Newsletter dated 21st May 2007: for distribution to all Delhi RWA Chiefs
Convention of the 14th April: Decisions and Discussions: The Convention of RWAs on the 14th of April was called to give thanks to all participants of the exercise to initiate RWAs into the process of candidate selection and dissect the results of the municipal elections as well as launch a programme to strengthen the RWA movement. Shri Atul Goyal, Coordinator URJA initiated the thanksgiving by reading out the names of the people who were at the forefront of the exercise to establish the 5-step procedure established by URJA in association with People’s Action. An analysis of the election results was presented by Shri Sanjay Kaul, followed by a session moderated by Shri Pawan Jain, Executive member of People’s Action. The programme was hosted by Col. [Retd.] D.K. Shandilya, Gen. Secretary People’s Action. The programme also discussed issues related to the power situation, the Master Plan and the issue of the Commonwealth Games. Advocate Jasbir Malik, who is representing the matter in the Supreme Court was also part of the proceedings.
Analysis of election results: Contrary to media reports that were mostly un-researched and un-informed, the election results threw up a very positive picture of the effort of candidates who came through the procedure outlines by URJA earlier. In aggregate terms, candidates that came through this process received close to 5% of the vote. In six constituencies these candidates took third position dislodging powerful state and national parties like the Congress, BSP, even BJP in spite of such a wave in its favour. The important thing to note is that our thesis has proved right also on account of unprecedented increase in voting in such areas by residents. Please read this carefully: The media has made it appear as if the voting percentage was poor in middle class localities. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Please remember that in the last elections, most people like us did not even know when the municipal elections were held. Specifically, upper middle class colonies used to register voting of 5-8% in the last elections when they were clubbed with larger rural communities. These same colonies have registered voting percentages of 28-35% this time around, an increase of four to five times! Above all, we were able to create a serious change in the traditional image of the RWA as a sleeping, slow and inefficient body and presented its dynamic, challenger face to the political spectrum. RWAs that participated in this exercise and created Resident Ward Committees deserve praise for their initiative and this successful experiment is all to their credit.
Representation to the new Leader of the House, MCD : 3 proposals: People’s Action through URJA Convenors has made a representation to the new Leader of the House to introduce the concept of an annual audit which would be held within each ward at a public meeting. Mr. Subhash Arya in his reply to Mr. Sanjay Kaul has said that they welcomed this proposal since the rules also allow for such a caveat. However, we have explained that we want this audit to be held in situ, within each ward, at a Public Meeting and not in the MCD and this proposal is being considered by them. In addition, a URJA representation comprising Convenor Atul Goyal, Wing Commander J. S. Chadda, R.C. Kamboj, Mr. D.M. Narang, Mr. V.N. Bali and Mr Varinder Arora representing People’s Action also met Mr. Arya and the deputy leader of the House and put before him the above and two other proposals namely the creation and authorization of a Residents Ward Committee [RWC] comprising of members from various RWAs in each ward and the division of the MCD in 7 zones to correspond with Lok Sabha constituencies as a means of improving accountability of Councillors, MLAs and MPs. Letters have also been sent to Mr Vijendra Gupta, Chairman of the Standing Committee and Mr. Jai Kishan Sharma, leader of opposition, MCD on the same lines.
Sustaining RWC to strengthen local self government: We are now embarking on an initiative to ask RWAs to involve themselves in creating a Residents Ward Committee in their wards as a means of addressing the local elected representative in a more comprehensive and powerful manner. The usual style of talking to RWAs individually simply makes the Councillors stronger to play one RWA against the other. This parctice is becoming so common that the favourite criticism of elected representatives is that RWAs are disunited and fractured. To counter this, URJA and People’s Action is pressing for a formal acknowledgement by MCD of such RWCs that have been formed by the RWAs among themselves in each ward. We have suggested that the Councillor will be an automatic member of this body and that there have to be at least one meeting of this group every two months at a minimum. We have also proposed that such RWCs will be listed with MCD as a formal consultation group and this RWC will be renewed every year to involve new members. You are requested to lead this campaign in your area.
Meeting with High Court appointed monitoring Committee: People’s Action coordinated a meeting of the New Delhi People’s Alliance [NDPA], consisting of close to 30 NGO’s including URJA representation with the High Court appointed monitoring Committee. The meeting was presided over by Mr. R.L. Vohra and Mr. R.S. Gupta of the Monitoring committee along with members of various NGOs including Manushi, Ridge Bachao Aandolan, CCS, Nyayabhoomi and URJA members from Defence Colony, Kailash Colony, Rohini, East Delhi, and SDA. On a suggestion to create impactful clearance of illegal occupation of public land, RWA of Kailash Colony was designated to list out five critical encroachments that were to be removed as a control experiment in their colony and the Monitoring Committee assured them that immediate action would be taken.
Response to DERC Performance & Supply code: After studying the Performance Standards & Supply Code Regulations issied by DERC, People’s Action has severely criticized the contents and dismissed the exercise as a ‘manual of recovering charges’ on behalf of the DISCOMS. People’s Action has also released a document titled “15 reasons why the DERC Supply Code regulations does nothing for the consumer”. The report was prepared in consultation and discussions with Advocate Laliet Kumar, Advocate Ashok Sethi, Shri M.K. Choudhry Ex-Transco GM, Shri Ravinder Singh and other members of URJA and People’s Action. For a copy of this report, please contact any of the coordinators below who will procure it from our office for you.
RWA Ekta Shakti Abhiyan: A campaign to strengthen the RWA movement: In his address to the gathering on 14th April, Mr Sanjay Kaul, President People’s Action proposed that RWAs have come a long way and that their influence has increased each passing day. However, there is still a lot that we need to do to further strengthen this movement. We have to guard against affiliation to political groups, parties or individuals. We have to ensure that we get into the habit of acting on issues not merely discussing them. We must not be satisfied with being quoted in newspapers but lead on issues and proposals,” he said expanding on his address after the event. Accordingly People’s Action has recommended some urgent steps hat RWAs can take to move towards this objective:
These recommendations have been made after discussions with a large number of RWAs and are based on their most immediate problems, viz: low membership, poor fee collections, intra-group rivalries, splintering of RWAs and more than one RWA in many areas. One of the key findings is that many residents lose respect for RWAs if they are not seen as proactive on issues and if the same set of office bearers carry on year after year. It is necessary to operate in a transparently democratic manner to induce faith of the residents in the RWA.
URJA Membership Renewal: Attached please find a Registration cum renewal Form for URJA membership. Kindly fill in the full details and either mail to the address above or Fax to 29831976 so that we can update our records for the current year.
Creation of URJA State Council through Zonal Committees: URJA is inviting membership of Zonal Committees for each zone in Delhi with a view of creating a better administrative set-up for the RWA movement. These Committees will be made up of active, and dynamic RWA members who can discuss and take proposals forward or be part of focussed sub-committees on various specific issues. In short this will be a team of driven RWA members from various parts of the city who will act as the eyes and ears of the RWA movement as we progress towards strengthening the organisation. The committees will then select a Zonal Head by consensus, who will then represent the zone in the URJA State Council. If you wish to be a member of such a Zonal Committee or wish to recommend anyone, please contact any of the persons below immediately. We are looking for persons who are willing to give time, effort and energy to each of these committees in North, West, East, Central or South Delhi apart from Dwarka and Rohini zones. This process has to be finalised by the end of this month.
To join the URJA RWA email group, please send us mail at urja-delhi-rwas@googlegroups.com