ગુજરાતી
English
Paryavaran Suraxa Samiti demand to publish a report on prepared and submitted to you in connection with the visit by the JICA team to Gujarat and Maharashtra in the month of December 2018 and January 2019 respectively in connection with the Bullet Train Project.
To: The Managing Director
National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited
2nd FLOOR, ASIA BHAWAN,
ROAD NO – 205, SEC – 09, DWARKA, New Delhi -110 077
Sub.: Request to share the copy of the Report prepared and submitted to you in connection with the visit by the JICA team to Gujarat and Maharashtra in the month of December 2018 and January 2019 respectively in connection with the Bullet Train Project.
Reference: Visit of the Chief Representative Mr Katsuo Matsumoto of Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) dated 7 & 8 December 2018 in Gujarat, 22 & 23 January 2019 in Maharashtra and their letter, dated 27.12.2018, regarding violations in the Mumbai – Ahmedabad High – Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project and Related Issues.
Sir:
After the visit to Gujarat on 7 & 8 December 2018, Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had written a letter dated 27.12.2018 to us and we had agreed to their request to share the details and documents submitted by us to JICA, with you the NHSRCL and other concerned authorities. We expected that such sharing of the details and documents will facilitate to address the concerns raised by affected – concerned villagers, organisations working in these areas and us, in a timely, transparent, and comprehensive manner.
During our face-to-face meeting with them during the visit, we, along with other organisations working in the Bullet Train Project Areas and affected people, had raised the issues and concerns related to blatant violations concerning both the environmental and social impacts resulting from the MAHSR Project implementation. We had also submitted our below representations to them, which we had also explained to them in person.
09 July 2018: Bullet Train – Train with ‘Bullets’ i.e. ‘A Symbol of Violence, Absolute Force’
15 August 2018: Japanese Investor’s (JICA) Guidelines Violated in the Mumbai – Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project (MAHSR).
05 September 2018: Committee on Railways (2014 – 2015) said Bullet Train Project is Financially Unviable. At what and whose cost? For whom?
As you would know, such high impact projects are of grave concern to not only the project-affected local people but also pose massive social, environmental and developmental concerns. It is pertinent that the concerned authorities, such as you, uphold the universal human rights principles, and laws related to environmental protection and social justice.
We are aware that pursuant to the visits in Gujarat and Maharashtra, JICA have submitted their detailed Report, with all the inputs presented by the project affected people and organisations working in these areas and us, to you the NHSRCL, Government of India and Government of Japan. Since the report is prepared with inputs from the project affected people and local stakeholders, including us, we demand that a copy of the report submitted by JICA to you be shared with us. We further request you to update us on all actions taken by you or any other concerned authorities so far and also the future interventions planned to address the concerns raised by us / project affected people during JICA visit to Gujarat and Maharashtra.
You, as a concerned authority, is responsible to thoroughly review all the procedures and address our concerns. It is imperative now that you take prompt and stringent actions to redress violations and address the concerns completely, transparently, and promptly in accordance with law. We request you to forward the report submitted by JICA and provide us an update on the actions taken or proposed by you, to enable us to decide our next course of action for the sake of the project affected people, environment and to uphold the applicable laws of the land.
We look forward to hearing a positive and prompt response from you.
Yours sincerely,
Rohit Prajapati, Krishnakant and Swati Desai
