RWA Bhagidari Blog is now amongst the Top 50 Social Work Blogs WorldWide on the FeedSpot

We are pleased to inform that our RWA Bhagidari Blog has been added in the FeedSpot List of the Top 50 Social Work Blogs worldwide. This RWA Bhagidari blog was launched on the 25th of November 2009 and merely after 3 more months, it will complete 10 years while serving the RWA community. We will soon start sharing the sweet memories of these 10 years on the Blog.  

Launch of this blog was followed by the Launch of our RWA Bhagidari Website as well as the East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation, which is now, mostly, the Talk of the Town, on various civic issues, concerning the residents. The very recent achievement of our Network was the Roll Back of the Fixed Charges of Electricity for which we had fought a battle with Delhi Government for 16 months.

Thanks to all of you for the support.

Best regards,

B S Vohra
www.RWABhagidari.com
www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.com

DDA Modifications - Suggestions / Objections - to Save our City Delhi !

9th June 2018

Commissioner Cum Secretary,
Delhi Development Authority,
B Block, Vikas Sadan,
New Delhi - 110023

Subject: DDA Modifications - Suggestions / Objections - to Save our City Delhi !

Dear Sir,

Please refer your Advertisement dated 26th May 2018 seeking suggestions/objections to the proposed modifications in the Master Plan of Delhi 2018. In fact, we are more than shocked to find that your Advertisement for modifications of the MPD 2021, clearly shows that every thing will be regularised on the payment of certain levies :

5.6.2 clearly says that - The existing built-up commercial centres may be redeveloped if need be with enhanced FAR subject to payment of appropriate levies.

5.6.3a clearly says that - such excess FAR shall be permitted subject to payment of penalty charges amounting to 1.5 times of the applicable charges.

5.6.3b clearly says that - Payment of Use conversion charges from Residential to Commercial shall be applicable as prescribed.

5.6.3d clearly says that - additional FAR shall be permitted on payment of additional FAR charges as applicable.

5.6.4 clearly says that - upper floors can be converted to commercial use after paying the applicable charges.

5.6.5 about basements clearly says that - such excess FAR shall be subject to payment of appropriate charges.

Even though they can not provide any parking facility to most of the commuters, 5.6.7 says that One Time parking charges shall be paid either as down payment or in maximum four instalments.

While 15.9 (V) asks for the Penalty, 

15.12.3 (vii) is again subject to the payment of appropriate charges.

Under such circumstances, the Suggestions / Objections being filed by us, as the Joint Resolution of RWAs - NGOs - Activists, to Save Our City, won't have that much impact as the things look pre-decided as well absolutely biased towards urbanization of the City with a clear message that anything can be done on the payment of certain levies.

Strange & Shocking, there is no mention anywhere, that how you will control the Traffic Jam, Congestion, Pollution, Open Dhalavs, Open Landfill sites, Water Logging, Encroachment, etc., due to the excessive load on the infrastructure due to the excessive FAR all over in this city, which is already world's most polluted & most congested. As per WHO, over 30,000 persons are killed every year due to the impact of Pollution in Delhi NCR, but we could not find any modification in the MPD 2021.

The Lifeline of Delhi - The Yamuna river has no more Life in its Dirty Drain water. Clause 9.1, NATURAL RESOURCES of MPD 2021 itself says that, The Yamuna river and the drains are highly polluted; the capacity to treat wastewater is grossly deficient; The actual quantity of wastewater treated is much below the installed capacity; The planned reuse of treated wastewater is minuscule; A large number of the traditional water bodies in the form of ponds, etc. (excluding areas of unintended water logging along railway tracks, highways and canals etc.) have been encroached or have otherwise become defunct. The average annual rainfall in Delhi is 611 mm. However, recharge of groundwater gets limited due to decreased availability of permeable surfaces owing to urbanization, but we could not find any modification in the MPD 2021.

Under such circumstances, the last try to Save our City, lies only in the clause 5.6.10 that says, in case there is no parking facility available in the vicinity, the concerned local body may declare such areas as the pedestrian shopping streets/areas. Public transport authority shall ensure last mile connectivity to these areas.

As almost every locality of Delhi has a market, may be big or small, we are sure that you have done enough surveys for all the areas before issuing the notification for the modifications in the MPD 2021.

1. Therefore, please let us know the areas that have the parking facility suitable to the quantum of vehicles of that area so that we can approach the Local bodies to declare the rest of the areas as the pedestrian shopping streets/areas with immediate effect.

2. Moreover, by yet another modification, the term 'may' above (in 5.6.10), must be changed with the term 'must', to ensure relief to the residents/shoppers.

3. As mentioned above (in 5.6.10), the Public transport authority has to ensure last mile connectivity of these areas. Therefore, please let us know that how long it will take for the public transport authority to ensure the last mile connectivity for all those areas and your approval to the modifications to the MPD 2021 must wait till the last mile connectivity is achieved for all the areas.

4. May we request you to please ensure that all those areas of Delhi without a suitable parking facility are declared as the Pedestrian Shopping Streets / Areas, at the earliest possible. The main benefit of declaring such areas as the Pedestrian shopping streets/areas will be the reduction of congestion & reduction of pollution, that will save the most precious lives of all those who are on the verge of collapse due to various respiratory ailments, heart diseases, Cancer, Brain stroke, etc.

5. But we just could not understand and would like to know that why the Extraordinary Notification Number 149, published in the Gazette of Delhi, on Friday 15th September 2006 / Bhadra 24, 1928, declaring a huge lot of roads as the Pedestrian Shopping Streets, has not yet been implemented? 

6. We would like to know that who are the persons responsible for the non-implementation of this published notification in the last almost 12 years, and what were the reasons for the non-implementation of the notification, that was published in the Delhi Gazette on 15th September 2006?

7.  We would like to know the extent of damages occurred to the Environment of the city, due to non-implementation of the above-said notification, that was published in the Delhi Gazette on 15th September 2006?

8.  You have added in the Clause 15.7.1 that other services which are non-polluting, non-hazardous, and not prohibited by law in the residential area, shall be permitted, but we could not understand that why you have not imposed any check on the number of vehicles that is one of the main cause of Congestion & Pollution in the city?

9. Moreover, Under the Clause 5.6.7, you are asking for the One-time parking charges. But how can you claim such one-time parking charges, until & unless you have identified the Parking space under 5.6.8 as well as under 5.6.9? 

10. Does it mean that you want to collect the Parking charges, even without having any parking space, even without identifying any parking space, and even though that area is most likely to be declared as the Pedestrian shopping street/area under clause 5.6.10?

11. Please empower the RWAs for some constructive efforts. RWAs have enough brains but no miraculous powers to identify the parking space, where there is no space at all.

Looking forward to your reply as well an invite to the Public hearing, if any, though not expected, as the things look already pre-decided and pre-settled in the favour of Urbanization of the City.

And if that's true, please at least make an ESCROW fund with all the collections done for permitting all the Enhanced FARs, Basements & the collection of Used conversion charges, ensuring to be spent only on the maintaining of Parking (if any in that area), maintaining of the Roads as well as the Pedestrian shopping streets/areas and in providing the last mile connectivity, without any deviation of funds.

With best regards,

B S Vohra
9212004471
President,
East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation
F-19/10, Krishna Nagar, Delhi - 110051
www.RWABhagidari.com
rwabhagidari@yahoo.in

Mr Arvind Kejriwal - what happened to the RWAs Empowerment Vision plan ?

10^th April, 2017

Mr Arvind Kejriwal, CM, Delhi

Mr Manish Sisodia, Dy CM, Delhi

Dear Sir,

In a meeting with the RWAs of Delhi, before the last assembly elections, you had made huge promises, on the issue of Empowerment of RWAs. Though your RWAs Empowerment Vision plan is still visible on your website, it seems that all the promises that you made with the RWAs of Delhi have vanished. 

Please go through your RWAs Empowerment Vision plan, as visible on your website, as below : 

AAP announces the RWAs empowerment vision plan : 

* AAP unveils its citizens empowerment vision document 

AAP promises RWA Act to give them legal sanctity

* Rs four crore citizen Local Area Development Fund annually for each vidhan sabha

This will be solely for recognized RWAs who follow guidelines

*  No interference of MP/MLA in this fund

The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday unveiled its citizens empowerment plan at the conference of the Resident Welfare Associations in the national capital.

At a conference attended by the representatives of over 700 RWAs across Delhi, former chief minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal announced the party’s stand of setting up a Citizens Local Area Development Fund after giving a legal sanctity to RWAs by passing a RWA Act in the state assembly.

Kejriwal announced that after being elected by the people in the long overdue assembly elections, the AAP government’s priority will be to empower the RWAs by creating a Citizens Local Area Development Fund in each assembly constituency of Delhi and this fund will be equal to that of the MLA Local Area Development Fund.

He proposed an amount of Rs four crore annually to allow the legally recognized the RWAs  to carry out their local development, repair and welfare works without any external interference, once the RWA Act will come into existence.

The AAP proposes to streamline the functioning of RWAs in consultation with them. Kejriwal proposed the following steps to allow smooth functioning of the RWAs :

1)    There should be only be a single RWA in a locality.

2)    It should be registered.

3)    It should have free and fair elections at regular intervals as per its constitution.

4)   As a part of this exercise, it is proposed that the RWA will have a GBM of all its members on a fixed day and time every month. All important decisions shall be taken in the GBM by the residents. RWA shall be responsible for subsequently implementing those decisions.

5)   The accounts of RWA shall be transparent and available for public inspection. They shall be annually audited and presented to the GBM. There shall be social audit of accounts at regular intervals...........

Kejriwal said the AAP stand was that there should be no scope for any external interference, including that of the MP or MLA, in the works that recognised RWAs can do with public consultation in their respective areas......................

Once you won the elections with an absolute majority, we had high hopes, but not yet heard anything about those big promises made by you. Therefore, now, before the MCD elections, we would like to ask as below :

1. What happened to the RWA Act, giving a legal sanctity to the RWAs by passing it in the state assembly ?

2. What happened to your promises of Empowerment of RWAs ?

3. Instead of streamlining the functioning of RWAs, why your party started neglecting the RWAs and tilted towards the Mohalla Sabha ?

Looking forward for your valued response, with a hope, that you will not force us to believe, that you had made the fake promises with us.

With Best regards,

B S Vohra

President,

East Delhi RWAs Joint Front ( Federation )

www.RWABhagidari.com

www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.in

CC to MEDIA

9 hour power cut in East Delhi locality

NEW DELHI: Residents of east Delhi’s Krishna Nagar allegedly faced a nine-hour power cut on Sunday night as discom BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) is installing what they call Delhi’s first state-of-the-art packaged grid in the area.

The grid is expected to improve the power supply in the congested area.

“The residents spent a horrible night without electricity, without even being informed,” said resident BS Vohra.

“It was a planned shutdown …It had to be done to avoid any accident,” said a BSES spokesperson.

with thanks : Hindustan Times

BYPL's largest transformer at Krishna nagar, East Delhi !

LARGEST EVER power transformer being installed in Delhi by BYPL at a new power grid at Lal Quarter in Krishna nagar. But how DERC allowed it in this very crowded n congested locality is really the cause of concern. We the residents spent a HORRIBLE night without electricity, without any intimation, while the transformer was being transported to the designated site. We can just hope that this biggest ever transformer will bring an end to the power woes of entire area.

East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - IN ACTION - against Dengu & Chikungunya !

East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - in ACTION against Dengu & Chikungunya alongwith Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra, MLA Adv S K Bagga, Councillor Kalpana Jain, Councillor Narender Jain and RWA team members at Krishna nagar. Thanks for the cooperation. With best regards,

B S Vohra

President, 

East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation

www.RWABhagidari.com

www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.in

'TERI' meet on segregation of Solid Waste in Delhi !

दिल्ली आख़िर कब तक डूबती रहेगी ?

कल फिर से एक बार, दिल्ली, बरसात के पानी मे डूब गई. यह कोई पहली बार नही थी, जब ये सब कुछ हुआ. पिछले जाने कितने सालों से ये हर साल होता है, बार बार होता है. लोग रोते हैं, कलपते हैं, सरकारों को कोसते हैं लेकिन होता कुछ भी नही. कोई सुनवाई नही. सिविक एजेन्सीस सिर्फ़ ब्लेम का ठीकरा दिल्ली सरकार पे फोड़ देती हैं और दिल्ली सरकार सिविक एजेन्सीस पे. साल दर साल निकलते जाते हैं और दिल्ली की परिस्थिति लगातार गंभीर होती जाती है.

अबके तो टॉक टू AK मे दिल्ली के CM ने भी बोल ही दिया की हमारी नालियाँ तो सॉफ हो जाती हैं लेकिन ये BJP वाले अपनी नालियाँ सॉफ नही करते जिससे पानी सड़कों पे आ जाता है. कॉंग्रेस की सरकार थी या आज AAP की सरकार है,  MCD भी लगातार बोलती रहती है की ये PWD वाले अपने नाले सॉफ नही करते जिससे दिल्ली की सड़कों से पानी नही निकलता. अब दोष चाहे किसी का भी हो, ब्लेम का ठीकरा चाहे किसी के भी सिर पे फोड़ा जाए, लेकिन डूबना तो हर साल सिर्फ़ दिल्ली को पड़ता है और भुगतना भी हर साल, सिर्फ़ दिल्ली वालों को ही पड़ता है. क्या दिल्ली की फ़ितरत मे सिर्फ़ लुटना और डूबना ही लिखा है ?

इसका मतलब यह नही की देश के दूसरे हिस्सों मे बारिश नही आती या पानी भरने से बर्बादी नही होती. इसका मतलब सिर्फ़ इतना है की अगर देश की राजधानी ही डूब सकती है तो दूसरे इलाक़ों का तो सिर्फ़ भगवान ही मालिक है. लेकिन आज एक सवाल, दिल्ली की सरकार से, दिल्ली की ऑपोसिशन पार्टी से जो कभी सरकार मे थी, और, दिल्ली की mcd वाली सरकार से कि दिल्ली आख़िर कब तक डूबती रहेगी ?  

अगर आप दिल्ली को डूबने से नही बचा सकते, अगर आप दिल्ली को गंदगी से नही बचा सकते, अगर आप दिल्ली को पोल्यूशन से नही बचा सकते, अगर आप दिल्ली को चोरी, चकारि व लूट से नही बचा सकते, अगर आप दिल्ली को सड़कों के गड़ों से नही बचा सकते, अगर आप दिल्ली को ट्रॅफिक जाम से नही बचा सकते, और अगर आप दिल्ली को रेप कॅपिटल बनने से नही बचा सकते, तो आप चुनाव लड़ते ही क्यों हैं ?  

क्यों लगातार, बार बार, हर बार, आप ही लोगों को टिकेट मिल जाती है ? क्या आपके उपर कोई कोड ऑफ कंडक्ट नही होना चाहिए ? क्या आपके उपर वर्किंग या नोन वर्किंग का कोई ग्रेड नही होना चाहिए ? और जो पोलिटिकल पार्टी, काम के बदले मे सिर्फ़ ब्लेम गेम करे, क्या उसकी मानयता ही रद नही होनी चाहिए ताकि दूसरी पार्टियाँ भी सबक ले सकें ?

बी एस वोहरा
www.RWABhagidari.com
www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.in

Reminding AK !

Wishing you a Green & Non Polluted Delhi : B S Vohra

Various press cuttings today !