Stop Evicting Poor in Bihar
CPIML Opposes Bihar Municipality (Amendment) Bill 2022
Contrary to the demands and expectations of the people of Bihar the state government has brought in the Bihar Municipality (Amendment) Bill 2022 which has now been passed by the Assembly. This amendment has made homeless poor more vulnerable by giving power to the municipalities to evict the poor on a 15-day notice, and for temporary structures a mere 24-hour notice will be effective. This means that the poor who mostly live in shanties will be ousted within 24 hours of serving an eviction notice. While CPIML was demanding proper compensation in cases of forced evictions, new enacted law now authorises to impose fines on the evictees, which is the most brutal way of displacing homeless, bulldozing their houses. Moreover, many rural areas have now been attached with the newly constituted Nagar Parishads and panchayats which mean that those poor living in rural areas will also come under purview of this anti-people amendment hence liable to be evicted from their houses. The party has termed this amendment draconian and demanded its withdrawal.
A delegation of CPIML MLAs in Bihar met with the Chief Minister on 15 December just a day before this amendment was passed in the Assembly, to submit a memorandum demanding an immediate stop to the eviction and displacement of poor without proper rehabilitation. The party asked for bringing in an Ordinance to this effect.
CPIML legislators also apprised Nitish Kumar of a recent incident of attack on Party leader and ex-chairperson of Bihar Women’s Commission Manju Prakash in Ujiarpur right inside a thana campus and demanded his intervention. They also asked him to order withdrawal of false case imposed on Party’s Dumraon MLA Ajit Kushwaha.
The state government is using legal loopholes for evicting poor despite widespread opposition and protests in many districts betraying its own promise. Poor settlements in Rajawada in Darbhanga, in Nawada, West Champaran, Buxar and many other districts have been forcibly evicted without any relief for the evictees.
The Bihar government must conduct a methodical survey of homeless in the state and provide them proper their rightful housing which and immediately withdraw this anti-poor legislation.
