matter of priority, by, inter alia: developing the rural infrastructures including irrigation as part of the Bharat Nirman programme;
providing financial and other forms of assistance to families of suicide victims; ensuring that the existing agricultural insurance schemes,
including the Crop Insurance Scheme and the Calamity Relief Fund, are fully implemented and are accessible to all farmers; providing
state subsidies to enable farmers to purchase generic seeds which they are able to re-use, with a view to eliminating their dependency
on multinational corporations.The Committee also recommends that the State party review the Seed Bill (2004)in light of its
obligations under the Covenant and draw the attention of the State party to paragraph. 19 of tits general comment No.12 (1999)on
the right to adequate food..
70. The Committee urges the State party to address the acute shortage of affordable housing by adopting a national strategy and a
plan of action on adequate housing and by building or providing low-cost rental housing units, especially for the disadvantaged and
low income groups, including those living in slums. In this connection, the Committee reminds the State party of its obligations under
article 11 of the Covenant and refers to its general comment No. 4 (1991) on the right to adequate housing to guide the
Government’s housing policies.The Committee also requests the State party to provide, in its next periodic report, detailed
information on homelessness in the State party and the extent of inadequate housing, disaggregated by, inter alia, sex, caste, ethnicity
and religion.
71. The Committee recommends that the State party take immediate measures to effectively enforce laws and regulations prohibiting
displacement and forced evictions, and ensure that persons evicted from their homes and lands be provided with adequate
compensation and/or offered alternative accommodation, in accordance with the guidelines adopted by the Committee in its general
comment No. 7 (1997) on forced evictions The Committee also recommends that, prior to implementing development and urban
renewal projects, sporting events and other similar activities, the State party should undertake open, participatory and meaningful
consultations with affected residents and communities. In this connection, the Committee draws the attention of the State party to its
general comment No. 4 (1991) and further requests the State party to provide information in its next periodic report on progress
achieved in this regard, including disaggregated statistics relating to forced evictions.
72. The Committee urges the State party to conduct the post-tsunami rehabilitation process in the affected areas of Tamil Nadu with
transparency and in full consideration of its obligation to respect and protect the economic, social and cultural rights of the survivors.
The Committee requests the State party to provide, in its next periodic report, detailed information regarding the rehabilitation
process and the extent to which the affected groups were consulted throughout the different stages of the process.
73. The Committee recommends that the State party significantly increase its health-care expenditure, giving the highest priority to
reducing maternal and infant mortality rates and to preventing and treating serious communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS. The
Committee further recommends that the State party take effective measures to fully implement the National Rural Health Mission
(2005-2012) and ensure the quality, affordability and accessibility of health services without hidden costs, especially for
disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups. In this respect, the Committee draws the attention of the State party to its
general comment No. 14 (2000) on the right to the highest attainable standard of health and requests the State party to provide, in its
next periodic report,detailed information, on a disaggregated and comparative basis, regarding the progress it has achieved in this
regard. The Committee also recommends that State party undertake a systematic assessment of policy measures and the
realities of mental illness with a view to improving the treatment of and care for persons with mental illnesses.
74. The Committee recommends that the State party take effective measures to ensure equitable access to safe drinking water by
rigorously enforcing existing laws on water treatment and effectively monitoring compliance. The Committee requests the State party
to report on these issues by providing comparative and disaggregated data in its next periodic report, bearing in mind the
Committee’s general comment No. 15 (2002) on the right to water.
75. The Committee recommends that the State party strengthen its measures to improve the sanitary and hygienic conditions in
prisons and to ensure that the right to mental and physical health of all prisoners is respected, in accordance with article 12 of the
Covenant.
76. The Committee recommends the State party to provide, without further delay, adequate compensation, and wherever possible,
rehabilitative measures, to survivors of the Bhopal leak and their families. The Committee requests the State party to provide detailed
information in this regard in its next periodic report.
77. The Committee recommends that the State partyexpand availability and accessibility of reproductive and sexual health
information and services for everyone, and ensure thatthe educational programmes, including within the school curriculum, as well as
services on sexual and reproductive health, are widely available.