54 Rights of the Vulnerable CHAPTER 6 A] Rehabilitation of People Displaced by Mega Projects €.1 The Commission has had occasion to observe, on more than one occasion, that it has been deeply disturbed by the inadequacy of the rehabilitation packages offered to persons displaced or otherwise adversely affected by mega development projects. It has taken the view that it is essential to balance the demands of development with the need to ensure equity and Justice, and to make sure that the national interest is not advanced as a reason to justify the victimisation of those who are, too often, amongst the most disadvantaged and vulnerable citizens of our country. With this in mind, the Commission had been urging that a Fresh National Policy be finalised to deal with the Resettlement and Rehabilitation of Project Affected Persons/Families and it was informed that the draft of such a Policy was pending consideration before a Group of Ministers. 6.2 On 16 October 2000, the Commission received a petition from the National Committee for Protection of National Resources (NCPNR) which related to the issue of the acquisition of land for development projects and the resettlement and rehabilitation of persons/families affected by such projects. The petition stated that the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, which is still in force today, does not contain any provision for rehabilitation and that this had resulted in grave violations of the human rights of displaced persons who depended for their livelihood on the land and the resources that it provided. The Commission was requested to examine the matter in NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION