Bretton Woods Project - Critical voices on the World Bank and IMF

Jump to main content | Jump to sidebar | Jump to navigation menu



Coal India: Bank Board demands minimal action

News|Bretton Woods Project|8 September 2003|update 36|url
print|email |bookmark FacebookTweet thisdel.icio.usDigg!Stumble UponRedditGoogle BookmarksYahoo Buzz

On 22 July the World Bank Board discussed the critical Inspection Panel report on the Coal India project. It decided that the Bank should continue supervising the project as long as necessary to ensure that the outstanding issues relating to resettlement and environment are "substantially resolved", and should report within 12 months on issues identified by the Panel. The Board, however, accepted Management's contention that nearly 90 per cent of project affected people have improved or restored their incomes. This despite concerns about the way these statistics were produced. For example local peoples' use of forest products was overlooked in the baseline surveys.

Bank management did concede that it violated Bank policies on consultation, disclosure and resettlement. Faults were admitted in relation to land compensation, the recognition of traditional land rights, on loss of access to forest products, income restoration schemes and subsistence allowances. Richard Harkinson of Minewatch, a UK-based activist group, has demanded the release of more complete minutes of the Board meeting "to show the details of what remedial action was demanded". He complains that the Bank's Board appears to have accepted the arguments of Bank management too easily and not taken adequate action given the seriousness of the findings by its own Inspection Panel. Minewatch concludes: "without action on mined land reclamation, economic rehabilitation cannot be sustainable and the displaced indigenous people will subsidise the mainstream Indian economy and Bank loan and credit repayments through their involuntary sacrifices".

Published: 8 September 2003 , last edited: 12 February 2009

Viewings since posted: 6142

Articles: 3798

Advanced article search
Search newswire and resources

Recent briefings & reports

Climate Investment Funds Monitor 7: April 2013  25 April 2013

Working paper: The private sector and climate change adaptation: International Finance Corporation investments under the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience  24 April 2013

The UK's role in the World Bank and IMF: Department for International Development and HM Treasury  13 March 2013

World Bank on jobs: a "significant departure" or "business as usual"? 13 February 2013

The World Bank and industrial policy: Hands off or hands on? 6 December 2012

Climate Investment Funds Monitor 6: October 2012   26 October 2012

Latest video from IFIwatch.tv

The awakening of the squares 20 May

Subscribe

Bretton Woods Update, 6 emails/year:
highlights fulltext pdf
Alerts of new web content
Weekly newswire email

Email:


Bretton Woods Project on Facebook


home | subscribe | donate | search | help | contact


validate: | XHTML | CSS | RSS | 508

powered by Action Apps | hosted by GreenNet | Credits