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Ongoing
activities of SNS
i.
Reforming the Public Distribution System (PDS)
SNS is working with residents of five slum
settlements - Jagdamba Camp, Malviya Nagar,
Begumpur, Lal Gumbad and Swami Nagar - on their
problems related to the PDS. In meetings with the slum
dwellers, SNS discovered that they were not
being given their share of food grains and
kerosene oil by the ration shop keepers – in
fact there were many shops which had not
distributed ration and kerosene oil for years.
Interactions
with slum dwellers indicated that most people did
not have even basic information on their
entitlements and rights under the PDS. In response
to this, SNS has started disseminating
information on the PDS (such as quantity and price
of ration the poor are supposed to get) through
street corner meetings and distribution of
pamphlets and posters in the slums.
The
SNS team is also helping residents of these
settlements organize themselves into a pressure
group to demand their entitlements of food grains
and kerosene oil at the correct subsidized prices.
There
have been encouraging results of the exercise,
wherein ration shop keepers who were notorious for
not distributing any ration for several years have
been pressurized by the local women and SNS
workers to distribute food grains at the right
prices. An article on this was published in the Business
Standard.
SNS
is also exerting pressure on the Food and Civil
Supplies Department to make requisite policy
changes to correct the situation systematically.
54
complaints were lodged with the Food Commissioner
on March 11, 2004 by local residents against two
kerosene oil depots, which are known for not
giving oil to people in the correct quantities and
for not opening their shops for more than two days
in a month. SNS is following up with the Food
and Civil Supplies Department to ensure that
action is taken on the complaints.
SNS
workers have helped several slum dwellers file applications
under the Delhi RTI Act to seek detailed relevant
information about their Fair Price Shops (FPS).
Information sought includes photocopies of stock
registers, daily sale registers and inspection
books of the FPSs. This information can
potentially expose the pilferage of ration by the
FPS and can be an effective tool to pressurize the
ration shop keeper to distribute food grains
properly.
ii.
Helping Resident Welfare Associations
SNS
is helping interested RWAs use the Delhi
Right to Information Act to obtain
information on civic works, such as road
maintenance, laying water and sewage pipes,
sanitation and cleaning drains. It is
encouraging RWAs to seek detailed information on
Government works undertaken in their areas,
including name and place of work undertaken,
amount of funds sanctioned, date of start and
completion and other details of the work. The
Sangathan is also mobilizing RWAs and interested local
residents to organize themselves to use the
information obtained to monitor on-going
Government activities in their respective areas.
iii.
Encouraging citizens’ participation in
allocation of public funds
The
SNS team is encouraging local RWAs and citizens groups
to decide their development priorities and
formally communicate them to their local elected
representatives like MLAs and Councillors to
ensure that MLA and Councillor funds are spent on
the welfare of local residents.
Every
year, each MLA in Delhi is allotted Rs 2 crore and
each Councillor Rs 70 lakh, to spend on the
welfare of citizens in their constituency.
Experience in Delhi suggests that these funds are
not always spent on essential development works.
Funds are often spent on non-priority activities
such as construction of fountains and waterfalls,
while local residents do not have even basic
facilities like adequate water supply, sanitation
and roads. An article was written by Geetanjali
Krishna in the Business
Standard on the issue.
SNS has appealed to RWAs and citizens groups in
the area to develop a priority-wise list of works
they need in their localities and submit the list
to the area MLA and Councillor before the elected
representatives allocate their funds for the year.
The objective of the exercise is to ensure that
elected representatives are formally made aware of
the requirements of members of their constituency
and can later be held accountable for the manner
in which they spend their funds.
iv.
Facilitating publication of a local newspaper
called ‘Apna Panna’
Apna
Panna
is
a monthly newspaper, which covers issues of local
relevance and disseminates community level
information among citizens. SNS facilitates
publication and distribution of a local newspaper
called ‘Apna Panna’ in the
Malviya Nagar constituency.
The
full text of articles of Apna Panna can
be obtained by clicking here.
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