Citizens Alliance

     In his second stint at Raj Bhavan, Delhi’s new lieutenant governor (L-G), Tejendra Khanna, plans to start a 24-hour control room to take care of citizens’ grievances. Giving a peaceful life to citizens is the first priority, he said.

     Khanna, a 1961 batch IAS officer, announced this soon after he was sworn in on Thursday by the chief justice of the Delhi High Court, Justice Mukundakam Sharma. He replaces B L Joshi who has been appointed governor of Meghalaya. A similar control room had functioned from the Raj Bhavan during Khanna’s earlier stint in 1997-98. He is the 19th L-G of Delhi.

     Appealing to citizens to abide by the law and promising a severe crackdown in case of any violations, he said: ‘‘Any citizen with any kind of grievance can approach the control room whose primary objective will be to give justice to the people… It is necessary for any government to be people friendly and even the man on the road in his humble chappals should get the benefit of the services.’’

   Asked about the problems posed by the multiplicity of authorities in Delhi, he said: ‘‘In view of the upcoming Commonwealth Games, it is imperative that all authorities work together to give the country global recognition. All projects need to be completed in a time-bound manner. An empowered group will be formed to ensure better coordination for implementation of critical projects.’’ This, he added, is an ‘‘agenda for hope’’.

   The eight resource personnel groups that had been functional in his last stint, he said, would be reformed to ensure that people have a say in critical policy issues like public health, law and order and tourism. A real estate commission would be set up to keep digital land records put together through ground and aerial surveys and also to crack down on any kind of violation of construction laws or misuse of land. The latter would also be looked into by a committee of experts.

   Khanna had earlier headed a committee that looked into violation of building bylaws in the capital. Many suggestions of the committee went on to be included in the MPD 2021.

   toireporter@timesgroup.com

Come December 2008 and six new flyovers will change the way Delhi drives.
   Disclosing the government’s flyovers plan, Delhi urban development and PWD minister A K Walia said that the flyovers — three between south Delhi and the airport, one at Raja Ram Kohli Marg and one at Shastri Nagar in the Pishta area — are expected to come up with an estimated expenditure of Rs 581 crore. They will be completed by December 2008.

toireporter@timesgroup.com

The flyover in Munirka is expected to cost Rs 105 crore. One near Jawaharlal Nehru University will cost Rs 83 crore and at Rao Tula Ram Marg would cost Rs 60.57 crore. The Raja Ram Kohli Marg flyover will cost Rs 96.51 crore and the Shastri Nagar flyover Rs 82.50 crore. Both are expected to ease vehicle congestion in east Delhi to a large extent.
   In addition, Walia said, a three level flyover at Azadpur, costing about Rs 153.60 crore would be commissioned by march 2009. It will be integrated with the Metro line between Vishwavidyalaya and Jahangirpuri making the Azadpur crossing signal-free by the commencement of the Commonwealth Games 2010.

   26,501 families in 249 villages were displaced when the dam was built in 1957.
   50,000 people without land were forcibly evicted.
According to a government report 2043 cases are still pending with the district administrations of Jarsuguda, Sambalpur Bargarh and Sonepur.
 
Many became paupers and perished.

   The Government of Orissa is yet to compensate Nearly 10,000 persons.

The district administration has ‘written to the state government to release more funds…’

Hirakud Budi Anchal Sangram Samiti is fighting the cause of the dam oustees.

Extracts from TOI 05 April 07 article by Priya Ranjan Sahu.

ZOOLUM

The Oxford dictionary describes Zoolum as oppression.

In India today it carries a wider connotation. We understand it as denial  of legitimate rights of individuals, suppression of any voice raised claiming a rightful place in the society, cruelty bordering on the extreme, oppression of the weak by the strong, delays and corruption in making avilable rightful dues, forceful  deprivation of basic nessecities of life especially by the minions of the government excercising unlawful authority over a weak and helpless populace.

Legalities, dogma  and fine words can never be a cover for Zoolum.

Good News for Good Governance

Mr Tejinder Khanna,  is slated to take over as Lt Governor of Delhi.

Among his many activities he is also the Chairman of Ranbaxy and  Chief Patron of Citizens Alliance for Promotion of Responsive Governance. He knows Delhi well, having been the Lt Governor of Delhi earlier.

He  has been emphasising on the need for the government to be resonsive to the needs of citizens.
With him at the helm of affairs in the Government of Delhi a positive change in the attitude of  beauracracy can be expected.

Good news for the citizens of Delhi after a long time

Quarterly Meeting 

 Quarterly Meeting of members was held on 25 March 2005.

 Progress on issues taken up by committees and individual members in the last six meetings were discussed. Decisions were taken on further course of action.

 For full details await minutes of the meeting which are being prepared and will be circulated by Mr Navin Chand, Office co ordinator.