INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT 28173 INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION THE INSPECTION PANEL 1818 H Street, N.W. Telephone: (202) 458-5200 Washington, D.C. 20433 Fax: (202) 522-0916 U.S.A. Email: ipanel@worldbank.org IPN REQUEST RQ01/2 June 22, 2001 NOTICE OF REGISTRATION Re: Request for Inspection - INDIA: Coal Sector Environmental and Social Mitigation Project (Credit No. 2862-IN) and Coal Sector Rehabilitation Project (Loan No. 4226-IN) On June 21, 2001, the Inspection Panel (the "Panel") received a Request for Inspection (the "Request") dated June 14, 2001 related to the above-referenced Projects. The Request was submitted by Ms. Bina Stanis of Chotanagpur Adivasi Sewa Samiti (CASS), a local non- governmental organization representing residents of the East Parej coal mining project area in India (the "Requesters"). The Request claims that the Requesters, the local population and their environment have suffered harm as a result of failures and omissions of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Intemational Development Association (hereinafter collective called the "Bank") concerning the above-referenced Projects. According to the Request, the Coal Sector Environmental and Social Mitigation Project was supposed to, inter alia, mitigate the adverse effects of the expansion and rehabilitation of coalmines partly financed by the Bank-supported Coal India Rehabilitation Project. The Requesters allege that the execution of the Projects brought, inter alia, adverse impacts on their living standards and income earning capacity, on the local population, and on the environment in the East Parej coal mining project area. They also claim that lack of consultation and participation resulted in inadequate implementation of the Environmental Action Plans, Rehabilitation Action Plans, and Indigenous Peoples Development Plans under the Coal Sector Environmental and Social Mitigation Project. The Requesters 'further call on Bank Management and the Board of Executive Directors to prolong the term of the Coal Sector Environmental and Social Mitigation Projects.... " 1 The Requesters claim they have been harmed as a result of alleged Bank violations of various provisions of the following Bank Policies and Procedures: OD 4.01 on Environmental Assessment OD 4.20 on Indigenous Peoples OD 4.30 on Involuntary Resettlement BP 17.50 on Disclosure of Operational Information OPN 11.03 on Management of Cultural Property in Bank-Financed Project OD 13.05 on Project Supervision The Panel has received copies of authorization of representation signed by the Requesters, who have requested that their names be made available only to the Panel members, but otherwise remain confidential. All communications with the Requesters in connection with the Request will be sent to Ms. Stanis at the address listed below. In accordance with paragraph 17 of the Panel's Operating Procedures (the "Operating Procedures"), I am notifying you that I have, on June 22, 2001, which is also the date of the dispatch of this notice, registered this Request in the Inspection Panel Register. Due to the fact that the Panel's "registration" process is often misunderstood, I would like to emphasize that "registration" is an administrative procedure established by the Panel and that it implies no judgment whatsoever concerning the eligibility of the Request. In accordance with paragraph 18 of the Resolution, paragraphs 2 and 8 of the "Conclusions of the Board's Second Review of the Inspection Panerl (the "1999 Clarifications"), and paragraph 18 (d) of the Operating Procedures, Bank Management has been notified that it must provide the Panel, no later than July 24, 2001, with written evidence that it has complied, or intends to comply with the Bank's relevant policies and procedures in relation to the above- referenced Projects. The subject matter the Management must deal with in a response to the Request is set out in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the 1999 Clarifications. After receiving the Management response, the Panel will, as outlined in the 1999 Clarifications and as provided by paragraph 19 of the Resolution, "determine whether the Request meets the eligibility criteria set out in paragraphs 12 to 14 and shall make a recommendation to the Executive Directors as to whether the matter should be investigated." The Request has been assigned IPN Request Number RQ02/1. Yours sincerely, Jimg2 Chairvn~~~~~~~~~~~~ cc: Ms. Bina Stanis Prerana Resource Centre Suresh Colony Mor Hazaribag, Jharkhand, 825 301 India Mr. James D. Wolfensohn President International Development Association International Bank for Reconstruction and Development Room MC12-750 [by hand against confirmation] The Executive Directors and Alternates International Development Association International Bank for Reconstruction and Development 3