On 28th December 2009, the Gujarat Samachar published an article highlighting the non-participatory and unaccountable process in the planning and construction of boribunds in Gujarat, under the umbrella of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). It was based on the information received from a RTI filed by Cranti and the Kisan Adhikari Manch. The details are as follows: [...]
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To
The Minister for Rural Development
New Delhi
January 24th 2010
Dear Dr. Joshi
I would like to bring to your notice the gross misuse of NREGS by the government of Gujarat and the Chief Minister, as found through my colleague’s RTI. On the 15th of August, through a video conference with Collectors and other officials the CM announced that 200,000 “boribunds” should be built as water harvesting structures in Gujarat within thirty days under the NREGS scheme. (“Boribunds” are temporary inexpensive ways to block the runoff of water or to stop land being washed away and consist of empty cement or other gunny sacks filled with sand, wedged into the ground.) This was done at the cost of Rs 109 crores (estimate based on extrapolation from information gathered through the RTI) breaking the fundamental principals of the scheme. [...]
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Wake up!
Posted on 25. Dec, 2009.
In a previous post “How are grants allocated to our city’s MPs, MLAs and Councilors spent?”, we had mentioned that we had filed a RTI requesting information on expenditure incurred by the MLAs, MPs and the Councilors for development work in all the wards in Ahmedabad City.
We have received information for Nikol ward. This is [...]
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How responsible is our State Government?
Posted on 19. Dec, 2009.
In order to investigate how our money is being spent on and by our elected representatives, we filed a RTI application on 26th October 2009 to the Information Officer in the Chief Minister’s Office, Gandhinagar to request the following:
The details of the expenditure incurred by the government on the salaries, mobile phone, travel, household and [...]
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Introducing CRANTI
Posted on 20. Jul, 2009.
20.07.2009
Bharat Singh Jhala is one of the foremost activists of CRANTI – the Citizens Rights and Action Trust, India. A spin off of the recent election campaign, CRANTI is founded to further the work set into motion earlier this year. Mr. Jhala has been travelling to every village in the constituency, in an attempt to [...]
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Widows from the farmers’ suicides
Posted on 17. Dec, 2009.
We have consistently advocated for aid for farmers who have been in dire economic situations either due to the failure of their crop or debts owed; and for the women who were widowed by subsequent farmers’ suicides due to government inaction.
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What of the programmes declared by the State Government?
Posted on 15. Dec, 2009.
In order to assess the efficacy and implementation of the programmes declared by the State Government, we made a RTI application to the Information Officer in the Chief Minister’s Office, Gandhinagar. We requested:
Information on all the programmes/ packages declared by the state government from 1st January 2007 to 20th October 2009.
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Our appeal to the State Information Commission
Posted on 17. Dec, 2009.
In June 2009, we made a RTI application to seek justice for our women against whom crimes of rape, theft and loot had been committed.
We specifically requested information on the number of registered cases of rape, theft or loot on women in Gujarat from 1st January to 19th June 2009; the sentences imparted in each [...]
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Are our girls and women safe?
Posted on 15. Dec, 2009.
As you all know, 16 year old Monica was abducted from Naroda on 9th October 2009. Her mother, Madhuben filed a complaint on the same day following which the police filed a FIR on 24th October 2009.
On 3rd November 2009, 24 days after she was still not found, Cranti wrote a letter to the following [...]
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How are the allocated grants spent?
Posted on 15. Dec, 2009.
What are the grants allocated to our representatives being used for? Are they being spent to ensure clean water, provide much needed and good quality public education and health services or create a safer city?
In order to assess the above, we filed a RTI application on 29th October 2009 to the Information Officer, Ahmedabad Municipal [...]
