Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Anger is AAPparent
An inert and crisis-prone state government has failed the aam aadmi
B.S.Vohra had high expectations of the Aam Aadmi Party when it came to power in Delhi six months ago. A representative of a residents’ welfare association, he thought the government would begin work in earnest to improve water supply, sanitation, roads and infrastructure.
Earlier, he and representatives of other associations used to meet district councillors to discuss various issues. With the AAP in power, they hoped, the associations would be roped in for their expertise. But, much to their dismay, it did not happen. In the past few months, nearly 8,000 registered bodies representing residents of Delhi were replaced by the mohalla sabhas (community meetings) of the AAP as grassroots bodies representing citizens. Issues regarding water supply, sanitation and roads remain as they were. Hope, says Vohra, is being eclipsed by a sense of negativity.
The home of Nidhi Seth, a corporate professional and resident of South Delhi, was twice broken in and ransacked in the past few months. The first time, the police dissuaded her from filing a complaint stating the quantum of valuables stolen, saying she would have to keep visiting courts. Instead, the police had her write “no valuables were taken away” on the promise of providing her security.
That, however, did not prevent the second break-in. The police took no action and told her to approach the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the resident welfare association of which she was a member. She did, and even knocked on the doors of the MLA in her constituency, whose office pointed the finger back at the police. A frazzled Seth now feels afraid of living in her own home.
Autorickshaw drivers, one of the largest constituencies of the AAP, want to know what Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is doing to keep the promises he had made to them. Sanjay Jha, an autorickshaw union representative, says the 200-plus designated parking stands the AAP had promised are yet to materialise. With the state government and the Centre increasing taxes, says driver Vijay Prakash Pandey, the price of autorickshaws has gone up by nearly Rs20,000. Drivers, who earn Rs200 to Rs300 a day on an average, are feeling the pinch. There are indications that the unions may join forces with Yogendra Yadav, who was expelled from the AAP in April.
Every segment of Delhi's society has a bitter AAP experience to share. After the government took oath in February this year, the Federation of Resident Doctors Association of Delhi (FORDA) went on a token strike to protest the situation in government hospitals—lack of staff and drinking water facilities, and frustrated patients turning their ire on doctors. Even though both the Centre and the state government promised them greater security, no action has been taken so far.
The AAP is losing its image as the harbinger of change. Taking a toll on governance is the tug-of-war between the state government and the Centre—over issues like control over Delhi Police, which is currently under the Union home ministry—and the fight between Kejriwal and Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung over key appointments in the state government and the change in land policy.
Are the lines blurred when it comes to the jurisdiction of the chief minister and the lieutenant governor? No, according to former chief minister Sheila Dikshit. “Their functions are well-marked. LG signs on all files; postings come under him and cadre of officers is with the home affairs ministry. The practice we had evolved was that you do it amicably,” she said. “If a police commissioner was appointed, the Delhi government would be in the know. If you don't understand the Constitution, there is bound to be chaos.”
Detractors say Arvind Kejriwal's attacks on the Union government are an alibi for not performing.
A few months ago, Kejriwal launched a mega advertising campaign, imploring the Centre to “let them work”. The move was seen by the Congress as a waste of public money and by the BJP as “confrontationist”.
The proposed women’s rights bill is set to be the biggest bone of contention between Kejriwal and Jung. Through the bill, Kejriwal wants to empower the Delhi Commission for Women to formulate policies and redress grievances. But the state law ministry itself has said that a bill of such significance needs Parliament’s nod.
“The power to amend the Constitution lies with Parliament,” said BJP leader Nupur Sharma. “Kejriwal has time and again taken the law into his own hands, picking up matters to challenge the Centre. And because there is a lack of knowledge on part of the citizenry, he is able to create chaos. He wants a body to supervise the police when the police is not under their control. This is all being done to stay alive in the news, because he has learnt that any publicity is good for politics. The High Court had to intervene [on the issue of the government] spending on advertising campaigns. If they [the government] are so serious about their work, what stopped them from passing the Lokpal bill? What happened to CCTVs in buses?”
Dikshit said it was important for the Delhi government to work with what is under its purview. “For the past four to six months, widows haven't got their pensions or the MCD officials, their salaries. No employee can work without pay,” she said.
Sharma said the current division of powers between the Centre and the Delhi government was good. “A statehood status at a later date might be a good idea,” she said. State Congress chief Ajay Maken, too, said the present arrangement was best for Delhi. “Kejriwal has made huge promises to the people of Delhi and he can't fulfil them,” he said. “He is manufacturing crises to divert attention.”
According to Maken, governance has come to a standstill. “The growth of revenue from VAT [value added tax], which was 10.05 per cent earlier, has come down to 1.75 per cent in the past six months,” he said. “There is complete paralysis, with officers not signing files because they don't know who to obey. Kejriwal doubled the education budget, but how much has he spent? How many new schools have been started? The money to the public works department has been cut. After the rains, how will the roads be maintained? There is distrust between officers and MLAs. The latter's phones are tapped, so they won't talk.”
There is a feeling that Kejriwal does not understand the implications of securing full statehood for Delhi. “The Delhi Police’s annual budget is Rs5,200 crore, which is borne by the Centre. [If Delhi gets full statehood] the money would go out of the Delhi government's pockets. Delhi has five super-speciality hospitals apart from AIIMS. In no other state in the country does the Centre spend on public health.”
According to Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Kejriwal’s attacks on the Union government are an alibi for not performing. “The MCD election would be his first electoral milestone as chief minister, if he gets it,” he said. “Eyes are also on Punjab, which goes to the polls at the same time. Punjab is ripe for plucking. There is a higher degree of disillusionment with the ruling party there, while the Congress is seen as bickering internally.”
AAP member Digant R. Kapoor alleged that the Union government was circumventing the Lok Sabha and interfering directly in matters under the purview of the state government. “The BJP is encroaching on the powers of the state government by appointing their own people to key positions,” he said. “They had no role to play in appointments to the Anti-Corruption Bureau. The lieutenant governor says all decisions have to go through him. What is the point of having an elected government in Delhi if he has all the power?”
What about Rs526 crore spent on advertising? “Look at it in context. There are campaigns like the one for Swacch Bharat. Our ad spend was 1 per cent of the total Delhi government budget—an acceptable quota and done lawfully.”
Action against corruption was a key plank of the AAP manifesto. But, with instances of bribing having gone down, the stakes have only increased. Take the case of Manish Walia (name changed), a businessman in North Delhi who has a monthly turnover of Rs1.5 crore. He has been running from pillar to post to get a VAT refund of nearly Rs1 crore. The delay is costing him Rs1lakh in interest every month. Earlier, bribing officials used to work, he says. But now, as corruption has become a high-risk proposition, officials cherry-pick files and expect a bigger share of the pie. And people like Walia find the process of doing business more painful than before.
Capital crisis
The Centre and the AAP government in Delhi are locked in a turf war over several issues.
Statehood
AAP wants Delhi to be a full-fledged state. BJP says the present arrangement, in which the Centre and state government divide powers, is working fine.
Control over police
AAP wants the Union home ministry to hand over control of Delhi Police to the state government. BJP says Delhi is a special state, by virtue of it being the national capital, and that there is no Constitutional provision that requires the Centre to do so.
Appointing personnel
AAP wants control over key bureaucratic appointments. The Centre says all appointments should be ratified by the lieutenant governor.
with thanks : www.theweek.in : LINK : of the above detailed news report.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Nothing Swachh about Delhi, striking workers paid but garbage continues to pile up : Indiatoday.indiatoday.in
Even as the issue of non-payment of salaries to MCD sanitation workers has been resolved, garbage continues to pile up on the streets of the national Capital. Dirty streets of Delhi dwarf civic agencies' tall claims of keeping the garbage off the streets, be it posh localities or slums.
Residents often complain that garbage dump lies unattended for days. When they try to bring up the matter with MCD councillors, their requests often go unheeded. For a reality check, Mail Today visited various parts of the city under the jurisdiction of the three corporations and found huge heaps of garbage outside the collection points.
"The garbage collection points have been constructed right next to residential areas. Therefore, if the garbage is not lifted every day the smell emanating from it makes it difficult to even cross the lane," said Bansi Lal, president, welfare society, Saket. The main road in front of the Max Super Specialty Hospital and Saket City Hospital is nothing less than an open dumping ground.
"The filth almost covers the one side of the road. Scavenger birds can be seen hovering over the garbage. The city's premium hospitals are located here and many foreign nationals come here for medical treatment. Is this is what we are showing to our tourists?" he asked.
Residents in East Delhi too shared the same plight. "We have two garbage collection points right in the middle of the residential area. One dhalao (waste dumping enclosure) is next to a house and the other one is near a school. The dhalao is always overflowing with the garbage and often garbage is strewn on streets.
"In worst cases, the garbage is right in front of the main gates of houses. The sight is horrible and pathetic. We cannot even cross the lane. I wonder how families sharing the lane with the garbage collection point manage," said BS Vohra of East Delhi RWAs Joint Front Federation. Vohra also said that the residents had been asking the MCD councillor to shift the location of the dhalao to an open dumping yard on the road number 57 and ensure that the residents living around inhale fresh air instead of the smell from the garbage.
Umesh Gulati, a resident in Janakpuri, laments, "Pankha road has turned into an open dumping ground for the whole of Janakpuri." Interestingly, the North Municipal Corporation has blamed the rag-pickers and their method of garbage segregation for the mess.
Ravinder Gupta, Mayor, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said, "The main reason why most of the garbage is found lying outside the collection point is because ragpickers while segregating the waste spill the garbage. Segregation of garbage should be banned at collection points. The segregation should be done either during door-todoor collection or at the waste processing unit."
Mukesh Goyal, leader of the Opposition in North MCD, said, "The corporation does not have enough resources to look at the poor sanitation scenario. It is high time fresh tenders for sanitation contract were issued but the party in power is just extending the previous contract after every six months. Poor sanitation is the main reason why highest maximum cases of dengue are in the jurisdiction of the NDMC."
Even the Delhi High Court pulled up the three MCDs for not maintaining cleanliness in the city. After ordering the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to clean up the Lajpat Nagar Central market area, the Delhi High Court recently asked the East Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation to clean up Patparganj and western extension area of Karol Bagh respectively. The court directed the civic bodies to keep the two areas clean and to file a status report with pictures on the next date of hearing on September 23.
with thanks : IndiaToday : LINK : for detailed report.
There's nothing Swachh about Delhi: Striking workers have been paid, but still the rubbish piles up across the Capital : dailymail.co.uk
Even as the issue of non-payment of salaries to MCD sanitation workers has been resolved, garbage continues to pile up on the streets of the national Capital.
The dirty streets of Delhi dwarf civic agencies’ tall claims of keeping the garbage off the streets, be it posh localities or slums.
Residents often complain that garbage dumps lie unattended for days. When they try to bring up the matter with MCD councillors, their requests often go unheeded.
Mail Today visited various parts of the city under the jurisdiction of the three corporations and found huge heaps of garbage outside the collection points.
For a reality check, Mail Today visited various parts of the city under the jurisdiction of the three corporations and found huge heaps of garbage outside the collection points.
“The garbage collection points have been constructed right next to residential areas. Therefore, if the garbage is not lifted every day the smell emanating from it makes it difficult to even cross the lane,” said Bansi Lal, president, welfare society, Saket.
The main road in front of the Max Super Specialty Hospital and Saket City Hospital is nothing less than an open dumping ground.
“The filth almost covers the one side of the road. Scavenger birds can be seen hovering over the garbage. The city’s premium hospitals are located here and many foreign nationals come here for medical treatment. Is this is what we are showing to our tourists?” he asked.
Residents in East Delhi shared the same plight.
“We have two garbage collection points right in the middle of the residential area. One dhalao (waste dumping enclosure) is next to a house and the other one is near a school. The dhalao is always overflowing with the garbage and often garbage is strewn on streets.
“In worst cases, the garbage is right in front of the main gates of houses. The sight is horrible and pathetic. We cannot even cross the lane. I wonder how families sharing the lane with the garbage collection point manage,” said BS Vohra of East Delhi RWAs Joint Front Federation.
Garbage strewn on road no 57, Krishna Nagar, New Delhi
Vohra also said that the residents had been asking the MCD councillor to shift the location of the dhalao to an open dumping yard on the road number 57 and ensure that the residents living around inhale fresh air instead of the smell from the garbage.
Umesh Gulati, a resident in Janakpuri, laments: “Pankha road has turned into an open dumping ground for the whole of Janakpuri.”
Interestingly, the North Municipal Corporation has blamed the rag-pickers and their method of garbage segregation for the mess.
Ravinder Gupta, Mayor, North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said: “The main reason why most of the garbage is found lying outside the collection point is because ragpickers while segregating the waste spill the garbage. Segregation of garbage should be banned at collection points. The segregation should be done either during door-todoor collection or at the waste processing unit.”
Mukesh Goyal, leader of the Opposition in North MCD, said: “The corporation does not have enough resources to look at the poor sanitation scenario. It is high time fresh tenders for sanitation contract were issued but the party in power is just extending the previous contract after every six months. Poor sanitation is the main reason why highest maximum cases of dengue are in the jurisdiction of the NDMC.”
Even the Delhi High Court pulled up the three MCDs for not maintaining cleanliness in the city. After ordering the South Delhi Municipal Corporation to clean up the Lajpat Nagar Central market area, the Delhi High Court recently asked the East Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation to clean up Patparganj and the western extension area of Karol Bagh respectively.
The court directed the civic bodies to keep clean the two areas and to file a status report with pictures on the next date of hearing on September 23.
Civic agencies claim they are doing their bit
By Sneha Agrawal in New Delhi
As complaints of garbage lying unattended in the Capital reached the civic municipal corporations' doors, all the three civic agencies claimed to have taken a slew of measures to curb the problem.
The steps include commissioning new waste-to-energy and construction and debris waste plants (that recycle construction waste), installing dustbins with lids, and lifting garbage from the collection point twice a day.
Blaming the Delhi government for not implementing sanitation by-laws that impose a ban on littering, Subhash Arya, Mayor, South Delhi Municipal Corporation, said: “A proposal was sent to the Delhi government to increase the fines on littering but it is still sitting on the proposal. However till then, we are going to install 500 to 1,000 closed bins and deploy manpower to guard them round the clock. The garbage will be picked up twice a day from dhalaos and we are currently working on the zone-wise integration waste management plan. We have already declared tender for two construction and debris waste plant in Dwarka and Ghumanera.
“We shall also issue fresh tenders and invite more companies to take up the sanitation work and make our sanitation contracts more stringent that will compel the contractors to work and not dilly-dally lifting of the garbage. At present, every contractor is fined above Rs 1 crore for not abiding by the contract. The previous sanitation contracts need serious revision. We shall also increase the visibility clause in the contract,” said an MCD official.
Besides, the North Delhi Municipal Corporation is focusing on its own waste to energy plant in Narela Bawana.
“At the moment the waste generated in the NDMC area gets processed in the SDMC’s Okhla waste-to-energy plant. Once the clearances are taken, our majority of waste will be treated in our plant. We have initiated composting units in three parks of the NDMC that will together process 200 million tonnes of horticulture waste. Our construction and debris waste plant is processing 500 million tonnes of waste in Jahangirpuri on Shah Alam Bandh Marg and the efficiency is very high,” said Ravinder Gupta, Mayor, North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
The prime focus of the East Delhi Corporation will be to initiate its waste-to-energy plant in Ghazipur that will process 1,200 million tonnes waste and construction and debris waste in Shastri Park with a capacity of 500 million tonnes.
With thanks : mailtoday.co.uk : LINK : for detailed report.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
दारू पे महंगाई का असर क्यों नही होता ? जवाब दीजिए !
देख तेरे इंसान की हालत क्या हो गई भगवान ? एक जमाना था जब एक ग़रीब इंसान दाल ओर प्याज के साथ रोटी खा कर गुज़रा कर लेता था. अब तो दाल ओर प्याज भी अमीरों के खाने की चीज़ हो गई है. सिर्फ़ यही शेर समझ मे आता है कि :
इतनी भी मयस्सर नही मयखाने मे, जितनी हम छोड़ दिया करते थे, पैमाने मे
लेकिन हैरानगी तो इस बात की होती है ही दारू का दाम कितना भी बड़ जाए, दारू पे चाहे जितनी भी पाबंदियाँ लगा दी जाएँ, सबसे ज़्यादा भीड़ ओर सबसे लंबी लाइन आपको सिर्फ़ उधर ही मिलेगी.
ऐसा क्यों ? दारू पे महंगाई का असर क्यों नही होता ? जवाब दीजिए !
RWAs laud report, say discoms fleecing people : Hindustan Times
RWAs laud report, say discoms fleecing people
NEW DELHI: Citizen groups across the Capital on Tuesday said the discoms had fleeced the people of the city for years and the CAG report had exposed them.
BS Vohra, president of the East Delhi RWAs Joint Front, said when the report comes out in its totality, it was likely to reveal one of the biggest scams in Delhi. “While TPDDL sold its surplus power at ` 3.30, BYPL & BRPL sold millions of units at the rate of ` 2.08 and ` 1.94 showing huge losses in books. This is how the regulatory assets are being created by discoms. When we asked about the buyers of power at such low rates, the discoms tried to avoid it by saying it depends upon the market forces present at the trading,” Vohra said.
Ashok Bhasin of the North Delhi Residents Welfare Forum said in 2008 a case was filed in the Supreme Court by the RWAs on a similar issue. “In the recent DERC public hearing, we had pointed out that in 2006 the Delhi government had given 6 acres of land for free to TPDDL for gas turbine installation. They showed ` 93.5 crore as expenditure. However, since March 2013, not a single unit of electricity has been produced there. The discoms and DERC are making a fool out of the people, intentionally humiliating them and snatching away their money,” Bhasin said.
Ashutosh Dikshit of the United Residents Joint Action thanked all RWAs who have been participating in the agitation against repeated power tariff hikes.
Streamline the system: RWAs to govt : Times of India
Aug 19 2015 : The Times of India (Delhi)
Streamline the system: RWAs to govt
New Delhi:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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The CAG findings, as reported by TOI, have come as a big boost to RWAs and activists who have been raising the issue of fast meters and irregularity in power tariff for a long time. Now, they want the AAP government to streamline the system and ensure that people can get efficient service at optimal rates.With the draft CAG report highlighting the irregularities, there is a need for a CBI probe, say residents.
“The CAG draft report is based on papers provided by discoms.They (discoms) didn't give their asset registers for audit.It is time to conduct a CBI probe into the matter,“ said Rajiv Kakria, a resident of GK-I.
Residents said the report hinted at a big scam. “Let the report come out in totality. It is likely to reveal one of the biggest scams in Delhi,“ said BS Vohra, president of East Delhi RWAs' Joint Front.
“The CAG draft report is based on papers provided by discoms.They (discoms) didn't give their asset registers for audit.It is time to conduct a CBI probe into the matter,“ said Rajiv Kakria, a resident of GK-I.
Residents said the report hinted at a big scam. “Let the report come out in totality. It is likely to reveal one of the biggest scams in Delhi,“ said BS Vohra, president of East Delhi RWAs' Joint Front.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
CAG report on DISCOMs
It's just the beginning. Let the report come out in totality & all of you will be shocked. It's likely to be one of the biggest scam in Delhi. Let's wait for the CAG Final report. Can say it was one of the best decision of Arvind Kejriwal who had ordered the CAG Audit of Discoms.
Best of Luck.
B S Vohra
www.RWABhagidari.com
www.RWABhagidari.blogspot.in
CAG report on DISCOMs !
Dear Friends,
CONGRATULATIONS ....... Activists Know Better ...... :)
Neither DERC nor the Government were willing to look into the Demands of Activists ....... from inflated costs of Power Purchase to ........ dealings with Sister Concerns to .......... Fast Meters to .......... Fudging of Accounts to ....... Inefficiency to ..... absence of Asset Register to ....... Conflict of interest in appointing Auditors .........
All the above points and MORE has been brought to the notice of DERC over the past ten years with independently Procured Documents as proof ......
CAG DOES NOT JUST VINDICATE ACTIVISTS STAND ........ IT IMPLICATES DISCOMS, DERC and State and Central Governments as PARTNERS IN FLEECING DELHITES.
CAG Report is based only on papers produced by DISCOMS, without the Asset Register ....... Had they conducted a CBI type raid and dug out all papers then the figure would have been MONUMENTAL.
Something is better than nothing. WE SHOULD FIGHT ON TILL THE WHOLE TRUTH IS OUT.
Warm Regards,
Rajiv Kakria
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