Assessing the “real” poor
Posted in Blog
On 19.06.09
A few days ago we presented the Civil Supplies Department and the Food Corporation of India with 1500 forms/applications for BPL status, all from Rama Pir no Tekro. We have been assured of a survey to assess the “real” poor.
As though egged on by our drive to collect lists of “real” poor, the city has suddenly announced a new survey for the same and is giving out forms similar to the ones we concocted. Our friends from Gota Housing filled a sheaf up and went to the relevant Municipal ward office to give them in, only to be told that they were not part of the city. They needed to go to the Gota Gram Panchayat. So they did, only to be told that the panchayat had ceased to exist! So, back and forth they went until they turned up at our office this morning.
I spoke to the Commissioner who was aghast, said “of course there is a ward office” and then immediately retracted, hurrumphed and finally told me that he would call me by later today to figure out where these hapless people belong. Needless to say, the forms of the citizens are accompanied by municipal tax receipts for taxes they have been paying for the last two years. Taxes accepted from non citizens? Strange.
Distress calls from farmers
We have been receiving distress calls from farmers again. In spite of an RBI order about debt waivers, this has not been done by many of the smaller banks in the rural areas. Nor are they being given the loans they require for planting, approximately Rs 30,000 per season per hectare. This means that they will be forced once again to borrow from money lenders at usurious rates and continue in the debt trap.
A meeting has been arranged between 20+ farmers and the Ahmedabad Branch Head of RBI on Monday, June 23rd.
Another Dalit meeting has also been arranged on Monday evening to further try and gather the Dalits working for the municipality to fight together for better and fairer conditions.
Fearing a backlash…
A number of women link workers had joined us for our public meeting on the 28th of last month. These women are employed by the Municipality and are suppose to go around homes making sure about immunization, hospital deliveries, children attending schools etc. But they are only paid Rs 1000 a month, about a third of the stipulated minimum wage. They asked me to help them and I promised I would. I got a message that they were on dharna from this morning and I sent my colleague BSJ in support. He offered to bring me there and at first they agreed. Then some of them panicked that even the small increase in pay that was being negotiated would be withdrawn if their move was seen as political by my involvement! People are so afraid of back lashes from the powers that be.
Upcoming…
From next week we are hoping that we can methodically revisit every village in the constituency and start putting people and plans in place. And we have started to write up proposals for what we think is a must– a Citizens’ Centre where anyone can come for help and guidance.
