Dear Friends, विनाश कालय विपरीत बुद्धी . The State Governments approach to slums rehabilitation. Slums rehabilitation is one of our those projects on which we have been working since quite some time at the policy level with the State Government. In the press conference organized by us on August 30, we had shared with the media how the Govt. notification of February 10, 2014 issued by the then Secretary, Urban Development, Shri. MH Khan after his discussions with us, on forming a task force to work out rehabilitation of slum areas had been flouted. The notification gave a 4 months timeline for a policy on slums rehabilitation to be framed. When four months lapsed (on June 10, 2014), we had gone to Secretary, Urban Development, only to find that a new man was now incharge. When we appraised him of our meetings with the CM in January, who then guided us to Mr. Khan and the notification, he seemed least interested. When we told him that as four months had lapsed, if he could share with us the progress made by the task force; he told us, Secretary level IAS officer cannot speak to people like this and that We should go and file RTI if you want to compel me. Officers like him make us wonder, why do such people even sit for civil services? Meanwhile, we religiously followed his advice and filed a string of RTIs in which we were told that Work is in progress. Nothing more. Obviously dissatisfied, we did two things. Filed an appeal and held a press conference. While the Appeal is still pending a response; our presser evoked a sharp response from the Government. For the first time, RTI answers which we received were revised twice by the Public Information Officer. And then came the response of the Government, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REGULARIZING SLUMS. Yes. This is how the Government has responded. They have told media persons that this is the new Government Policy. The Chief Minister has himself formed a committee headed by a local MLA for this purpose and unlike other committees, this has begun having meetings also. This is being done in the name of land reforms. The Govt., which was baffled by the expose; after the press conference has revised its answers THRICE via speed post. There they talk of rehabilitation. And this is what they actually do. Perhaps it was rightly said, Every political party has a vested interest in the poverty of this country. If they do regularize slums on streams; we may be compelled to take this to Court. The UTU case was also going to go there; but better sense had prevailed then. Lets see what happens in this one. How so ever strong the State might be. #Notgivingup!
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 17:18:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015