RWABhagidari meet on the MCD Ward Delimitation & Property Tax - EDMC !

SURVEY OF WORLD CITIES PUTS DELHI AT BOTTOM OF LIST : HT

NEW DELHI: The national capital is not “smart”, neither are financial capital Mumbai, information technology hub Bengaluru and eastern India’s biggest city Kolkata. They actually wallow at the bottom of a global livability survey of 181 cities.

The 2016 Cities in Motion Index (CIMI), prepared jointly by the Barcelona-based University of Navarrara’s IESE Business School and the Centre for Globalisation and Strategy, found Indian cities floundering on most parameters that defined a smart, livable city.

New Delhi was ranked 174, followed by Bengaluru at 176 and Kolkata at 179. Mumbai was slightly better at 167. Nigeria’s largest city Lagos and Pakistani trading port Karachi brought up the rear at 180 and 181.

Now, the top five most livable or “smartest” cities are New York, London, Paris, San Francisco and Boston.

The surveyors counted 10 parameters to make the report — economy, human capital, technology, environment, international outreach, governance, urban planning, public management, social cohesion, mobility and transportation.

With thanks : Hindustan Times

India leads world in ‘slavery’ : HT

SHAMEFUL More than 18 million in the country are trapped in practices that are considered modern-day slavery

From page 01 NEW DELHI: India has the largest population of modern slaves in the world with more than 18 million people trapped as bonded labourers, forced beggars, sex workers and child soldiers, a global survey report said on Monday.

The Global Slavery Index by human rights organisation Walk Free Foundation said the number was 1.4% of India’s population, the fourth highest among 167 countries with the largest proportion of slaves.

“Existing research suggests all forms of modern slavery continue to exist in India, including inter-generational bonded labour, forced child labour, commercial sexual exploitation, forced begging, forced recruitment into non-state ar med groups and forced marriage,” said Grace Forrest, co-founder of the Australia-based foundation.

The survey said an estimated 45.8 million people are living in modern slavery globally and 58% of them are concentrated in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.

The Gallup survey was conducted across 15 states and covered nearly 80% of India’s population, the foundation said.

The report coincided with the Centre unveiling a draft bill that envisages punishment for gangs involved in human trafficking and scrutiny of placement agencies, many of which are accused of forcing children into bonded labour and prostitution.

The Cabinet recently cleared proposals to “address new forms of bondage such as organised begging rings, forced prostitution and child labour”. India abolished bonded labour in 1976 but gangs continue to trap people from poor rural areas with the promise of better jobs. Most of them are sold into domestic work, prostitution, or to brick kilns, textile units and farms.

The foundation requested the Centre to frame a policy for private employers so that they keep a check on bonded labour in their supply chain, an issue repeatedly raised by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, who runs a campaign called Bachpan Bachao Andolan against child labour.

His organisation said on Monday the true test of the draft bill “will lie in ensuring time-bound prosecution and rehabilitation, and fixed accountability and stringent monitoring parameters for law enforcement agencies”.

The survey produced case studies to highlight individual cases, underpinning social and economic reasons behind this.

“This is an old disease in the village that if you are not able to pay off your debts you will have to work as a bonded labour in the field of a powerful person. My husband was employed far from the village so that he cannot run away,” the report quoted a woman as saying.

Another woman working as a domestic help said she was never paid wages and “in the name of debt, I was made a victim of sexual violence”. It said a skewed sex ratio in some parts of India “has fuelled trafficking of women for forced marriage”.

The report also highlighted the recruitment of child soldiers by militant groups active in several states, including Jammu and Kashmir, and Jharkhand, and the Northeast.

with thanks : Hindustan Times

MCD Ward Delimitation issue : POLITICS over PRAGMATISM : Rajiv Kakria

PREAMBLE: The question is, why have all attempts to streamline MCD come to naught? Doubling of Councillors and Delimitation in 2007 and Trifurcation of MCD in 2011 ...... were experiments carried out to achieve a POLITICAL STRANGLEHOLD RATHER THAN TO ACHIEVE EFFICIENCY.

The latest attempt at Delimitation of MCD Wards on the basis of Population is again aimed at Political Hold over the most Vulnerable section. No one is against development of deprived sections of the city but tilting the balance of Political Power on the basis of Population alone will create animosity amongst fellow citizens.

TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE NO SOCIAL / FINANCIAL AUDIT HAS EVER BEEN CARRIED OUT TO FIND OUT THE OUTCOME OF ALL PREVIOUS EXPERIMENTS ...... WE NEED ANSWERS.

1. CONTENTION: Issue of Bogus / Dual Voters is unresolved.

SOLUTION: Delimitation should be put on HOLD till EC convinces Citizens that there are no Bogus / Dual Voters. (Copy of Full CIC Order dated 13-01-15 to Anil Sood’s RTI attached) ...... Extract ...... “Appellant said that because of criterion that MP or Councillor’s recommendation substituting the proof of residence, there are huge number of bogus votes in Delhi constituency which has capacity of rendering the whole process of elections in Delhi into a farce.  The Election officers are trying to delay and deny the information instead of providing as he sought for. When an affidavit by elected members of Parliament or Municipal  Councillors could be the basis of giving a voter card, what action the government would take  in case one single person getting more than one voter card?  He said that answers to his questions would lead to detection of bogus voters and their elimination, which is highly essential to protect public interest and democratic process. 

The Commission finds huge public interest in the appellant’s RTI application which should have been answered long ago. It is surprising that the First Appellate Authority issued such an order as if it was without application of mind. In the context of the admission about mistakes and huge bogus votes in Delhi by Chief Electoral Officer of National Capital in a PIL before Delhi High Court, the problem appears to be more serious and complex. It is shocking to know that there are 58000 cases of wrong photo image, including that of a film star on a common man’s voter card, an in-depth inquiry into residential addresses with MP recommendation criterion might reveal more bogus votes. As there is a possibility of correction of voters list, the Commission recommends the respondent authority to examine the issue raised by the appellant and if that could be used to detect the bogus voter cards, such an initiative should be adopted immediately ....... “

2. CONTENTION: The status of Unauthorised Colonies and Encroachments on Public Land is Subjudice / Undetermined.

SOLUTION: Delimitation should be put on HOLD till the Status is Cleared by Supreme Court.                                                              

3. CONTENTION: Exponential Population Growth in some wards is not Natural and has A SKEWED MALE/FEMALE SEX RATIO. (Population chart of some wards attached)

SOLUTION: Investigate presence of large number of migrants who have obtained Voter Cards in Delhi while they continue to Vote in Native Panchayat Elections. A Panchayat / BPL / Ration Card is a Valid Identity Document in other states. The Law is clear that no citizen can Vote in two parts of a country. Start Awareness Drive and Prosecute those having Dual Domicile.

4. CONTENTION: MPD-2021 places a Legal Bar on number of Dwelling Units, Building Bye Laws and exponential growth in PLANNED DEVELOPED COLONIES, while there are NO SUCH CONTROLS over Villages / Unauthorised Colonies / JJ Clusters etc.

SOLUTION: Stop exploitation of Migrants for Vote Banks and CREATE LAWS FOR THEM TO AVAIL OF VARIOUS WELFARE PROGRAMMES, without being forced into seeking Duplicate Voter Cards.  (Introduce Green Card Concept)

5. CONTENTION: Population cannot be the only Criteria for Delimitation.

SOLUTION: A balance of Geographical Spread, Population, Tax Collection, Infrastructure etc must be given due weightage. Democracy does not mean Majoritarianism, if the same formula were to be applied in Assam / West Bengal / Bihar / UP etc, then many High Density Areas would get many more MLA Wards ....... if such Delimitation is not acceptable there, then why such need in Municipal Wards.

6. CONTENTION: Populism and Discriminatory deployment of funds will be the net outcome of Population Based Delimitation without first factoring in the above points. Areas with THREE COUNCILLORS WILL GET RUPEES 4.5 CRORES, whereas areas with 6 COUNCILLORS WILL GET DOUBLE THE FUNDS. Larger Geographical spread requires more funds due to Longer/Wider Road Network, Larger Parks, more Street lights, larger surface area for Sanitation, larger Network of Drains for desilting etc and such areas pay higher Taxes.

SOLUTION: Wide discussion with RWAs, Sociologists and Weeding out Dual Voters must be ensured before delimitation.

7. CONTENTION: Discriminatory towards Law Abiding Tax Payers in Planned Developed Colonies who are already disillusioned with Vote Bank Politics.

SOLUTION: Create Constituencies that balance Equitable Social Development, by ensuring franchise to Genuine Stake Holders and not freebees seeking Captive Voters.

CHETNA (Anil Sood and I) had earlier filed a PIL to end Boothwise declaration of election results, so that absolute secrecy of Vote is maintained to AVOID EXPLOITATION OF POOR AND RICH ALIKE. That is when we had discovered many loopholes in the process of making Voter Cards for Political Stranglehold.

Friends please forward this to all on your mailing list and all those who believe in Democracy and not Mobocracy. Please add your suggestions for a comprehensive proposal.

Please look up attachments.

 

Regards,

Rajiv Kakria

MCD Ward Delimitation issue !

Thank you very much for raising the issue. We the residents of Navrachna appartment in East arjun Nagar are worst sufferer. There are 5 Appartments in East Arjun Ngar, Anupam Appartment, Jeevam Bima appartment, Navrachna appartment, Chitrakoot Appartment, nad last Hans Appartment. During Last delimitation Navrachna and Jeevan Bima appartment Are put under Ward No 225 and other three in Ward No 226. Than Started problems for us at Navrachna as all the maintainance was under Ward No 226 than fight started that our  appartments are in Ward No 225. For every small work we have to file complaint at Public Grievance Monitoring System, NoW we Demand that all the five appartment should be put either under Ward No 225 or ward No 226 do not put Navrachna appartment  Sandwithed between other three appartments With Regard Vohra Ji.

Chander Mohan, 

Navrachna appartment 

East Arjun Nagar 

Delhi-110032

MCD Ward Delimitation issue !

Dear Friends, 

I agree with Rajiv Ji. We must make a group and meet Shri Rakesh Mehta Ji who is very reasonable. I can try and fix a meeting.

Col Shivraj

Convenor

Poster Hatao Campaign

MCD Ward Delimitation issue !

RWAs / Friends, Please share your views, opinion, comments on the issue of MCD WARD DELIMITATION. Our E mail ID is : rwabhagidari@yahoo.in

Thanks,

B S Vohra

www.RWABhagidari.com 

Earlier we had uploaded mail received from Sh Rajiv Kakria ji, as below :

Saturday, May 21, 2016

STOP Delhi MCD Ward Delimitation ..... Death Knell for Planned Developed Colonies !

Delhi Headed for MAJORITARIAN DELIMITATION - Skewed Logic ..... Population Density CANNOT be the only Criteria  .... WAKE UP RWAs ..... it may be notified soon

 

Dear Friends,

Delimitation of Municipal Wards based on Population Density may at first glance seem logical and equitable but it may have its own pitfalls.

Delhi State Election Commission (SEC) is redrafting Municipal Wards, I do not know how many citizens are aware of it and has the SEC tried to involve various stakeholders ?????

I know for a fact that Politicians are taking keen interest in how the Wards are being Re-organised, after all some big names were Orphaned when the exercise was last undertaken for MLA constituencies. Politicians will look at their limited interests based on Vote Banks and Winnability.

I am no expert but wish to FLAG A FEW CONCERNS, based on my reading of Population Density Based Delimitation ....... EXAMPLES - North Eastern States ...... with so few MPs NE has remained deprived; Uttar Pradesh ..... Uttrakhand had to be carved out as the Population based Delimitation kept the low density Hill people deprived; likewise Bihar and Madhey Pradesh etc.

Even in J&K the Valley gets undue advantage, Ladhak that has a huge Geographical Spread, being the poor cousin with little or no say in the Power Calculus or Funds.

Delhi SEC is Reorganising Municipal Wards into 45,000 to 50,000 Voters per ward. This puts Plotted Colonies with a larger Geographical Spread at a huge disadvantage vis Unauthorised Colonies that have high Population Density.

For Example, GK Constituency may end up with Three Wards against the present Four, whereas Sangam Vihar may end up with Five to Seven Wards instead of the present Four.

As it is, most Posh Colonies have densely populated Villages and Slums attached to them. Out-numbered slowly neglect is turning Posh areas into slums with no significant improvement noticed in the slums. The needs of the various types of colonies are vastly different .......Delimitation should strike a Balance between Geographical Spread, Equality of MLA's Value (Number of Councilors per Vidhan Sabha Ward) while carving out Wards ..... and not just consider Population as the only parameter.

Populism has taken centre-stage in the drafting of Delhi's Master Plan, with Majoritarian Delimitation, VOICE OF PLANNED COLONIES WILL FURTHER BE CURTAILED ...... for example with a vast majority in the house, what if MCD uses this Majority decides to give Vending Rights on all Public Land ?????

FURTHER ....... the Mayor and Chair Persons of Standing Committee, Zones and other Committees will all be from High Population Areas as they will have a Majority in the House.

A balanced Equated Formula needs to be worked out taking into consideration the Geographical Spread and Density so that there is equitable distribution of resources and Majoritarianism does not get undue advantage.

I have posted this at the risk of being labeled elitist ..... but keeping quiet has made SUCKERS OF TAX-PAYERS.

Warm Regards,

Rajiv Kakria

Breads, pavs, buns and pizza bases contain cancer-causing chemicals, says latest CSE report

Do you know the bread you consume can increase the risk of cancer? And no, this is not restricted to just white bread, but brown, multigrain, wholewheat and even your pavs, buns and pizza breads.

According to a study released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), 84 per cent of bread and bakery samples collected from across Delhi contain residues of potassium bromate, potassium iodate or both. While potassium bromate is said to be a Class 2B carcinogenic, which means it may cause cancer, potassium iodate can lead to "thyroid disorders, increase the incidence of autoimmune thyroiditis and increase the risk of thyroid cancer," the report said.

But why are these chemicals used in breads? The report says potassium bromate (KBrO3) helps achieve high rising and a uniform finish, and the potassium iodate (KIO3) is used by breadmakers as flour treatment agents. The chemicals were popularly used across the world till the the late 1980s and early 1990s, when there was a conscious effort to minimise their use following evidence pointing towards adverse impact on the health of consumers.

To find out if potassium bromate and potassium iodate are present in different types of breads, the Pollution Monitoring Laboratory (PML) at CSE collected 38 bread and bakery samples from retail shops, bakeries and fast food outlets in Delhi during May-June 2015. The samples included popular varieties of white bread, whole wheat/atta bread, brown bread, multigrain bread, sandwich bread, pav, bun, ready-to-eat burger bread and ready-to-eat pizza bread. The brands included many well-known bread brands as well as seven fast food chains, both domestic as well as international.

The study found that 84 per cent (32/38) samples were found with potassium bromate or iodate in the range of 1.15-22.54 parts per million (ppm). Around 79 per cent (19/24) samples of packaged bread, all samples of white bread, pav, bun and ready-to-eat pizza bread and 75 per cent (3/4) samples of ready-to-eat burger bread were positive.

"The highest level of potassium bromate and/or iodate was found in sandwich bread. This was followed by pav, bun and white bread. Even the average level of the residues was high in these product categories," says the report. The report says most bread brands do not even name the two chemicals in the list of ingredients.

According to the report, the use of potassium bromate and/or iodate has been banned in several countries across the world, including Australia, significant parts of Europe, Canada and China, among others. The US and India have no such ban in place, with the former asking bakers to voluntarily avoid using it.

The CSE recommends that the The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) "should prohibit the use of potassium bromate in making bread and bakery products with immediate effect. Considering that it can cause cancer, is banned in most parts of the world, and has healthy alternatives, there is no reason why this chemical should be allowed, specifically when residues are found to be present in the end-product." It suggests a similar ban for the use of potassium iodate as well.

Reacting to the CSE report, Health Minister JP Nadda said, "We are seized of the matter. I have told my officials to report to me on an urgent basis. There is no need to panic. Very soon we will come out with the (probe) report."

Food regulator FSSAI Monday said it has decided to remove potassium bromate from the list of permitted additives while it is examining evidence against potassium iodate before restricting its use.

With PTI inputs.

With thanks : Indian Express : LINK

दिल्ली: 60 हजार आबादी पर एक वार्ड बनाने की तैयारी, बदलेंगे सियासी समीकरण

दिल्ली की सियासी तस्वीर बदलने वाली है. दिल्ली के सभी 272 वार्डों का नक्शा अगले कुछ दिनों में बदल जाएगा. दिल्ली के राज्य चुनाव आयोग ने जो खाका तैयार किया है उसके मुताबिक एक विधानसभा में 3 से लेकर 7 वार्ड तक होंगे, यानी हर 60 हजार की आबादी पर एक वार्ड होगा. लेकिन ये बदलाव सियासी पार्टियों को पसंद नहीं आ रहा है और अब तक आयोग को 80 से ज्यादा सुझाव मिल चुके हैं जिनमें इन बदलावों पर ऐतराज जताया गया है.

MCD वार्डों के डिलिमिटेशन की कवायद 

दरअसल दिल्ली के नगर निगम वार्ड के डिलिमिटेशन की कवायद शुरू हो गई. 272 में से लगभग 175 वार्ड तो पूरी तरह बदल जाएंगे, जब 15 जून तक पब्लिक के बीच इसकी पूरी रूपरेखा आ जाएगी. यानी हर 60 हजार की आबादी पर दिल्ली का एक नया वार्ड बनेगा. दिल्ली के चुनाव आयुक्त राकेश मेहता ने कहा कि '2011 की जनसंख्या के मुताबिक नए वार्डों को बनाने की तैयारी चल रही है. अगस्त के अंत तक डिलिमिटेशन का काम पूरा हो जाएगा, जिसके बाद इसे हम दिल्ली सरकार को सौंप देंगे'.

with thanks : AAJTAK : LINK

175 civic wards to get new boundaries

May 21, 2016 - SANJAY KAW | New Delhi

Municipal elections scheduled for April are expected to have about 175 of the 272 wards with totally new geographical boundaries in the national capital. The State Election Commission, entrusted with the job of the delimitation exercise, is working on a formula of carving out new wards — with each having a population of about 60,000 as per the 2011 Census.

The commission is carrying out the exercise on the directions of lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung, who has been entrusted by the Centre to demarcate new wards as per the provisions of Sections 3 and 5 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957. The last delimitation of MCD wards carried out in 2007 and was based on the 2001 Census. Later, 136 wards were increased to 272 after the trifurcation of the municipal corporation in 2012. In the last delimitation exercise, the population size of each ward was about 40,000 and the State Election Commission had created four wards in each of the 70 Assembly seats of Delhi.

However, the new delimitation exercise, being carried out by the commission, indicates that the number of wards in each of the Assembly segments is bound to vary from two to seven in the national capital.

For instance, Matiala Assembly seat that has a population of 4,26,760 can now boast of having a maximum of seven municipal wards and Jangpura constituency having a population of 1,50,049 can just end up having two or three wards.

There are about two dozen Assembly segments which will end up having four municipal wards in their jurisdiction. Four Assembly constituencies are likely to have six wards, but 25 others will end up having just three wards under their jurisdiction. At present, the State Election Commission has started seeking public objections on the proposed demarcation of new municipal wards. The commission will receive objections till June 15. The objections will reportedly be processed by July 15 before the State Election Commission gives the list of new demarcated wards to the government for final approval on July 31.

A highly-placed source said that the State Election Commission has so far received about 80 objections. Some people had objected that their respective wards should not be named after any caste. For instance, there are wards like Shahpur Jat and Nangloi Jat in Delhi.

Some people had objected that their wards should not be signified by the names of villages like Matiala, Kakrola, Rangpura and Nangli Sahrawati.

There were also objections suggesting that Rajasthan Colony should not be split into different wards. Others had suggested that their A, B, C, D, E and F blocks should be clu-bbed together in one ward.

The boundaries of the municipal wards are demarcated in accordance with railway lines, Delhi Metro network, roads, rivers and major drains. But this time the commission would ensure that the villages falling under lal dora are not demarcated as per small roads which divide them.

Once the new wards are fully demarcated, it is going to be a testing time for all political outfits as they will have to devise new strategies to contest in each ward in the April 2017 municipal elections. “Since the nomenclature of a large number of wards is bound to change, we will have to chose candidates according to new caste and religious formations in each ward,” a local politician told this newspaper.

“It will be a daunting task for all the political parties to study new caste and colour combinations in each of the 272 new wards.”

with thanks : Asian Age : LINK

STOP Delhi MCD Ward Delimitation ..... Death Knell for Planned Developed Colonies !

Delhi Headed for MAJORITARIAN DELIMITATION - Skewed Logic ..... Population Density CANNOT be the only Criteria  .... WAKE UP RWAs ..... it may be notified soon

 

Dear Friends,

Delimitation of Municipal Wards based on Population Density may at first glance seem logical and equitable but it may have its own pitfalls.

Delhi State Election Commission (SEC) is redrafting Municipal Wards, I do not know how many citizens are aware of it and has the SEC tried to involve various stakeholders ?????

I know for a fact that Politicians are taking keen interest in how the Wards are being Re-organised, after all some big names were Orphaned when the exercise was last undertaken for MLA constituencies. Politicians will look at their limited interests based on Vote Banks and Winnability.

I am no expert but wish to FLAG A FEW CONCERNS, based on my reading of Population Density Based Delimitation ....... EXAMPLES - North Eastern States ...... with so few MPs NE has remained deprived; Uttar Pradesh ..... Uttrakhand had to be carved out as the Population based Delimitation kept the low density Hill people deprived; likewise Bihar and Madhey Pradesh etc.

Even in J&K the Valley gets undue advantage, Ladhak that has a huge Geographical Spread, being the poor cousin with little or no say in the Power Calculus or Funds.

Delhi SEC is Reorganising Municipal Wards into 45,000 to 50,000 Voters per ward. This puts Plotted Colonies with a larger Geographical Spread at a huge disadvantage vis Unauthorised Colonies that have high Population Density.

For Example, GK Constituency may end up with Three Wards against the present Four, whereas Sangam Vihar may end up with Five to Seven Wards instead of the present Four.

As it is, most Posh Colonies have densely populated Villages and Slums attached to them. Out-numbered slowly neglect is turning Posh areas into slums with no significant improvement noticed in the slums. The needs of the various types of colonies are vastly different .......Delimitation should strike a Balance between Geographical Spread, Equality of MLA's Value (Number of Councilors per Vidhan Sabha Ward) while carving out Wards ..... and not just consider Population as the only parameter.

Populism has taken centre-stage in the drafting of Delhi's Master Plan, with Majoritarian Delimitation, VOICE OF PLANNED COLONIES WILL FURTHER BE CURTAILED ...... for example with a vast majority in the house, what if MCD uses this Majority decides to give Vending Rights on all Public Land ?????

FURTHER ....... the Mayor and Chair Persons of Standing Committee, Zones and other Committees will all be from High Population Areas as they will have a Majority in the House.

A balanced Equated Formula needs to be worked out taking into consideration the Geographical Spread and Density so that there is equitable distribution of resources and Majoritarianism does not get undue advantage.

I have posted this at the risk of being labeled elitist ..... but keeping quiet has made SUCKERS OF TAX-PAYERS.

Warm Regards,

Rajiv Kakria