Jabalpur High Court acts on complaint of Justice Jha Commission on non-provision of funds by MP Govt

A Division Bench of Justice Shri K K Lahoti and Justice Shri Ajit Singh, issued notices to the Principal Secretary, General Administration Department and Principal Secretary, Department of Finance of the Government of Madhya Pradesh to show cause and reply to a letter from Justice S S Jha Commission of Inquiry regarding the lack of adequate funds and support being provided to the Commission to carry out its investigative work into the massive corruption of hundreds of crores in the rehabilitation of the Sardar Sarovar project affected families. Read more

Shabana Azmi joins Sathenagar slum-dwellers' demand for justice

MUMBAI'S POOR MARCH TO HIRANANDANI GARDENS: EXPOSE REAL ENCROACHERS
As the indefatigable Satyagraha of thousands of Mumbai’s slum-dwellers, including dalits, labourers and urban poor women & men entered its eighth day, their Andolan for justice received immense support from acclaimed Parliamentarian, social activist and actress Shabana Azmi. Read more

Environmental Expert Committee submits its report indicting government of Madhya Pradesh

Devendra Pandey Committee has submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) its 3rd interim report, especially on the Command Area Development (CAD) Planning and canals of Indira Sagar, Omkareshwar (Narmada Dams), which brings out unbelievable non-compliance by Govt of MP and Narmada Valley Development Authority (NVDA) on CAD planning. The report says only draft report on CAD plan in Indira Sagar Project (ISP) & a brief interim report on Omkareshwar Project (OSP) are submitted and not even the final plans. Read more

Narmada Control Authority accepts Sardar Sarovar oustees' demands: Medha Patkar

NCA ACCEPTS AND FORWARDS SARDAR SAROVAR OUSTEES’ DEMANDS TO STATES
After 13 days stay and struggle at the Office of the Narmada Control Authority (NCA), Indore, hundreds of adivasis and farmers, with fisher people and potters from the Sardar Sarovar affected villages in the Narmada valley moved to Bhopal. They left NCA’s headquarters after Mr. V.K. Jyoti, Executive Member and Mr. Afroz Ahmed, Director (Rehabilitation) admitted that the people’s demands are within the framework of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal ward (NWDTA), state’s R&R Policies and the Supreme Court’s Judgments. Read more

Narmada Jeevan Adhikar Yatra storms NCA Indore Office for justice

Sardar sarovar and jobat displaced storm NCA office to demand their rights

Indore citizens express full solidarity with Narmada Jeevan Adhikar Yatra
After two full days of non-stop action and travelling through various villages and towns creating awareness on the enormous social and environmental impacts of large dams in the Narmada Valley, the indefinite Jeevan Adhikar Yatra of the thousands of adivasis, farmers, fish workers affected by the Sardar Sarovar and Jobat Dams reached Indore today morning. At every village and in every meeting,
the people raised pressing issues concerning their fundamental right to life and livelihood and challenged the State, asserting that it cannot move ahead, even an inch, with these ‘monuments of mismanagement and injustice’ if it fails to ensure land and livelihood to the affected people. Read more

Jabalpur High Court declines interim relief to MP state government

A Division Bench of Justice R.C. Lahoti and Justice Sanjay Yadav of the Jabalpur High Court today, passed an Order declining to grant interim relief to the Government of Madhya Pradesh (GoMP) on an application filed by it, seeking modification of the Order of the High Court dated 12-11-2009 in the public interest writ petition filed by Narmada Bachao Andolan on crores of rupees corruption in the rehabilitation of the Sardar Sarovar Project affected families. By the Order of 12-11-2009, the Court had directed that all requisitions and funds for the Justice Jha Commission of Inquiry shall be placed with the Registrar General of the High Court and all grants by the State will also be routed through him. Read more

Canal work is subject to Expert Committee approval: Supreme Court

Supreme Court conditionally permits Narmada canal construction work on Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar canals subject to scrutiny and approval by Experts Committee and Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The case of Narmada canals came up for hearing in the Supreme Court recently, wherein the issues related to the displacement, rehabilitation and environmental impacts and mitigative measures, especially command area development were raised by Narmada Bachao Andolan before the High Court of Madhya Pradesh. The High Court had stayed the land acquisition and excavation in the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar Projects, through its well-considered judgment dated 11-11-2009. Read more

Mounting pressure on UP state government to set up Child Protection Unit

Mounting pressure on UP state government to set up Child Protection Unit

The fight for child rights got a fillip with a the media fraternity in Lucknow joining hands with Saaksham Foundation, an organization addressing violations of child rights in Uttar Pradesh, to fight for the rights of child facing inhuman attacks. Journalists from all the leading news papers in the city including The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, Dainik Hindustan, The Indian Express, The Pioneer, Aaj Tak and Times Now gave their support to the petition to setup a Child Protection Unit in the state.

It is noteworthy here that as per the Juvenile Justice Act 2006 amendment it is mandatory to set up social police to address cases related to children. Furthermore as per National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Directions and Guidelines a social police station and a child friendly police personnel is a must in every state. But UP as of now has none.

In a jointly signed petition that demanded setting up a Child Protection Unit in the State to address the increasing numbers of brutal attacks on children, scribes and the social organization also sought the provision of child friendly police station and police personnel.

The petition has been submitted to Additional Cabinet Secretary Vijay Shanker Pandey and to the Chief Minister's office on December 8. On receiving the petition and going through the contents Mr Pandey expressed his concern over the issue and assured the Director of Saaksham Foundation that he will be looking into the matter and also call a meeting on the issue of seting up a Child Protection Unit in UP soon.

A copy of the petition was also handed over to UPCC Chief Rita Bahuguna, on December 6 at the Congress Party office. She promised her full support to the issue and also said that she would hand over the petition campaigning for the cause of protection of children to Rahul Gandhi on his visit to the state capital on December 8.

Ms Shantha Sinha, Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was also given a copy of the petition on December 8 when she was in town to attend a State Level consultation on the Right To Education Act. She expressed her concern over the fact that children were being subjected to such brutal attacks and said she will take up the matter strongly and also expedite the process of setting up a State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in UP.

Anjali Singh
(The author is a Special Correspondent to Citizen News Service (CNS) and also the Director of Saaksham Foundation. Email: anjali@citizen-news.org)


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Local Welfare in a Global Context: Slums and Urban Welfare in Karnataka’s Development

Local Welfare in a Global Context: Slums and Urban Welfare in Karnataka's Development

In September 2009, CIVIC organized the above public meeting in Bangalore with Dr. Supriya Roy Chowdhuri, Professor ISEC, Bangalore and Mr. Narayanswamy, Joint Director, Karnataka Slum Clearance Board (KSCB).

The former shared findings from ISEC's National Foundation of India supported 2007 project on the Impact of Globalization on Slums and Urban Poor in Karnataka. It highlights globalization's impact and NGO's/CSO's role in reducing disparity especially in Bangalore which expanded rapidly since the 1990's through the Information Technology and Biotechnology industries.

Although Bangalore's economy grew with the knowledge sectors, semi-skilled/unskilled people find minimal jobs. From the mid 1980's, in urban Karnataka: · Small scale industries' manufacturing jobs reduced · Public Sector Undertakings (PSU's) started closing since the 1990's or began hiring contractors ·

The voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) and similar policies increased unemployed and semi-skilled numbers. In 21 class I cities, population decreased but poor increased ISEC's 1973 poverty and employment ratios survey in 11 Bangalore slums and 1990 repetition in 8 found child and coolie labour increasing from 30% to 36% and 26% to 30% respectively and clerical jobs decreasing from 13% to 11%. Studying housing, livelihood, education, health, etc. in 380 households across 6 settlements (including 5 'legalized' ones) in J.C. Nagar, Bangalore through direct questions and focus group discussions in 2007 revealed: · Education, development levels vary widely with no specific job or economic clusters in a ward · Some residents are partly integrated into Bangalore's economy · Occupations: garbage pickers, 26.1 % coolies, 26.5% self-employed (plumbers, mobile/stationary vendors, etc.).

Women - housemaids, cooks, nannies, etc. · 52.6 % of the poorest/unskilled earned between Rs. 1386-3372 · Poverty Ratio: Ramanna Garden - 80%, Papanna Garden - 58%, Average: Bangalore - 56% Karnataka - 26%. Some facts about 2 of the settlements surveyed K.S. Garden · Least Below Poverty Line (BPL) cases · Employment: some in NGO/government/private sector getting Rs. 6000-12000/month and benefits (receptionists, drivers, etc.); other and skilled labour - 33.6%, low income - 52.3% · 'Push factor' - a male relative was a government employee or individuals acquired technical/English skills privately · Fringe population - unskilled, aged, alcohol/drug addicts, infirm Cement Huts · High poverty ratio · Jobs: rag pickers for 70-80 years earning Rs. 3000-4000 monthly through wholesalers or individuals getting Rs. 1500. · Women - 80% aged 40-70 married within the slum and rag pickers nearby or in Chikpete earning Rs. 1800/month. (Ironically, this is the heart of the city beside the Labour Commissioners's erstwhile office).

A street side florist

Around 20 households revealed that their lives remained unchanged for 2 decades. · NGO's Mythri and Waste-Wise's education and vocational training to about 100 families increased their monthly income from Rs.1000 to Rs. 1600. 28% of Bangalore's slum dwellers especially young unmarried women toil long hours in the garment and electronics/electrical factories in hazardous conditions earning below Rs. 2300/month (minimum wage). Such unregulated, capital intensive and mainly export oriented industries exploit the urban poor. Urban Karnataka has less access to credit through Self Help Groups than rural areas or other Indian states although this does not deter them from self-employment as they cannot afford joblessness. Further, government schemes focus on education, sanitation rather than employment generation while most poor people prefer jobs over handouts. Housing campaigns have only provided a "roof over poverty."

Mr. Narayanaswamy with merely 9-10 months in his present role stated that:

- Before 2006, National Slum Development Programme (NSDP) and Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) were the only slum development schemes unlike the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) which has Basic Services to Urban Poor (BSUP) and Swarna Jayanti Sahari Rozgar Yojna (SJSRY) for training and employment.
- Residents of Bangalore's areas like Sanyasikunte or Sanitorium may struggle for jobs but NGO's could help such cases
- Only notified slums qualify for welfare schemes - those located on 'illegal' land are unrecognized
- Among Bangalore's 540 settlements with 2 lakh households, 200 are notified. Ragigudda in southern Bangalore, the largest, is still under dispute.

KSCB's staff shortage (only 5 AE's city wide) is slowing attempts to legalize the rest - it requests NGO's to assist its efforts. Many slum dwellers use private healthcare as Primary Health Centres (PHC's), anganwaadis, etc. are ineffective or unavailable.

Also, government hospitals often demand money for 'free/discounted' services. Most government schools' poor standard denies them basic education. Only settlements like K.S. Garden where NGO's like Mythri run an anganwaadi or others, having free tutoring centres benefit. Minimal access to education, livelihood, healthcare and critical developmental schemes precipitates problems in slums. Despite lessening starvation, small jobs don't improve the socio-economic condition. Residents are disillusioned as politicians have rarely helped - some boycotted the 2004 parliamentary elections. While most slum residents know the various government schemes/benefits available to them like Bhagyalakshmi, BPL card, etc. they can rarely access them without NGO/CBO intervention.

Pushpa Achanta
(The author is a freelance writer, a Fellow of Citizen News Service (CNS) Writers' Bureau, and a community volunteer based in Bangalore, India)

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