Another state is on its way to birth ! Many of us are very much worried, which is quite normal.
Why is this divisive politics going around?

“Why can’t people think of a ONE INDIA and strive for the excellence of this country as a whole and themselves in turn? Nobody is going to gain out of this except a few power-hungry politicians..” Popular response went on like this. Again, pretty much understandable. Before jumping to the scene and suggest alternate solutions or blaming whoever supported the bifurcation,we are liable to study more about the issue for several reasons. Firstly it gives us a better platform to approach this burning issue. Secondly, we can identify the other areas where there is potential for similar uprisings. Thirdly the golden formula – “What should be done” – can be arrived on.

The analysis of this separate statehood issue should be done on a wider panorama of divisive political movements across India and not just confined to Telengana movement. Geographic, demographic, economic, political and social dimensions should be kept in mind when doing such an analysis. Such an analysis, even if a lot of people has done it already, will enable us to be in a matured position to cook our own opinion on this issue.

A brief history of similar struggles

The major accusation on the demands for separate statehood at various parts of the country is that some political leaders are misleading the general public for petty political gains. However, the history of state formations in India proves this allegation is not hundred percent true. Be it the case of Jharkhand or Telengana or the upcoming issues of Bundelkhand or Vidarbha, there is a long history of struggle and political movements – though poorly organized – with genuine reasons. For instance the history of the demand for a separate Jharkhand state can be traced back to as early as 1930s. This tribal belt with its comparatively better organized Adivasis had been pressing for this demand dreaming of a relief from the prevailed (in fact, prevailing) exploitation and displacement in the name of large-scale mineral projects. Even though it’s a hard fact that their plight is the same without much improvement owing to the infighting and , it should not be ignored that there were socio-economic factors behind the demand for a separate state. In the case of Vidarbha political assurance was given as early as 1956 favourable to the separate state demand. Here too, the core issue is the economic backwardness of the common people in this agricultural area of Maharashtra and the subsequent social issues. Similar reasons are applicable to Bundelkhand too.

As we just saw, there are genuine reasons why the aspirations of the people took political shape and there is quite a long history behind these demands unlike what many people thinks. So the root cause cannot be attributed to petty political gains alone.

Demography and the red corridor:

The interesting feature which is common to all these geographic areas is the demography factor. Tribals, Adivasis, Farmers and other landless groups mostly under the SC or ST categories constitute the population. Continuous exploitation and negligence from the sequential governments has taken out the self-respect and dignity from the individuals. They have lost their belief in the system at least to a large extent. The Red Corridor of India can be seen overlapped with most of the disputed geographical areas. Why? There are parallel governments running in many districts. In short the situation is not that simple as the mainstream public like to believe.

Will a new state solve the problem?

As we understood, the root cause behind the increasing demands for new states is the mass feeling that they themselves and their resources in their land are being exploited for a rising urban class who are higher than them in all hierarchical orders – social, caste, economic, educational etc.
This consciousness together with the spirit of a small number of selfless mass leaders gave rise to popular movements in which the affected masses started mobilizing. At times this turned violent too. And the most obvious alternative which comes to their mind is to escape from the most immediate higher level government which they think is the sole culprit behind their daily issues and form their own government. This immediate ’supervisor’ is the state government. Thus the demand for a new state is the most obvious alternative to the neglecting, exploiting and cruel State Government under which they believe there is no future.

Now the golden question, will the creation of a new state solve the problems? One has to admit that it will NOT. Because it is not just the state governments to be blamed. The existence of vast areas of resource-rich, human occupied land across India where human development is at the worst standard comparable to any poverty-stricken government-less territories in the world marks the failure of the successive governments at the centre also. Carving out a new state may not solve the issue because of 4 reasons:
i)     Factionalism may gain upper hand.
ii)     Even if the new state is resource rich, the dreams of getting a fair share may be a Utopian one. New groups of exploiters will emerge
as the prevailing economic system is in support to that.
iii) The aspirations of a mobilized mass is tough to be satisfied in most cases under the present Indian political scenarios.
iv)  There are no provisions in the Constitution to give preference to residents when it comes to public employment. (Otherwise the Andhra model
special provisions has to be made in the constitution, but how many?). Thus the employment aspirations of the region will hardly be fulfilled.
Private enterprises won’t even think of that option.

Thus in most cases, an easier route to prosperity is just a dream. It has to be emphasized that by prosperity I mean the social, economic and moral upbringing of all sections of the society especially the downtrodden ones and not merely the establishment of large-scale industries and high revenue for the state as a whole.

What can be a potential solution?

An extrapolation of the current scenario much into the future tense will bring in front of us a large number of states in India. This is not exaggeration to support my view points. A land like ours, with heterogeneity at its height in all respects, it is probable that demands for more states and autonomous territories will be shooting up in numbers in the future. There is no scarcity for reasons too.

If this has to be overcome, the uplifting of living standards is the simple formula. How this can be done? The answer lies in the root causes behind the separate state agitations – poor administration and neglect by the authorities towards a particular geographical area or a religious group or an ethnic group or a linguistic minority etc. for a long time. Geographical continuousness is a common factor in the problematic areas. So the issue of poor adminstration can be overcome by the strengthening of the local bodies.

Even thought the multi-tiered local self-governing institutions are in place for the past 17 years (73rd and 74th Constitution Amendment Acts 1992) it is a fact that the empowerment envisaged by the law was not implemented either because of the improper laws made by the state legislatures or because of the mishandling at lower levels whereby the local self governments did not get the autonomy and independence they deserved. The panchayati raj system, if properly implemented, gives the local population in taking part in the decision-making process and there by it introduces the concept of direct democracy at least to an extent. For more reference check out the People’s Planning program  of the Kerala Government. Even though the efficiency of such programs in the beginning are debatable, it serves the purpose of providing the much-needed ‘confidence in the system’ to the local population.

When the funds are distributed to the local bodies and they given the authority to spend as per the norms set by the state government, the population in that smaller area are getting the opportunity to control the happenings and they know whom to be blamed for inefficiency and how to punish them through the next elections. State assembly elections are far too high for the extremely poor to cast their protest or acceptance in the proper way.

The above statements are synonymous to the concept of Panchayat Raj. The implementation (in fact a rapid one) of this concept in the PROPER and DEMOCRATIC way is certainly going to improve the situation. Those who need a proof should check if there is any divisive demands in the states where the system is properly implemented. After all a small area is always the best to administer and financial management than a much larger area. Probably one reason why Aristotle is widely studied even today is his conception of tiny ‘city states’ as the best suitable ones for efficient administration.

In lucknow representatives of various village councils from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi met to express their support for the traditional honour killing of couples who marry in the same gotra (clan). These councils known as ‘Khap councils’ are notorious for their vicious campaign against couples getting married within the same clan.

“Village councils are doing the right thing. They should be killed. There is no other solution to it. If they go for love marriage in the same clan then real brother and sister should also marry. Why should parents look for grooms and bridegrooms for their children,” said Mahendra Singh Tikait, head of Baliyan village council, Uttar Pradesh.

The meeting comes nearly two months after a man was killed for marrying a girl in the same clan in Dhrana village of northern Haryana. Village councils in Haryana are notorious for issuing diktats against couples who marry within the same clan. Caste system runs deep in the rural areas where people are still bound to the ancient principles and practices. There are many incidents where same clan marriages have been opposed and couples subjected to humiliation and even killed by the angry villagers.

The most disturbing aspect of this meet is that the ppl sat down to congratulate the panchayats on their ‘honour uphelding acts’ and no one was there to notice. The local police@the time of the killing is usually a party to it, the politicians are so keen to cash few votes that the death of 2 lovers is not important but the society?

What happened to the Mango ppl that we are? there are peopl who just sat down and decided that a girl and a boy of the same village, if marry then can and should be killed, as simple as that. and it did not trouble us much. few news channels ran stupid love songs nd displayed images of bodies hanging form a tree, but not a single man from the police, burocracy ot politics has taken a stand.  Jouros to push these stories as ‘off beat’ stuff and run it on sunday but not of hte wedding season is near- it wud not go well wiht the 2 lakh Rs lehenga in the ad.

words fall short to describe the frustration i feel

So 53 villages along with four municipal councils of Vasai, Navghar-Manickpur, Virar and Nallasopara from the Vasai-Virar subsection are all set to be merged as a Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC).

Here is the notification: http://maharashtra.gov.in/data/gr/marathi/2009/07/03/20090707181255001.pdf

Formed nearly three years after it issued a notification announcing its intent to form such a civic body, the VVMC is the 23rd municipal corporation in Maharashtra.

Kishor Barde has been appointed as the first Municipal Commissioner of the VVMC. The VVMC is expected to be headquartered at Virar.

The state had issued a notification on July 3, 2009 that the municipal councils of Nallasopara, Virar, Navghar-Manickpur and Vasai along with 53 adjoining villages would be merged to create the new municipal corporation of Vasai-Virar.

Forty-nine of the 53 village panchayats that have unanimously objected to the merger, have now launched an agitation for their villages to be left alone. Regional leaders of Vasai-Virar cutting across all party lines have joined the campaign to save the villages, last remaining green belts of the Vasai, from urbanisation that is eminent after being merged into the municipal corporation.

Ramesh Babu, Kerala village unties the dowry knot, Hindustan Times, July 6, 2009.

Six months of a spirited anti dowry campaign in Nilambur, 400 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, has transformed it into arguably the first village in the country where the giving and taking of dowry has been abolished altogether.

Dowry was rampant in Nilambur, a large village of nearly 40,000 people in Mallapuram district — as in most of North Kerala — earlier. A panchayat sponsored survey in the village last year found 1,300 girls who said they remained unmarried only because they could not afford the dowry required to get a groom. Forty per cent of families claimed they were brought close to bankruptcy by the dowry payments they made. Fifty two per cent of all divorces in the village, the survey found, were rooted in post marriage dowry demands.

Farida S, 27, for instance, was married off at the age of 14, when she was a Class VIII student. Her father paid her husband’s family 20 gold sovereigns and Rs 1 lakh in cash. But within five years of marriage, having given her two children by then, her husband deserted her.

Ummu Salma, 33, was thrown out by her husband’s family, along with her five year old  daughter 10 years ago, after her father failed to meet their repeated demands for dowry.

Suddenly all has changed. Aysha Tekkerparambhil, 36, living in penury with three children, never thought she would be able to get either of her daughters married. In May, thanks to the movement, one Anus Babu, 24, sought her 18-year-old elder daughter’s hand — without asking for a paisa in return.

How did it happen? “We helped people realize the havoc dowry was causing them,” said Aryadan Shoukat, 40, president of the Nilambur panchayat, who initiated the movement. “We asked them to pledge they would neither give nor take dowry.”

No startling, innovative methods were used, just persistence and dedication. There were public meetings in every village ward, door-to-door campaigns, street plays, motivation classes. ‘Dump dowry’ associations were set up. School children were involved in a major way.

“We projected taking dowry as the biggest sin anyone could commit,” said Selina T., spokesperson of the local unit of the HRD run Mahila Kamakhya, which assists the panchayat. “There hasn’t been a single dowry marriage here in the last two months.”

Primary Education

This message in the compound wall of a Primary School says “In the age to get educated, why go to break stones (for livelihood)”.

At the wake of about 50 Corporation schools to be closed in the city due to poor patronage, the need to put the children from the poorer community to schools is very high. Though the urge in their families is to get an additional hand supporting their livelihoods from the crutches of poverty is tempting, than putting their kids at schools.

This scene from a Primary school of the Panchayat of Tirisulam.

‘Ultimate fighting’, a sport with few rules, has raised a storm in Germany
TOI, Bangalore Edition, Editorial page

Just when I was beginning to think that news has become boring, did something very titillating appear in the editorial pages. Apparently:

‘Ultimate fighters’ are men who maul each other with bare knuckles and feet in octagonal cages, a setting straight out of Mad Max. And they can go all out in terms of brutality. About the only thing a UFC participant can’t do is bite his opponent or gouge out his eyes.
….Why do men no longer kill each other in duels, sword fights and other blood-andgore exploits, as they once did with little or no social disapproval? The reason is a civilising process that turned man from savage to human being.COUNTER VIEW:

That the level of violence on display in the mixed martial arts franchise can be difficult to stomach for some people is understandable. But the contestants are willing participants and the viewers are not coerced. They are acting out of free will and there are simply no grounds to deny them that right. Fears that it will contribute to a culture of violence are overblown.
…
There is an element of hypocrisy on display as well. If Ultimate Fighting is to be reviled, what of boxing? The contestants in the latter wear gloves but it can be every bit as bloody. There are well-known instances of serious injuries and even death in the ring. Or what, for that matter, of bullfighting? It does not make it any less of a blood sport because animals, not humans, are being butchered.

One author wrote against the Ultimate Fighting sport, while the other wrote for it. I wonder how much the prize money would be for the winner of this game. And also, which ads would appear during the “breaks”.

An unfinished agenda
TOI, Bangalore Edition, Editorial page

The article is mainly about decentralizing power from Delhi, and the oft-repeated quote that democracy has to come from bottom up. It claims that the Congress will lead to increased strengthening of the Panchayat and Nagarpalia (local governments). Excerpts from the article:

It has long been obvious that India needs more decentralisation. The freedom movement required rallying an entire nation. A centralised political organisation fighting for one cause was needed. After independence, a different political pattern was required. Mahatma Gandhi convened a meeting of Congress leaders in Sevagram in March 1948 to discuss how the organisation could reform itself to meet the challenges of social and economic development. Though he was assassinated in January, the meeting was held as he had desired. The record of that meeting was published in 2007 in a fascinating book, Gandhi is Gone. Who Will Guide Us Now?
In the meeting, Vinoba Bhave made a case for a new form of organisation unlike the hierarchical entities then considered necessary for government, political parties and large businesses. It would be a network of local organisations. He explained that only such an organisation could preserve the spirit of service whereas hierarchical entities would dissipate their energies in internal matters and power politics.
Acharya Kripalani supported Bhave’s argument. “Without decentralisation, democracy is an empty falsehood,” he said. “Centralisation brings bureaucracy. Bureaucracy and technocracy are both equally the enemies of democracy.” Others in the meeting, however, wondered how activities managed in the loose manner Bhave proposed could ever be ‘scaled up’ to have a widespread effect.
…
India is diverse and has huge challenges of sustainable social and economic development. Unlike China, it also has political plurality and democracy.
…
But the critical requirement is to decentralise power. Rajiv Gandhi moved amendments to the Constitution to pass on power to panchayats and urban local bodies. Politicians and bureaucrats, however, will not let go of the power they have. Therefore, it is for Congress leaders to fulfil the unfinished agenda.

The writer is quite supportive of the Congress. When I woke up today morning, DD had a long infomercial about Rajiv Gandhi and the Panchayati Raj. Here is an excerpt from his speech: PDF file. NREGA is a good scheme created by the Govt. But it also has a dole out model built in. I wonder if these well-meaning ideals may turn socialist.

Hillary trashes 30 years of US policy towards Pakistan
TOI, Bangalore Edition, page 18
One more reason why humans fight:

“I think that it is fair to say that our policy toward Pakistan over the last 30 years has been incoherent. I don’t know any other word to use. We came in the ’80s and helped to build up the Mujahideen to take on the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. The Pakistanis were our partners in that. The Soviet Union fell in 1989, and we basically said, thank you very much; we had all kinds of sanctions being imposed on the Pakistanis,” Clinton said at a White House event where she announced an emergency $ 110 million aid to Pakistan for the humanitarian crisis in Swat.

Nearly 20,000 slots still left in H-1B visas
TOI, Bangalore Edition, page 18
I guess one can still go to Buffalo after all !!!

7-yr-old found dead in state BJP chief’s car
TOI, Mumbai Edition, page 1
The excerpts of this article should say it all:

Maharashtra’s BJP boss Nitin Gadkari was embroiled in a nasty controversy on Tuesday following the discovery of the body of a seven-yearold girl from one of his cars and allegations that the class III student had been raped.
…
a local doctor had been summoned to Gadkari’s home immediately after the body was discovered. The doctor declared the girl dead and Yogita’s body was then taken to her home in a rickshaw by her mother and sister. The girl’s father Ashok Thakre said that he was shocked when he saw his wife Vimla entering their home with Yogita’s body. “We rushed her to the Government Medical College and Hospital,’’ said Thakre. Surprisingly, no one bothered to inform the police and a case was filed only after a local activist, Kishore Ingle, intervened late at night.
…
“It was hot and she (Yogita) could not endure the heat with her frail heart. All other theories behind her death are politically driven,’’

Kudachi Railway Station

‘Kudachi’ or ‘Kudchi’ is a small ancient panchayat town on the bank of river Krishna with a population of around 1.5 lakh people.

Kudachi Railway Bridge

It is 105 kilometers from Belgaum which is situated in Karnataka state of India.

Kudachi Road Bridge

It can also be accessed from Miraj which is 37 km away from Kudachi. One can reach ‘Kudachi’ from anywhere in India by rail and road. The nearest airport to ‘Kudachi’ is Belgaum and Kolhapur.

Tree

Main source of income & business of the people of ‘Kudachi’ is agriculture with Brinjal & Sugarcane as the main crops.

Kudachi telecom operator's Spice, Airtel, Tata, Reliance, Hutch, BSNL

There has been a tremendous technological progress in ‘Kudachi’, most of the telecom operator are here including Spice, Airtel, Tata, Reliance, Hutch, BSNL.

Karnataka Electricity Board Power Station

Massive ‘Karnataka Electricity Board‘ power station has been set up to supply electric not only to Kudachi but also to nearby towns – Raibag, Chinchli, Athni – making it the 2nd largest Electric power station after Hubli.

Shrine of Hazrat Maasaheba Ashrafe Dojahan R.A.

.

Often ‘Kudachi’ is referred to as a land of sufi saints because this town has been blessed by many sufi saints in the past. Shaikh Sirajuddin Junnedi Rahmatulla Alaih to whom the town of Kudachi was granted in Inam in the year 1370 A.D. In his name a annual festival called ‘Gadda’ is celebrated for atleast a week. Hazrat Maasaheba Ashrafe Dojahan Rahmatulla Alaih came to ‘Kudachi’ from Balkh – Afghanistan and settled here. Hazrat Maasaheba’s Dargah in ‘Kudachi’ is a famous tourist destination.

Other Prominent Sufis who blessed Kudachi are: Hazrat Mehboob Subhani Rahmatulla Alaih, Shaikh Makhdum Junaid Baghdadi Rahmatulla Alaih, Shaikh Ladle Masha yaq Rahmatulla Alaih, Peer Burhanuddin Rahmatulla Alaih.

62 mosques, ancestral structures, cinema houses and lush landscapes adds to the magic of this beautiful town called ‘Kudachi’.

Info & Photography: Humayunn N A Peerzaada

ALVARO COLACO, CORTALIM

Bend the rules to get orchard land converted to settlement land and then raze a hill to develop housing projects and open spaces on a steep slope.
In such one case, zoning of a significant portion of over one lakh square metres of land comprising steep hill slopes with thick green cover at Dabolim, which was earlier earmarked as Orchard (A2), has been allegedly changed to Settlement (S1) in the revised ODP 2011.
“The Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA) did not survey the land before changing the zone. Otherwise, the steep gradient and forest cover would have prompted MPDA to refer the matter to Forest Department,” alleged a concerned citizen, Edwin Mascarenhas of Chicalim.
Mascarenhas, who obtained relevant documents under RTI with respect to the property under Survey No 43/1 of Dabolim, alleged that both the Chicalim Panchayat and MPDA granted permission to a subdivision of around 1.02 lakh sq mts of land without obtaining conversion sanad, thereby causing loss to the ex-chequer of around Rs 25 lakh.
“Initially, the developer was granted provisional permission for demarcation of mundkarial subdivision of 8,405 sq mts only,” Mascarenhas said.
“Even after obtaining the final NOC for 8,405 sq mts for mundkarial subdivision, the developer was granted an NOC by MPDA to register the sale deed for the remaining 94,000 sq mts for future development,” he added.
“The developer then quickly moved the files to MPDA and Chicalim Panchayat for further subdivision into five smaller plots ranging from 16,576 sq mts to 18,060 sq mts, without developing facilities at the site, like internal roads, gutters, transformers etc.”
Mascarenhas, also alleged that the developer obtained four separate permissions to construct 400 apartments on four of the five plots and sold the entire land of about 77,000 sq mts to a New Delhi-based construction firm.
Insisting that the process of issuing permissions and other services were within law, MPDA Member Secretary R K Pandita said the developer had produced a certificate from the deputy collector exempting the land from conversion sanad.
Pandita also admitted that five subdivisions were carried out and defended that they were within Development Plan Regulation 2000 of PDA relating to group housing.
When asked about the development at the sub-divided plots, Pandita said it was not required.
“But if there are further subdivisions in these plots, there has to be physical development,” Pandita added.
“However, 15 % open space has been left and proper approach road with gutters has been maintained. NOCs from other departments such as electricity department and PHE were also on record,” he told Herald.
Asked as to how zoning could have been changed from Orchard to Settlement despite a steep slope, Pandita said it was the decision of the authority (PDA Board).
Pandita also admitted that 15 % open space was shown where there were steep slopes.
A senior TCP official has rejected this contention. “Open spaces are to be used by residents of the area. What’s the point if the terrain is hilly,” asked the official.
“Such arbitrary change of zoning can be subject to judicial review and the changing of zoning to settlement despite a steep gradient is blatantly illegal,” he said.

Elections are coming to your town this year…. mark down the dates April 8th, 2009 and May 15th, 2009. This time around the youth has grown up BIG TIME for a long time i have seen…..TATA Tea coming up with JAAGO RE thingy and my office not leaving any stone unturned just to know whether you have a electrol ID.

I like to cast my VOTE but at times I feel that I am being fooled by the old fella’s who say they work for their country. FUCK YOU dudes…here i vote for a party and then i know that we are going to win the elections…the other party comes into the pictures starts an alliance just to come to the power and create a government….here i go FUCK man….how do they come in the last moment just to get a big position in the parliment and the party comes in the power.

The point here i am making is we should have a DUAL PARTY STRUCTURE….and we should know who is our PRIME MINISTER going to be….so we can always analyse the candidate and vote him into power not as the current one who is a puppet. All the regional party and the others like those are single person party should decide on whom they will support before the election starts….not after we cast our ALL IMPORTANT VOTES and then someone comes up with money in a bag and buy the politician….(you know IPL came with the concept looking at our Politicians)

So i would suggest JAAGO RE team and all others who are helping and telling the metros youth to vote for betterment….go to the villages and tell them the difference between an Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha and Panchayat Elections….coz the major vote bank is down in the villages if we don’t teach them “what is what” now there is no use in Teaching here…..

Namma Bhoomi, Kundapur, 6.feb 09

Med et kommunebudsjett paa 20-25 lachs pr aar har ikke ordfoerer Ganesh Poojavi, ex-ordfoerer Giviesh Poyndoor og de andre kommunestyremedlemmene i Yedthave kommune i Kundapurregionen i Soer-India mye aa rutte med sammenlignet med Trondheim Kommunes 10 milliarder! Lachs er foroevrig ikke en fisk! Inderne har en spesiell maate aa oppgi tall paa. I tillegg til det vanlige tallsystemet opererer de med lach (en lach er 100.000) og crore (en crore er 10.000.000). Ettersom en krone er ca 7 rupee tilsvarer altsaa et kommunebudsjett paa noen og tyve lachs ca 6-700.000 kroner.

Det er Venkatash, CWC’s direktoer for feltprogrammer som tar meg med paa besoeket.
Det er ikke hver dag at kommunen faar besoek fra et varamedlem i et bystyre paa den andre siden av kloden. Derfor har baade ordfoerer, exordfoerer og to andre kommunestyremedlemmer moett opp for aa fortelle om kommunen sin naar jeg kommer paa besoek! Kommunen har 9170 innbyggere, den nest hoyeste inntekt i distriktet, bestaar av en kystlinje, skogsomrader og hoyereliggende aaser. Kommunestyret bestaar av 10 kvinner og 13 menn. De to ordforerne tilhoerer forskjellige partier, men velges fra enmannskretser foerst og fremst for sine personlige egenskaper. De to ordfoererne representerer forskjellige partier og samarbeider godt. Valgkretsene har ca 3-400 innbyggere hver og flere av kretsene er reservert for spesielle grupper som kaste eller stamme slik at alle grupper er sikret representasjon i kommunestyret.

Det er vannforsyning og veier som er de sentrale politiske spoermaal i Yedthave. Paa en omvisning i kommunen faar jeg se store broenner og vannreservooar som kommunen har bygget. De ca 10-15 meter brede og 15-20 meter dype broennene er vanligvis fulle opptil bakkenivaa naar regntiden er over mot slutten av sommeren, mens de er naermest tomme i mai. Hovedproblemet er at jorda ikke absorberer vann og vannet ikke blir magasinert for senere bruk. For aa loese vannproblemet har kommunen lagt fram en plan om aa demme opp et magasin i en elv. Men dette vil koste 2 crore (ca 3 milloner kroner) og trenger oekonimisk stoette fra hoyere myndigheter. I India har man fem forvaltningsnivaer. Det foederale nivaaet, delstaten, distriktet (fylket), talluk(“storkommunen”) og panchayat (kommunen). En talluk bestaar av flere panchayats.

Under omvisningen faar jeg ogsaa se veier de har bygd og veier de skal bygge eller legge fast dekke paa. Sosial boligbygging hoerer ogsaa med. Innbyggere med under minsteloenn paa 11000 rupee (ca 1600 kr) pr aar faar gratis hus. De fleste barna gaar pa skole her og barnearbeid er sjelden. Blant ca 300 stammefamilier er det imidlertid 70 analfabeter. Kommunen organiserer derfor omreisende skole. Laerere drar fra hus til hus og bedriver opplaering!

Naar jeg spoer om Makkala Panchayat (barnas kommunestyre) er begeistringen lett aa merke. Ordningen med barnas kommunestyre ble initiert av Concerned for Working Children (CWC) og Namma Bhoomi, men har vaert saa vellykket at delstaten Karnataka har bestemt at alle kommuner skal ha en slik ordning (les mer om dette i et eget innlegg om en dag eller to). Exordfoerer Giviesh Byndoor legger frrem et tykt plan hvor det er listet opp en rekke prosjekter som er fremmet av barnas kommunestyre. Her fremgaar prosjektforslag, kostnad for gjenomfoering og hva man skal oppnaa med prosjektet. Blant barnas forslag var aa merke de 200 lysstolpene i kommunen med nummer slik at den som ville rapportere at lyset var i uorden kunne oppgi nummer pa det aktuelle gatelyset og dermed faa det fikset raskere. Kanskje en god ide for Trondheim Kommune ogsaa hvor det enkelte ganger tar uker foer et defekt lys er fikset? Barna soerger ogsa for aa slaa av og paa det enkelte gatelyset slik at kommunen sparer stroemutgifter. Kommunens stroemutgifter har etter dette gaat ned fra 50000 rupees til 32000 rupees pr aar.

HERALD REPORTER

PANJIM, JAN 21

A fine of Rs 10,000 each has been imposed on three coastal panchayats for defying Court orders over removal of  illegal constructions within 200 meters (No Development  Zone ) built post February 19,  1991 and the  Bombay High Court at Goa directed that the amount should be recovered from the sarpanch and secretary of the respective panchayats.
A Division  Bench headed by the Chief Justice  of  Bombay High Court Swatanter Kumar imposed  the cost  of Rs 10000 on  village panchayat of  Velsao-Pale  village panchayat,  Naquerim- Betul  and  Chicalim  Village panchayat.
Amicus Curiae Adv  Norma Alvares told  the Court that  of  the 27  coastal panchayats and two municipal councils, most
have not done anything concrete except for issuing show cause  notices whereas some panchayats have  not even bothered to file  affidavits  in response to directions issued by the  High Court  earlier.
The Court remarked that these panchayats have acted very irresponsible — it is least expected of persons to deal with Court orders  in  this fashion,  and as a result hearing had to be adjourned to another date.
In a suo motto writ petition the High Court,  in September 2007,  had passed a detailed order directing  coastal panchayats to remove all illegal  structures that  came  up post February 19, 1991.  The panchayats were instructed to complete the exercise by January 31, 2008.
The High Court today also issued show cause against three defaulting   panchayats asking why contempt of  court proceedings should not be  initiated against them.
Taking  cognizance of  other non-performing panchayats that have not done anything except issuing show cause notices,  the High Court  issued them fresh directions. They have been asked to file detailed  affidavit  of  action taken  besides issuing  show cause  notices, and how many illegal constructions in NDZ  that came after  the stipulated period,  have been  removed.
Panchayats have been granted four weeks to file affidavits.  Also, the Court  instructed the statutory panchayat authorities not  to keep the appeals pending and dispose of such matters within two months.  One of the  panchayats told the Court that  it  has not been able to execute demolition orders because  of  long  pending appeals before addition  director  of panchayat.

Reuben S, Chicalim

The village of Chicalim and adjoining villages like Bogmalo, Dabolim, Sancoale etc, as well as far-off Taleigao, are set to have the Outline Development Plan (ODP) 2011 as the primary yardstick for development in the near future. The Planning and Development Authorities (PDAs) were set up to outline the development of the cities through ODPs. They function independent of the Department of Town and Country Planning (TCP) which plans village-level schemes including the RP 2021. In spite of having panchayats, each of these villages would be excluded from the purview of the Regional Plan for Goa 2021.
These villages have been broadly clubbed as urban areas due to their proximity to the port towns of Vasco and Panaji. The ODP 2011 is now all set to be notified by our honourable Chief Minister, who for almost 2 months now has not replied to the memorandum sent by our Gram Sabhas to include our villages in the RP 2021. This, even after the ODP of the Margao and surrounding areas was promptly scrapped when the hoi polloi of his constituency raised their voices in protest against the plan. 
A cursory glance at the regional plan for Mormagao will show any layperson the reason for this delay. The landscape of the map has been painted with a broad swathe of yellow colour denoting ‘settlement’ areas. There are many mega-housing projects being built at a frenzied pace and yet many others are on the anvil in this taluka. These so-called development projects would most probably not stand the test of Gram Sabha approval for inclusion into the Regional Plan.
For instance, on the outskirts of Chicalim village, there are at least three massive projects on the anvil, given its proximity to the airport and the scenic view of the Zuari river. The approvals and sanads for land conversion, hill-cutting and construction were given to these projects by the Mormagao PDA under ODP 2011. The permissions were allegedly obtained after cajoling officials and MLA’s by offering ‘free’ flats in these new projects.
How much more strain can the limited infrastructure take under the burden of an already saturated populace? Is this the participatory planning process that was envisioned under RP 2021?

HERALD REPORTER

VASCO, JAN 18

The Chicalim gram sabha on Sunday deferred the matter on the massive housing project of a Bangalore-based real estate, after a resident from Chicalim raised various questions over it. After Edwin Mascarenhas, a villager, raised several questions over the housing project at the eleventh hour of the gram sabha, the panchayat and the residents insisted to defer the matter to the next gram sabha so that it can be discussed in length. “If Mascarenhas had submitted his queries prior to the gram sabha, we would have been in a position to explain the villagers about the entire issue,” said Chicalim Sarpanch Anacleto D’Souza. However, D’Souza claimed that it was him who had informed Mascarenhas about the entire project. “I wanted to bring it before gram sabha even though Mascarenhas had not proposed it,” he added. Interestingly, the mega housing project had already obtained all the necessary permissions in 2007 from various authorities including Mormugao Planning and Development Authority (MPDA) and Chicalim panchayat when landowner, who was a local builder, had sold the property to a Bangalore-based real estate party. D’Souza and Mascarenhas informed the villagers that though the developers had obtained necessary permissions, MPDA and Chicalim Panchayat laid down some conditions before the developer. “Without fulfilling the conditions, the developer cannot start the construction work,” they added. D’Souza further informed that about 580 flats have been proposed, besides shops. “A couple of years ago when the developer had obtained the permission, the issue of mega housing project was not existing and the permission for any project was granted if the concerned party fulfilled necessary guidelines of various authorities,” said D’Souza. When asked if the massive housing project would change the demography of Dabolim, D’Souza said that the demography of Dabolim has changed long back with increasing housing projects each passing day. “However, no ‘high-rise’ project will be allowed at down part of Chicalim and with the regard Chicalim Panchayat has adopted a resolution,” said D’Souza. The largely attended general gram sabha convened by D’Souza also discussed various other developmental issues and problems pertaining to the village.

HERALD REPORTER

Even an approved layout in a suburb of Chennai, which cost Rs.3 million for 2,400 sq.ft. just a few weeks ago, can “go under” like the economy — in this case, because of monsoon rains.

Jeeva Nagar, Kattupakkam, under Mangadu Town Panchayat (Kancheepuram District) is a big lake, with a few houses that appear to be floating in the water like giant ship bridges.

The layout was originally sold by a real estate company called BLB Estates, T.Nagar, and it is approved by CMDA as a residential layout, vide document reference PPD LO 134/2003.

The real estate company did not tell the residents that the site had been excavated heavily by the brick kiln industry, and was therefore virtually a lake. They sold it in March, 2004, a year when it was bone dry. Today, the residents are left to fight for roads that will not be under three or four feet of water. The Mangadu Panchayat is indifferent, while the Kancheepuram District Collectorate is too far to look at the situation annually.

This is the kind of municipal governance that the DMK government celebrates as its achievement in ensuring “urbanisation.”

This video uploaded to YouTube by a resident is telling:

Trinamool Congress agitation in Singur is showing no signs of let up, even after the Honorable Calcutta High Court order to clear Durgapur Expressway (NH-2). Worried with the standoff, West Bengal Governor, Gopalkrishna Gandhi wrote to Trinamool Congress Chief, Mamata Banerjee, urging her to sit for talks. A copy of the letter has been sent to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya.

Another three camps came up beside the main agitation mancha, obstructing the Durgapur expressway. These camps are addition to remaining 21 camps already set up in Singur. Adamant Trinamool leaders kept up their defiant stand when National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) project director Avdhesh Singh reached the dharna mancha. Mamata Banerjee didn’t meet him but conveyed that agitators were not relenting through her colleague Kalyan Banerjee.

The condition is still not conducive for resuming traffic movement. NHAI is losing Rs.2.5 million per day as toll. State home secretary Ashok Mohan Chakrabarti also held that the agitators need to obey the court order.

Young software professionals and students disgusted with the agitation, came out in streets at Saltlake Sector-V raising slogans that they want Tatas in Bengal. Cracks also appeared in the local Trinamool camp in Singur. Kushal Saha, a staunch Trinamool supporter and former gram panchayat pradan of Beraberi Purbapara maintains that agitation has moved out of hands. However, Mamata isn’t taking note. She is overpowered by a group of naxalite and SUCI men from outside who perhaps want a rerun of killings of Nandigram in a bid to renew their theory of state repression for their own existence. The tactic worked wonders in the panchayat elections where she could make inroads in the CPM bastions of South Bengal with aprties like SUCI. Mamata is thus taking extra-constitutional measures to make her party survive, defying courts and governments.

We have exclusive executive development programs on offer, at all IIMs and other ivy-league schools. But I have never come across any academic program for the politician. The beleaguered Speaker, Somnath Chaterjee’s series of speeches was a genuine attempt at enlightening our MPs.

However, that is not enough. The real need for education lies lower down the political ladder, at the level of panchayats and muncipal councils. What academic and political education have these panchayat board presidents and councillors have, that will help them deliver in their roles? We dont blink before blaming politicians for all the ills that have befallen the country. Not for a moment do we consider that they have volunteered to do something that most educated Indians shirk away from. Yes, there is corruption. But, no man intends to be purely corrupt. Surely, every politician must have some longing, in a corner of his heart, to do good to people, apart from filling his own coffers. The trouble is, he seldom knows how to do good, even if he wants to. He doesnt have the education and experience to help him in that task.

This is a where a well-structured ‘Politician Development Program’ can make a difference. Sow the seeds of possibilities in the minds of our panchayat and muncipality members, show them the way, equip them with ideas and processes, showcase the great deeds of their peers; I think this will do wonders to the grass-root politics in the country.