding that the state government must come up with a policy for those who were displaced but not covered under any rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) scheme.

The JVM(P) protest was joined by over 30 different organizations which originated to protest forceful eviction. People from Bokaro, Dhanbad, Hazaribag and other districts who have either been affected in dam construction projects, displaced due to railway projects or by mining activities of different CPSUs joined the protest.

Party leader Rajiv Ranjan said that it all began for the people who were evicted during anti-encroachment drive of the state government.

"People from Islam Nagar, Paharitola, Naga Baba Khatal and Kutchery Market in Ranchi turned up in huge numbers because despite order of the high court and decision taken by the council of ministers at state secretariat not a single person has been provided with alternative shelter till date," he said.

The party has decided to channelize the anger of thousands of people affected in the projects in the right direction so that the Naxalite organizations do not take undue advantage of the situation. "Maoists have often exploited the situation in their own interest by adding fuel to the fire of resentment against the government and

democratic system," Ahmed said.