Complaints Before the Commission ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ envisaged provision of additional wage employment in the rural areas as also food security along side the creation of durable community, social and economic infrastructure in the rural areas. Details about allocation of cash component and food grains for the State of Karnataka during the year 2003-2004 were mentioned. A reference was also made that a new scheme namely, National Food For Work Programme (NFFWP) has been launched in 150 most backward districts in the country from November 2004 to generate additional supplementary wages employment and to create productive assets in these districts. Under NFFWP, three districts of Karnataka namely, Chitradurga, Devangere and Bidar have been included. It is further stated that the Government has introduced a Bill in Lok Sabha on 21.12.2004 namely, National Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, 2004 to provide at least 100 days of guaranteed wage employment work to every poor rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. This will ensure more number of days employment opportunities to the rural poor. 4.162 The matter is still under consideration by the Commission. 28. Devastation caused by tsunami in coastal areas of South India – Case No. 1054/22 2004-2005-FC 4.163 Taking suo-motu cognizance of the calamity that arose from devastating tsunami waves which hit large areas of coastal India, including Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala on 26.12.2004, the Full Commission, vide its proceedings dated 13/01/2005, observed (i) that it is essential that the Government machinery involved in rehabilitation is able to take all necessary steps for an equitable distribution of both relief as well as rehabilitation measures while maintaining transparency and ensure that the poor, destitute women, destitute children and all persons, who would be in greater need of the relief and rehabilitation measures, are not deprived or made to suffer and are well taken care of; (ii) that in order to ensure smooth process of relief, the concerned State Governments/Union Territories must at the earliest prepare and publicize a computerized list of persons, dead or missing, because of tsunami disaster as also list of the totally/partially destroyed properties, as such an authentic list would help in smooth settlement of insurance and other claims of the victims and expedite the rehabilitation process and also help the families to trace the missing persons; (iii) that to ensure that young widows and children were not sexually or otherwise exploited by unscrupulous elements, the State Governments/Union Territories should evolve a mechanism towards that end and to prepare a computerized list of such widows and children who were victims of tsunami disaster which would help the authorities to guard against their exploitation. 58 AR-Chapter-1-19-10-6-06.p65 National Human Rights Commission Annual Report - 2004-2005 78 7/17/06, 6:29 PM