NO SECURITY AGAINST POLITICAL GONDAGIRI

BMC ALARMED
Jolted by spate of attacks on its officials by water protesters, civic body will install sirens in all 24 ward offices that will be sounded if any such threat is perceived
SUDHIR SURYAWANSHI


The city’s water crisis has meant sharp criticism for BMC officials from several quarters, with some protesters going to the extent of vandalising civic property and even attacking Hydraulic Department officials. Not wanting to put anyone at risk, the administration has decided, quite literally, to sound off its employees every time a threat is perceived.
Within two weeks, the BMC plans to install sirens at all 24 of its ward offices which, when sounded, will kick-start a security operation.
“As soon as the siren goes off, security officers will be divided into two teams. One team will rush to close down all main gates of that office and another team will concentrate on catching those who have entered the premises,” explained Joint Chief Security Officer (Administration) S D Kulkarni.
“It will be done in a systematic way, so no civic employee is assaulted or humiliated. We are still working on the plan and getting details of each ward’s topographical location,” he said, adding that this will alert employees and security personnel so that damage to property is also minimised.
Another senior official said the BMC – which recently wrote to the police for extra security cover – has decided to hire private security personnel.
“We have a shortage of 500 security personnel; these positions will be filled up by private security guards. We are also identifying sensitive ward offices, where extra security personnel will be deployed.
“They will alert us if anyone is likely to damage property or assault BMC employees by sounding off the siren,” said another senior official.
Sainath Rajadhyaksh, general secretary of BMC Engineers’ Association Union, welcomed the move.
“BMC engineers are vulnerable, so protesters target them. Our morale is low because of assault and face-blackening incidents. We can’t work in such an atmosphere. Targeted staffers become the butt of jokes in their locality,” he said.
RECENT ATTACKS ON BMC
Dec 22: Activists from the NGO Swabhimaan attacked Assistant Engineer Tarang Kumar inside the K/West ward office and blackened his face with ink (pictured below)
Dec 2: Nitesh Rane and Swabhimaan activists entered the BMC Headquarters to protest water shortage and threatened BMC employees. The police resorted to lathi charge
Nov 17: Shiv Sena corporator Mangala Kate; her husband Tukaram Kate, who is a former corporator; and 14 Shiv Sainiks vandalised the hydraulic engineer’s office in the BMC Headquarters

LAWS ARE THERE BUT NO IMPLEMENTATION

Armed with 28 laws to curb water theft, BMC hungry for more
GEETA DESAI


Did you know that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) could have you booked for wasting water and disconnect a water connection if a leakage isn’t repaired within 24 hours of it being noticed? All this, without police presence or prior permission from the State.
You have reason to be surprised. For, it would seem that with such powers, the BMC would have been able to stop water theft and wastage of water in the city and curb the current shortage to a large extent. Under the BMC Act (see box), officials of the water department are provided with at least 28 laws that give them the right to take action miscreants.
However, despite this, the civic body is now asking for more powers from the State to ‘deal with this time of crisis’.
In the last one month the city has seen several protests by people over the lack of water supply in their homes. In one case, a protester died and in another the face of a hydraulic engineer was blackened by political goons.
Keeping these in mind, civic officials now want police and State to book those protesters who attack civic officials.
“What we want from the State is more powers so that our actions aren’t challenged,” said a senior officials of the BMC’s water department.
But, an ex-hydraulic engineer, recalls a time when the BMC did a good job of saving water with the powers it had.
Not wishing to be named, the ex-engineer who worked with the BMC in the early ‘80s, said, “There was a time when the water department had their squads who would keep regular checks on water pipelines and removed every single encroachment themselves – not depending on the encroachment removal cell.”
He told of when a corporator in the eastern suburbs allowed a public works contractor in his area to construct a temporary shed near a pipeline.
“The next day, water department officials on their daily round noticed the shed and without any intimation, demolished the shed.
“No one meddled with our department and the water supply was very smooth in those days,” claimed this officer.
THE LAWS BMC HAS ON ITS SIDE
Act 274/275 gives the BMC powers to force the owner of a building or the premises where the water connection is, to make available water to all tenants regularly. The owner is also supposed to get the water tank cleaned
Act 278 (1) gives civic officials the power to serve notice against those who misuse water, waste it
Act 278 (2) allows BMC to disconnect a water connection within 24 hours if the pipeline is not repaired and wastage is not stopped
Act 279 (c) allows them to cut off water connections for the leakages and notice ignored under section 278 of the Act
Act 282 allows the civic body to recover charges with penalty from those who use residential connections for commercial purposes
Additionally, under section 379, 435, 425 of the Indian Penal Code, the BMC can register a case with police against those involved in water theft. Police can book cases under the said section and levy a fine of up to Rs 5,000. Those found guilty would also face imprisonment

MOM-VIOLENCE IS INCREASING IN MUMBAI

8 manhandle engineer, ransack ward office
Nitasha Natu | TNN

Mumbai: Eight activists of an NGO, Swabhimaan, were arrested by the Andheri police on Tuesday, after they blackened a civic engineer’s face and trashed his office at the K-East ward. The activists were protesting against water theft and illegal connections in Gundavali, Andheri East. Swabhimaan is run by Congress revenue minister Narayan Rane’s son, Nitesh.
“Around 200-250 activists had gathered at the K-East ward office, looking for ward officer Ranjit Dhakane, but he was out. They then entered the office of assistant engineer (hydraulic department) Tarang Kumar and argued with him. The activists had brought black ink cans along. They manhandled Kumar and smeared ink on his face, before damaging phones and PCs. They also smashed table glass and shot the entire incident on video. We have booked them for rioting and assaulting a government servant,’’ a police official said.
According to the activists, they had met Dhakne and Kumar on Monday and showed them videos of water being sold illegally at Gundavali. “There are residents who haven’t had a water connection for over three years now. In the same area, the water mafia has obtained multiple connections and illegally sell water. The water mafia has occupied vacant houses and stored large drums of water. It is sold on per bucket basis and rates are fixed,’’ said Agnelo Fernandez, Mumbai head of the NGO.
Dhakane had promised to visit the area on Tuesday. But when he did not turn up, the activists landed at the K-East ward office. Policemen were present at the ward office, both on Monday and Tuesday.
Additional municipal commissioner Anil Diggikar told TOI, “We will meet the police commissioner to find out if protection can be provided to our hydraulic department staff.’’

BMC WATER DEPT STAFF DEMAND SECURITY

Municipal employees at Andheri went on a strike on Wednesday to protest the assault on a water department engineer by a group of people on Tuesday. They are now demanding security for water department officials across the city.
The protestors, who were agitating against the water shortage in the city, attacked engineer Tarang Kumar who was present in the water department at that time. They assaulted and blackened his face with ink. Angry ward staffers announced stop work on Wednesday and met the municipal commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya later in the day and demanded security for civic officials.
“We cannot work like this. With the water scarcity in the city, such instances may occur often. There should be some way out to counter such attacks,” said Sainath Rajadhyaksh, general secretary of Brihanmumbai Municipal Engineers Association Union. The civic chief has assured the engineers’ union that they will take the matter to a higher level to resolve the issue.
Senior officials from the water department will be meeting top police officers to study the requirement of the police force. “Even the police department is short staffed. They will first assess the exact security requirement. Priority will be given to those wards where the water crisis is acute,” said a senior civic official.
Engineers from the water department were supported by AGNI, a non-governmental organisation. “We have extended our support to these engineers as they are being made scapegoats. Why don’t these so-called activists try such tactics with corporators who are allegedly involved in water tanker mafias?” said James John, AGNI member from Andheri.
LAW FOR DOCTORS
The state has passed The Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2009 to book people who attack doctors and other medical workers. Municipal engineers want a similar law.

SHAME ON OUR DEMOCRACY

Water dept engineers to get police protection
Following the third incident of violence against a water dept employee on Tuesday, police will provide security at ward offices
GEETA DESAI


In the third incident of violence in less than two months against an employee of the BMC’s water department, the face of an engineer was blackened by 200-odd residents who held an agitation outside the K-East Ward office at Andheri (E) on Tuesday. The incident which was prompted by the water crisis, has led to the municipal commissioner seeking police protection for water dept employees.
The incident which saw water works engineer Tarang Kumar at the receiving end of the residents’ ire, has shocked the water department. The furious engineers of the western suburbs have decided to gather on Wednesday at the K-East Ward office, in a show of solidarity to protest the incident.
Just last month Hydraulic Engineer Dinesh Gondalia was assaulted at the BMC headquarters, and a few days later a pump operator from Deonar was assaulted in the eastern suburbs due to the water crisis.
So much so, Municipal Commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya has now asked Police Commissioner D Sivanandhan to provide security to the engineers of all the 24 civic wards, which he has agreed to.
“Our engineers cannot work under the pressure and are in constant fear of attacks,” said Anil Diggikar, additional municipal commissioner.
Meanwhile, water department engineers of western suburbs have decided not to work on Wednesday and gather at the Andheri office to show solidarity. “Enough is enough. We will seek justice. We are going to represent our case to the commissioner,” said an engineer.
“All the officers are very tense. They are working for the city. They are just employees of the organisation and are not policy makers. No one should take us for granted. We work relentlessly day and night but still incur the wrath of the people,” said Gondalia.
On Tuesday, the residents were agitating against the short supply as well as the illegal selling of water in their area. Furious that ward officer, Ranjit Dhakane, was not present even when he had been informed a day earlier, a few activists approached Tarang Kumar and blackened his face. An offence was registered against four activists who were later arrested by the Andheri police.
Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) Himanshu Roy confirmed the meeting with the municipal commissioner. He said that though the meeting was planned earlier, the issue was relevant as the incident happened the same day.
“We had a discussion and decided to give them protection,” said Roy.


Protesters blacken the face of an engineer at BMC’s hydraulic department at Andheri on Tuesday

DETAILS OF MP FUND USED (NORTH WEST CONSTITUENCY) GURUDAS KAMAT

RS.200 LACS FUND – SPENT RS.71.50 LACS TILL NOW. BALANCE RS.128.50 LACS

196 illegal hoardings welcome Didi

196 illegal hoardings welcome Didi
NIRMAL MENON

Nearly 200 illegal hoardings were put up on a 1.5-km stretch between Andheri flyover and Andheri station (East) to welcome Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday.
Of the 196 flex hoardings, 50 were placed between the southern and northern entry points of Andheri East. Near the upcoming HDIL commercial complex Kaledonia on the Sahar road, there were 43 hoardings. The clutter density of hoardings on this belt was as high as one every seven metres.
The hoardings came up despite the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995 that clearly says that they are illegal, and offenders can be imprisoned for up to three months and fined Rs 2,000.
The BMC, however, pretended that they didn’t know about the hoardings until Saturday morning. “The hoardings came up because of a Railway function. We don’t know when they were put up, but will see to it that all of them are removed,” said Ranjeet Dhakane, ward officer, K-East ward.
Social activists, however, say that this is a regular practice—municipal authorities first turn a blind eye when political party workers put up illegal hoardings, and then use public money to remove them.
“The concerned departments remove the banners only after the function is over. There is a clear understanding between them and the law-breakers,” said James John of the Action for Good Governance and Networking in India (AGNI).

? ASKED BY K-EAST WARD COPORATOR IN HOUSE (PAGE- 5)

PLS LOOK AT THE ? ASKED BY THE CORPORATOR & GIVE YOUR COMMENTS / SUGGESTION (THIS IS FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 2007 TO FEB 2009)

? ASKED BY K-EAST WARD COPORATOR IN HOUSE (PAGE -4)

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? ASKED BY K-EAST WARD COPORATOR IN HOUSE (PAGE -3)

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? ASKED BY K-EAST WARD COPORATOR IN HOUSE (PAGE -2)

PLS LOOK AT THE ? ASKED BY THE CORPORATOR & GIVE YOUR COMMENTS / SUGGESTION (THIS IS FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 2007 TO FEB 2009)

? ASKED BY K-EAST WARD COPORATORS IN HOUSE

PLS LOOK AT THE ? ASKED BY THE CORPORATOR & GIVE YOUR COMMENTS / SUGGESTION (THIS IS FOR THE PERIOD MARCH 2007 TO FEB 2009)

‘Changes to RTI Act will make it toothless’

Clauses Will Allow PIOs To Deny Information Viju B I TNN Mumbai: This is the second time in the past four years that the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which has made a difference to the lives of millions of ordinary people, is under the threat of becoming toothless. This time around, the Centre has proposed several amendments to the sunshine act, including denial of information about file notings where decision is yet to be taken and adding clauses that allow a public information officer (PIO) to deny information by deeming it as frivolous or vexatious in nature. Former city-based RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi, who is now the central information commissioner, Delhi, emphasised that the RTI Act must not be touched as its provisions empower citizens to procure information without delay and harassment from state officials. “Any kind of change will only cause confusion and it will be used as a ploy by PIOs to deny information.’’ The proposal for amending the act in order to strengthen it came up first during President Pratibha Patil’s keynote address to the Parliament on June 4. Thereafter, it came to the spotlight on October 14 when the department of personnel and training (DoPT) had a meeting with information commissioners where they released key details of the proposed amendments. “The DoPT had proposed amendments such as defining institutions which have substantial finance funding and even adding sub-sections to Section 4 of the Act. Section 4 of the RTI Act empowers citizen to suo moto inspect government files and documents and there is no need to add a citizen charter to it. Similarly, quasi-government organisations and charitable trusts partly funded by the government comes within the ambit of the RTI Act,’’ Gandhi said. The RTI seminar was organised by the Bombay Chartered Accountant Society (BCAS) along with Mahiti Adhikar Manch and Public Concern for Governance Trust. About 50 RTI activists and citizens participated in a discussion on future course of action to oppose these amendments. PROPOSED AMENDMENTS Denying information on file notings where decisions have yet to be made Denying information on the grounds that the query is frivolous or vexatious Fresh definition on the nature of institutions which have substantial funding Citizens’ charter to be added to RTI Act’s Section 4 Formation of a committee of information commission bench

SALARY DETAILS OF 15 CORPORATOR OF K-EAST WARD

DETAILS OF FUND USED IN CORPORATOR WARD NO. 75 (IN K-EAST WARD)

Voters rue lack of good candidates

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Mumbai: The holiday on election day, with all the attendant hoopla, didn’t really impact the mentality of the average middle-class Mumbaikar who is known to prefer holidaying and shopping to voting. The voter turn-out on Tuesday was 50% according to the Central Election Commission—just a notch above the 49% registered in the 2004 assembly polls.
NGOs, who have been priming Mumbaikars to be more responsible, say that it was the woeful lack of good candidates that made people reluctant to make the journey to the polling booths. “We put in a lot of effort, building up the pitch long before October 13,” says Anandini Thakoor, chairperson, H-West Ward Citizens’ Trust. “We went from door to door, arranged for transport for handicapped voters, but it all came to nought because of the candidates--not only in our ward but everywhere. In many wards there were sitting MLAs who haven’t done a thing for the city, yet were given tickets. People were confounded at the lack of choice; they were also disgusted.”
James John of AGNI, an organisation which has been building up voter awareness for the last several years, says it is the attitude of the average Mumbaikar that is to blame. “The stance is, ‘We don’t really have any issues, and the administration will continue as it is whether we vote or not, so why vote?’ “ he says. “Our job is to change this attitude, and we’re continuing to work at it.”
However, many enlightened voters aver that building up awareness does not amount to much if they are eventually confronted with unsuitable candidates. A senior citizen who wanted to vote for the Congress in Mahim constituency realised that the candidate was a Shiv Sena rebel who walked out of the party only last month; another voter from Bandra East who decided to give a chance to alternative politics and cast her vote for the Loksatta Party was put off on discovering that the candidate had been a part of the Samajwadi Party previously. Many disillusioned voters decided to cast a negative vote, but faced difficulties on account of ignorant polling officers (see box).
“It’s also untrue that we don’t have issues,” says a disgruntled middle-class voter. “Of course we do, but which party addresses them? Every party has its own agenda on how to make money from Mumbai--if the Congress has its own set of builders which it patronises to the detriment of this bleeding city, so does the Sena-BJP. None of them think of civic issues, crumbling infrastructure, vanishing open spaces, and how hellish life in Mumbai has become--they only make it worse. So for us it’s still a choice between the devil and the deep sea.”
No-votes take poll staff by surprise
The day wasn’t easy for those who wished to cast a novote, with most polling officers ignorant about the Section 49 (o) option. Some were forced to vote after inking their finger, while others had to bear the brunt of the officers’ ire. Most had to wait for hours before they got their way.
Paresh Divecha stubbornly waited over two hours at Uttkarsh Mandir School at Malad till the staff finally called in their commissioner. “Shouldn’t they have been told about this option in their election training?” he says. “I told the commissioner, ‘You’re a servant of the public and it’s your duty to allow citizens to exercise their choice fully’.” Divecha left after filling in the 49 (o) form and registering his lack of confidence in all the candidates.

An RTI user gives Zero rating to RTI ACT

An RTI user gives Zero rating to RTI ACT

No action was taken against the PIO and the first appellate authority who handled my matter so callously. Instead, he too defended the two authorities, stating that the PIO should be given more time, as the act was fairly new.

RECENTLY, I was asked for an opinion on (Right To Information) RTI, while filling a form sent to me by PCRF (Public Cause Research Foundation) for their RTI awards section on SIC (State Information Commissioner).

I had filed an RTI application in the Building Proposal Department (Bandra Western Suburbs) thrice. However in all the cases, my request for information was denied, either by charging me with excess fee or asking me to go on my own to an inspection of the building concerned.

When, I had appealed against these denials (in the first appeal), I was shocked and surprised with the way the First Appellate authority dealt with me. I felt that I had made some big mistake by using the RTI. The authorities were not ready to listen my version and defended the PIO instead.

Then I had gone ahead and lodged a complaint with the SIC, regarding the behaviour and the way the appeal was taken. In this second appeal, I had gone to the office of Dr Suresh Joshi (SIC) and attended about 10 hearings in the matter concerned. The commissioner was not punctual and the process took more than a year to complete.

No action was taken against the PIO and the first appellate authority who handled my matter so callously. Instead, he too defended the two authorities, stating that the PIO should be given more time, as the act was fairly new and he was already overloaded with work. He also commented on the plight of the poor PIOs due to the sheer number of applications submitted in our country.

Now, even after going through the PIO, the first appellate authority and the SIC himself, getting into six to seven complaints, I did not receive the desired answers, then what usefulness can be ascribed to the act?

Moreover, getting the information after more than a year doesn’t solve anything and the subject matter dies its natural death till the time SIC gives order. Then, after giving the order also, there is no specific framework where the SIC has control on the PIO and can pressure him for delivering the information on time.

Coming back to the survey on the RTI, my rating for the system automatically became zero as, until and unless the implementing authority, who is on the seat, would not work under the preview of the act, nothing can be changed. It is his duty is to work as per the act and not defend PIOs, giving plausible views on their conditions.

If he wants to put his views and feelings in the act, he should approach the right authority and get the act changed instead of stating it during the appeal and wasting valuable public money। रवि नीर

DISPLAYED IN MERI NEWS

DISILLUSIONED ? GO CAST A PROTEST VOTE

UNTIL the last Lok Sabha elections, Yash Chopra had never voted in his 42 years. For, he thought it a futile exercise, given the lack of good leaders to choose from. However, now Chopra has found a way to express his protest against candidates, who according to him didn't deserve his vote.
Chopra now casts a 'No Vote', and he isn't alone in this. Disillusioned, over 250 residents of Andheri (East) have been using the strongest tool available within electoral democracy - to register their protest vote against the system.

Confirming that the citizen's No-Vote gets officially recorded as a vote not cast, thereby preventing bogus voting, Arun Prasad, the poll observer for Sewree, said, "Every citizen is within his right to refuse casting a vote, getting his vote registered.
There is a separate Election Commission circular that specifies so."

Says James John, the AGNI coordinator for Andheri (East) who hasn't voted in the past seven elections (he started in 2002), "It's simple. If anyone gave you rotten tomatoes, would you compromise and buy them, even if sold at a lesser price? If not, then why would you want to compromise on the candidates and vote for someone even if you aren't convinced?" "As we do not have good candidates, casting your vote in any one's favour would be a compromise with democracy," added Ravi Nair, another AGNI member who along with John is wooing non-voters. While over 250 people registered a 'no vote' in Andheri in the Lok Sabha elections early this year, citizens from the Mahalakshmi area had consulted him before the '09 elections.
"About 15,000 voters there registered a No Vote," says a surprised John.

But wouldn't 'no-votes' mar the spirit of democracy.
"Though the candidates are elected by us and not by their political parties, post-election they only go by their party whip on policy decisions. Did any MP ever consult and respect public opinion while passing the nuclear deal last year?" The solution, say the activists, would be to put up citizens' candidates. Says Nair, "We want a candidate who will ask for our opinion and respect it after being elected. That will be possible only when more and more ordinary citizens get elected." Till then, vote without actually doing so. What the rulebook says Under Section 49 (0) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, if an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form 17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon, as required in the sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decides not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark.

List of Candidates** - Mumbai North West