Response to letter to CM from EDMC Mayor.

Dear Madam,

 

I am responding keeping in mind the interest of common man and the farmers of this nation.

 

1 I feel big retail stores and small colony shops can exist together.There is enough business for both.

 

2. In your write up you have totally ignored the interest of common man and farmers,who have been exploited for long by traders (Aarthias) and consumers by local shopkeepers.There is no redressal of grievences and consumer have to eat a humble pie as often we end up buying substandard goods.

 

3.This would check the menance of hoarding of crops by traders and also would check wastage due to lack of storage godowns.We have seen food grains rotting in the open and people going hungry and dying in other states due to poverty.

 

4.If we can buy branded clothes from malls ,what stops us from buying good quality household items and grocery from foreign retail outlets.Inspite of malls people still visit markets like Lajpat nagar and Patri bazaars.

 

5FDI will give citizens choices and consumers and producers rights will also be protected.

 

6.As for the youth ,they will only learn ethical business practices.It will be survival of the best and youth will get enough job opportunities.

 

I as a consumer and citizen want FDI in our country as I want better choices ,accountability and  care for the farmers and peasantry of this nation who have been denied their due for long.

 

Sincere regards

 

 

Ranju Minhas

Executive director

For-Team SHIELD

Letter to CM on FDI from EDMC Mayor !

17^th September 2012

To

Smt Shiela Dixit Ji
Chief Minister
Delhi

Dear Smt. Shiela Dixit Ji

This is with reference to your statement published in various newspapers regarding you welcoming the Central Govt.'s decision on allowing FDI in retail. In this statement you have said that your Govt. in Delhi will permit foreign retailers to do business in Delhi.

Shiela Ji, when there is a widespread public debate going on in the nation on the issue of FDI in retail, when most of the large states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Bihar including Congress ruled state like Kerala has decided not to allow the same in their respective states, then what is the hurry in allowing the same in Delhi? 

It seems that your govt. is treating the traders and consumers as "lab rats" for other states. Such experimentation with traders and consumers of Delhi should not be allowed. I would like to tall you very clearly that traders and consumers of Delhi are "No Lab Rats."

In this regard, there are some questions that I would like to ask to you:-

1. Why such an important decision is being taken without taking Delhi's traders and common people into confidence?

During last assembly election, there was no mention of FDI in retail in your manifesto. In fact even terms like "FDI" and "retail" were completely missing from the manifesto. It simply means that your Govt. do not have a mandate to take such an important decision related to lives and livelihood of citizens.

2.  Further I would like to ask whether you or any representative of your govt. has ever tried to understand the impact of such decision on the livelihood of small traders, distributors and workers working in various retail centers of the city like Shahdra, Krishna Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, Babarpur, Seelampur, Jafrabad, Maujpur, Saroijini Nagar etc.?

3. Shiela Ji, as a matter of fact, most of the people from our weaker sections like Muslim youth, working women from poor families, and youth from backward classes are directly and indirectly dependent on retail industry. This step of opening up retail sector for FDI will have direct impact on livelihood of minorities, women and other weaker sections of our society. Please tell us under what pressure is your Govt playing with the livelihood of these weaker sections of our society?

4. This decision of allowing FDI in retail will also affect entrepreneurship of our youth. Youth of Delhi who is known for its entrepreneurship and hard work, will end up working as sales boys and sales girls in these retail shops. This will kill the spirit of entrepreneurship among our youth. Why your Govt. has not thought of consulting our youth before taking such an important decision?

5. Why these foreign retailers are being allowed to make Delhi a dumping ground of cheap China made goods?

6. Municipal Corporations are a major stake holder on issues related to retail trade. Why such an important decision has been taken without taking Municipal corporations into confidence? Can retail business operate without consent from Municipal Corporations?

7. This decision has been taken without taking Municipal corporations into confidence, without consulting with traders and workers, without knowing the opinion of consumer groups and against the public will. This is not only an undemocratic decision but also against the spirit of our constitution. Why policy decisions related to lives and livelihood of common man are being taken in such a sneaked manner?

In my opinion such policy decision should be taken only after wider public consultation. Before taking this decision your Govt. should have organized public discussions with all the stakeholders including traders, distributors, representatives from weaker sections of our society, Municipal corporations, RWAs, etc.

In this regard, I have decided that I will organize a Public Consultation with all these stakeholders in EDMC headquarter on 26th September 2012. I hope you will also come to join this public consultation and will inform people about reasons behind your decision. A formal invitation in this regard will soon be sent to your office.   
 
Please do not take any decision related to FDI in retail before this public consultation. Again I would like to oppose the move to treat Delhi citizens as "Lab rats" in this matter.

Regards

Dr. Annapurna Mishra

Jal board move to shift east Delhi lab condemned

The proposed move by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to shift its zonal laboratory from Bhagirathi plant near Gokulpuri to another location has attracted criticism from within the organisation and from activists who are calling it another step towards privatisation.

Mateen Ahmed, MLA and vice-chairperson of the DJB, has written about the issue to Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who is the chairperson of the board, and also to the CEO of the civic body. The Water and Sewage Lab Staff Association has decided to protest.

 

There are seven water treatment plants in Delhi, each with its own plant laboratory.

Assistant chemists and laboratory technicians manage these labs. The Bhagirathi plant has already been handed over to a private company. And now, the zonal laboratory, currently situated on the premises, is to be shifted away from the plant.

“What is the need to shift the lab? This is the only lab in east Delhi,” Ahmed complained.

Debashree Mukherjee, the DJB CEO, said, "We are shifting only the zonal lab. It will be run by the private operator who will also monitor the real time water quality during production."

 with thanks : Hindustan Times : LINK : for detailed news.

Mosquitoes breeding !

when any body dies we feel sorry. when i request that we should learn as to how to identify where mosquitoes are breeding ,no body answers,no body pays attention when we know that mosquito can kill.

 

Persons who benefit from mosquitoes are developing newer ways as to how to produce deadliest mosquitoes ,public is laying a deaf ear .I am seeing massive proliferation of aedes mosquitoes responsible for causing dengue & chicken gunya.The primary place of breeding is not the desert coolers .It is in the open drains which have been opened to sky in the name of cleaning them  & left open with lot of stagnant water.Mosquitoes come out of drain in the evening 10 minnutes after sunset.Aedes mosquito shows rapid movement & come out individually/singly while culex mosquitoes arise softly in a herd like fashion in groupschools gardens ,big institutions have to be searched for breeding places.

 

If there is a mosquito ,it is breeding some where  & we ourselves have to find out where they are breeding & why.It is only difficult to search first place of breeding besides desert cooler.Once a spot is detected  ,all others can be detectd & erradicated .We are more then 100 crores ,while breeding spots are very few & can be forther reduced to nil if we start & not depend upon those who donot want mosquito to go for their own gain

 

Dr vk aggarwal

Please comment :

Sad news : Sister of Sh. Mukesh Ghumman killed

Sister of our team member Sh. Mukesh Ghumman was killed today in a fall from her roof top, in very very doubtful circumstances. Her body was found lying in the sideway with blood everywhere. She was declared dead on reaching hospital. Police team is investigating the matter. We also reached the spot, alongwith complete media backup so that a proper investigation could be done on this tragic incident. Our deepest condolences to Sh Mukesh Ghumman ji & his family.

Shahdara RWAs protest price hike, BJP supports !

BRT Corridor

Dear friends,

 

 

We were quite shocked and distressed to see the news about courts order on restoration of functioning of BRT corridor.We have few suggestions and objections regarding this stretch as residents of our area are worst affected due to ill concieved and badly implemented BRT corridorWe suggest that the Moolchand DMRC line be extended till Ambedkar nagar .The stretch is just few kilometers but it will solve lot of problems of cross section of people staying along the BRT stretch.

 

1  The bus stops are few and spread out with no provision of crossing the corridor ,putting to risk lives of pedestrians.

 

2 Faulty signals at Chirag Delhi crossing putting to risk the lives of  people taking a U turn towards Dakshinpuri.(from buses turning towards Nehru place 534 and 427)

 

3 No facility of pedestrian bridges or subways along the stretch.

 

4. Waiting time of buses is too long,as a result the worker class coming from Ambedkar nagar and Dakshinpur area are put to lot of discomfort and hardships due to loss of valuable time in commuting on the stretch.

 

5.The traffic waiting at cross sections causes lot of air pollution in the nearby areas and leads to lot of health problems in the working class.

 

6.Only Metro can carry safely and quickly heavy volume of traffic on the stretch. The stretch is about 4 Km only but the benefits would be manifold. Economically,environmentaly etc

 

8.Why should a poor man staying in Ambedkar nagar pay more for enjoying the cool comforts of travel by Ac buses only? Why not provide better comforts of quicker and cheaper option of Metro travel available to rest of Delhites?

 

9.Daily wagers and workers like maids,drivers ,guards etc shouldnot be made to bear the economic burden of health issues as a result of poor quality of air they breathe due to proximity to BRT corridor .

 

 Its time government and policy makers show genuine concern for the poorest sections of society.People staying in Ambedkar Nagar  and Dakshinpuri area deserve a better mode of transportation and not ill conceived BRT corridor.Why only poor have to become the guinea pigs for pilot projects of corrupt system.

 

Hoping for a citizen friendly decision from judiciary,government and our leaders who have power to make a difference in the life of a common man.

 

With best wishes

 

 

 

Ranju Minhas

Executive Director

SHIELD-Citizen's Initiative

Ban on plastic bags

Sir, I agree with Mr. rajendra Kumar,we all (above 50yrs.)should Remember that in early 60s there were no plastic bags and every body Managed with cloth bags.these days there are such good options of cloth bags,One can fold them into a small pouch and keep in purse or pockets.An NGO  named small steps is supplying such bags for last so many years, Giving work to Sunami affected poor woman.

Alka Gupta

Utilisation of MP local development funds tardy

Members of Parliament (MPs) saw an increase in the annual allocation of funds for development schemes in their constituencies to Rs 5 crore last financial year, from Rs 2 crore before that. However, the way the MP Local Area Development (MPLAD) funds are being utilised by MPs hardly justifies this increase.

MPs in the 15th Lok Sabha could utilise only 53.12 per cent of the released funds of Rs 3,564 crore under the MPLAD scheme as on March 31.

Data with the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) showed MPs from Delhi utilised just 30 per cent of the MPLAD funds, which are non-lapsable in nature, since the beginning of their term in 2009 at Rs 14 crore, against the released amount of Rs 56.91 crore.

Mizoram recorded the highest fund utilisation at 85 per cent, at Rs 5.52 crore against the allotted sum of Rs 6.53 crore.

Interestingly, in the on-going Lok Sabha, Puducherry’s MPs utilised the least at 25 per cent of the released sum of Rs 4 crore, but the Union Territory topped the list in funds utilisation since the beginning of the MPLAD scheme in 1993, with 94 per cent.

Among larger states, Madhya Pradesh utilised 68 per cent, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 48 per cent and West Bengal at 47 per cent.

The MPLAD scheme was introduced by the Narasimha Rao government to help MPs execute small works of a local nature to meet the urgent needs of constituents. It began with an initial annual grant of Rs 50 lakh per MP. The amount was increased to Rs 1 crore in 1994-95 and to Rs 2 crore in 1998-99. It was further raised to Rs 5 crore in 2011-12, as the MPs demanded an increase in the amount on the back of cost escalation.

Since 1993, Rs 3,549 crore is still unspent, and given that Rs 5 crore is now be allocated to MPs, the unspent balance is likely to expand.

Sandeep Dikshit, the MP from East Delhi constituency, had spent only 1.8 per cent of the allocated funds till February 2012. Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, utilised just Rs 2.3 crore, which was 35 per cent of the allocated fund, till August last year. His cousin and BJP MP Varun Gandhi utilised 63 per cent of the allocated funds, worth Rs 5.54 crore against the allotted amount of Rs 9 crore till January 2012.

Pranab Mukherjee, who is set to become the President of India, spent just Rs 1.21 crore of the Rs 4.43 crore released by the government, nearly 30 per cent.

Coming to the Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has spent a whopping 91 per cent of the entitlement of Rs 40 crore at Rs 32 crore. 

with thanks : Business standard : LINK : for detailed news.

Colony status ?

Dear Sir Madam,

I have been trying very hard to know the status of our colony  USHA PARK  Jail Road New Delhi 110064. It is located in between Asha Park and L block Hari Nagar. I wanted to know why the sale purchase of property is ban for our colony from last couple of years.I could not find anything about our colony. Is it unauthorised or approved or any other problem. Please inform me. Your cooperation will be highly appriciated.    

Thanking you.                    

Pummy