30th November 2012

 

To 

The Chairman
National Human Rights Commission
Faridkot House
Copernicus Marg
New Delhi-110001                                                                                                                                                               

Respected Sir,

 

We conducted a fact finding upon information received that the victim Ms. Sabita Pal, wife of- Late Bimal Pal, aged about- 50 years, Hindu by faith, by occupation-begging, residing at Burujmore under village-Buruj, Police Station- Baduriya, District- North 24 Parganas, West Bengal is a victim of starvation. She is a widow, homeless and lives in a ‘Hume Pipe’. Her two sons work and stay in a shop on a meager amount per month. The victim has been knocking the door of the authorities for getting help of various schemes of the government as her husband’s name was enlisted in the B.P.L. (Below Poverty Line) List, but till date she did not get any help due to slipshod attitude of the authorities. Our attached fact finding report gives details of this tragic situation of the victim.   

 

In that situation we seek your urgent intervention in this matter in the following manner:-

 

  • The victim and her family members should immediately be provided with adequate facilities under the present government schemes.
  • The victim must also be proved with proper shelter immediately. 
  • The role played by the respective departments and the administration of the local gram panchayat in this matter should immediately be probed into and the personnel accountable must be booked under the law.
  • The whole matter must be investigated by one neutral investigating agency appointed by the Commission and the victim must be provided with adequate compensation for denial of her right to food and the right to life.

 

Thanking You

Yours faithfully,

 

 

Kirity Roy
Secretary, MASUM
&
National Convener, (PACTI)

Name of the victim: – Ms. Sabita Pal, wife of- Late Bimal Pal, aged about- 50 years, Hindu by faith, by occupation-begging, residing at Burujmore under village-Buruj, Police Station- Baduria, District- North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.

 

 

Case details: –

 

It is revealed during the fact finding that the victim is a homeless widowed person and her husband died in the year 2006. Previously she had own residence at village Gokulpur under Swarupnagar Police Station. But her house was forcibly occupied and sold by her elder brother-in-law Mr. Nirmal Pal and younger brother-in-law Mr. Gour Pal. The victim and her family were then ousted by them from the house in the year of 2000 when a massive flood hit the area. The victim became completely homeless at that time with her family members.  

 

After that she took shelter in a ‘Hume Pipe’ near Brojumore under Ramchandrapur Gram Panchayet with her family. Her eldest son Tarak Pal, aged about twenty six years has been missing for last six years. Her other two sons namely Shyamal Pal, at present aged about eighteen years and Kamal Pal, at present aged about fifteen years work in a sweet shop at Ramchandrapur Market. The said sons of the victim live in the said shop and they get meager amount of Rs. 500/- each per month. They have been working in the said sweet shop for last five years. The victim due to her poverty could not provide them food and education for which they had to take job at the sweet shop for mere survival.

 

The victim time and again knocked local gram panchayat (Ramchandrapur Gram Panchayat) authority to get helps from the various schemes of the government. But her pleas were not heard till date. She also found that her name was excluded from the voter list. The victim’s husband name was in the B.P.L. (Below Poverty Line) list being no. 160WB15-010-012-006180142), so she requested the authorities of Ramchandrapur Gram Panchayat to enlist her name in the BPL list as well as requested to issue Ration Cards for herself and her sons, but till date there is no outcome. The authorities of local gram panchayat reportedly refused to render any help to the victim in spite of being aware of the helpless situation of the victim.  The victim somehow survives by begging.

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