GAASA Interactive meeting with BJP MLC, Sri Ramchander Rao
on 9th August 2015.
The Greater Alwal Allied Service Association or GAASA of Alwal convened a meeting of School managements, Educationists and RTE Activists in Alwal on Sunday. The meeting was convened as several schools under Alwal GHMC area failed to implement the Right to Education Act which allows for 25% free education in all un-aided schools for children from poorer sections of society. School managements were avoiding its implementation and gathering thousands of rupees in fees from economically poor parents. Further the DEO's failed to check such schools thereby making the RTE Act a piece of paper.
In order to curb such illegal activity, GAASA invited Mr N Ramchander Rao, MLC, for the meeting and presented a Representation seeking strict implementation of the RTE Act in all the Schools under Alwal GHMC. |
Further GAASA requested the MLC to take forward their suggestions to the Government. GAASA represented by Santokh Singh, President, Dr G V Rao, General Secretary and Sri D Ramchandraiah, Additional General Secretary spoke on the Occasion.
Mr N Ramchander Rao, MLC in his speech appreciated the work of GAASA in all sections of service to Alwal and also its efforts to control such schools which have avoided the RTE Act and he promised all help. He further also mentioned that this was first time that Citizens have come forward seeking implementation of the RTE Act for poorer sections of people. Further Mr N Ramchandraiah promised Rs 5 lakhs to the Alwal Senior Citizens Association for their day care center from his funds and further Rs 5 lakhs for bus shelters in Alwal on request from GAASA. |
VIEWS ON EXPRESSION OF INTEREST ISSUED BY HMDA UNDER 'ADOPT A LAKE SCHEME' AND ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE.
(This document is purely proprietary and I stand fully responsible for omissions and commissions within this. Organisations with which I am associated shall not be held responsible for such acts)
At the outset, this issuing of EOI is against the laws of the land. The Supreme Court and High Courts have time and again reminded the authorities like HMDA, GHMC to take steps to protect the lakes and public lands and nowhere it has said to leave that duty to NGO’s/Private Organisations etc. The mandate of HMDA itself says “HMDA was set up for the purposes of planning, co-ordination, supervising, promoting and securing the planned development of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Region”. Protection of natural resources is the duty of the Govt. This is as amusing as imagining that tomorrow the Police could come forward and issue another similar preposterous EOI asking people to express interest to take care of a Police Station to protect themselves and the Police shall be the spectator.
This EOI is a diversion tactic of HMDA who are trying to escape from the orders of the Hon'ble High Court which stipulated that protection of lakes is a must. It was only on 12th of May 2013, that the High Court had directed the HMDA to place its time-bound action plan to fence the identified major lakes facing threat, on a priority basis and soon after the HMDA on 15th May comes out with the EOI instead of its action plan. Now HMDA will say to the Hon’ble High Court that they have issued an invitation for EOI and that the matter is ‘under consideration’.
I have studied this EOI in detail in the back drop of Laws, Acts and Judgements given by Hon’ble High and Supreme Courts and provided my comments below under each term of reference. Further the HMDA should entrust the protection of lakes after setting up the FTL's and developing it, to the RWA's who will come forward for taking care of such infrastructure by way of donations or collections not exceeding Rs 5000/- per month. The task of providing funds for protecting FTL's and maintaining FTL’s cannot be the responsibility of the respective RWA's, after the HMDA hands it over to them. NGO’s and RWA’s can be watch dogs to this issue. (When I say RWA it means the non-political RWA's). I do not feel that private organizations will come forward expressing EOI without profit basis.
The clause that the RWA's coming forward to take up the task of lake protection should give their financial status is a crude joke if not an insult to the Civil Society. RWA's or Federations of RWA's are run on service mode and are non-profit agencies. HMDA should instead institute a fund with grants from State Govt and provide it to RWA's who will be answerable to its expenditures.
Further in its Memorandum of Understanding issued under the EOI at para VIII states "The party of the first part (i.e., the RWA/Commercial organisation) has also indicated to engage within a reasonable time frame, a dedicated and trained team of people, staff & professionals for preservation & protection of lake......" So the citizens interested to protect water sources have to leave their jobs and starve so that they can look after the lakes. What is the incentive in this except for Social Service?
The first thing the HMDA should be doing is to get all the SIKKAM LAND PATTAS cancelled and take back the land from the century old lease holders... The SIKKAM LAND PATTA HOLDERS are the main culprits who are hand in glove with revenue authorities and sell off their PATTA LANDS much against the provisions of the lease conditions.
I therefore feel that this EOI has been issued to benefit the unemployed political persons who will express interest to grab the lakes and they shall get all the permissions required from HMDA as stipulated under clause 3 (xii) of the Terms of reference and put up hotels, bars, restaurants and profit heavily.
GAASA was a part of LPC for Alwal lakes and was never invited to meetings because we stood for clearance of encroachments and thus became a thorn in the flesh for Revenue and HMDA authorities.
Therefore this is a game of HMDA and nothing else and RWA's will be ignored just as we were ignored during Ward Committee selections, even now RWA's will be ignored and unscrupulous elements will grab whatever is left of the lakes.
Therefore the only option left is for me is to approach the Hon'ble High Court and get the HMDA to protect the lakes and get quashed the EOI alongwith active RWA's who can support this issue of Lake Protection. HMDA cannot run away from its Constitutional duty.
The HMDA instead should take up the following as a part of their duty and then provide for lake protection to dedicated RWA’s/NGO’s instead of issuing EOI which is arbitrary, illegal and much against all canons of law.;
Removal of encroachments: Once the extent of the lakes has been identified, action must be initiated through the relevant agencies for removal of such encroachments. Where communities who are poor have encroached water bodies, they must be humanely rehabilitated, wherever possible, in accordance with the Jagpal Singh ruling of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.
Live fencing of Lakes as a permanent protection measure: The immediate next action in heavily populated and densely built urban areas should be to fix appropriate pillars for marking the boundaries.
Strengthening of Lake Bunds: Most lakes were protected as long as the bunds were secure. Due to encroachment and poor maintenance, many lake bunds are in poor shape and thus result in the water bodies losing water holding capacity and becoming dry very soon. This enables encroachments of various sorts. To prevent the loss of water holding capacity, it is critical that the bunds of all lakes must be strengthened by appropriate stone pitching (not concrete lining) both on all sides of the lake.
Desilting: Most lakes have been silted up due to poor maintenance of lakes and their watersheds. It is extremely important to ensure that appropriate desilting of lakes is undertaken to improve the water holding and recharging capacities of lakes. This should be done by ensuring that desilting is undertaken so as not to adversely affect the appropriate structure of the lake.
Overflow wiers: Overflow wiers of all lakes need to be immediately strengthened and restored. Lack of maintenance of such critical features of a lake is resulting in loss of water and thus the lake itself. Proper stone pitching must be the basis for rehabilitating the wiers as they have a longer life than concrete wiers.
Prevention of sewage inflow into the lake: Sewage treated to treatment standards must only be allowed into the lake bodies. No raw sewage or trade effluents must be allowed into lakes bodies.
Bifurcation of monsoon runoff channels from sewage channels: To maintain storm water-drains separately and not to mix the storm water (or run-off water) with sewage. Such waters may be allowed into lakes only after due wetland filtering by passing it through a dense reed-beds; these are low or no maintenance approaches that also provide habitats for a variety of flora and fauna.
Further my objections/suggestions/ amendments under each Term of Reference (highlighted in red color) are:
i. To protect the Lake up to its FTL boundaries and buffer zone, including its inlets and outlets.
Fixing of FTL boundaries are the primary duty of Revenue authorities. For this to be accomplished the MRO needs to conduct survey and fix the same. However our experience (GAASA Alwal) is that the MRO’s do not have appropriate maps or boundaries records to do so. In such a scenario, it is impossible for a non-governmental agency to protect the lake upto its FTL boundaries and the buffer zone inclusive of inlets and outlets and is a far fetched idea. As per A.P. Land Reforms (COAH) Act, 1973 and Urban Land (Ceiling & Regulation) Act, 1976, no transfer of rights shall be effected in respect of the following cases:-
(a) Sites affected under the alignment of Master Plan/Zonal Development Plan/Road Development Plan.
(b) Constructions which have come up in open spaces & of approved layouts.
(c) Constructions made on alignment of Nalas, Sikhams, Water bodies, grave yards, foreshore or FTL areas of drinking water tanks and treatment areas etc.
However all these years the provisions of these two Acts have been totally violated and we lost several lakes. Further this EOI is totally silent as to how to handle the constructions and temporary structures lying within FTL’s which have been arbitrarily legalised by corrupt officials in utter violation of Andhra Pradesh (Telangana Area) Land Revenue Rules, 1951 and are now legally provided for as being justified.
Rule. 27. Tank Bed land not to be granted on patta:- No unoccupied land situated in the bed of a Government source irrigation shall be granted on patta. (The Sikkam pattas have long been converted residential complexes. To recover these lands the HMDA need to conduct an enquiry and cancel ownership of such converted Sikkam land sites on lake beds)
ii. In case the FTL and Buffer zone and the inlets and outlets are not properly marked on ground, to take up the matter with HMDA, GHMC, concerned Collector, Revenue Department and Irrigation Authorities for marking the FTL, Buffer zone and the inlets & outlets on ground.
In January 2013, I met the Collector R R Dist and brought to her notice the fresh encroachments on Alwal Kotha Cheruvu. The Collector RR Dist passed orders on MRO Malkajgiri to fix or mark the FTL’s and provide for fencing around the lake. The MRO Malkajgiri ignored this order and for namesake made a visit and gave FTL’s for 20% of the total lake and saw to it that the fresh encroachments were not touched or removed by either his office or GHMC Alwal. This is the status for orders of Collector R R Dist. Therefore HMDA should give a time frame and legality to the LAKE ADOPTER for getting the marking of FTL, Buffer Zone and Inlets and outlets on ground. Until such time this term of reference has no meaning. It is for the HMDA to get these fixed and HMDA should rather look within itself as to why these have not been fixed so far.
iii. To assist the officials of HMDA, GHMC, Revenue Department and Irrigation Department in marking the FTL, Buffer zone, inlets & outlets of the lake.
The nature of assistance is not detailed. At present the suggestions being made by LPC in Alwal area has not been acknowledged by Collector R R Dist leave alone considering it. Therefore the details be given which may or may not fall within purview of LAKE ADOPTER. GAASA Alwal was ready to provide assistance but MRO Malkajgiri was just not interested to meet us. Unless the master plan of drainage as funded by JNNURM is implemented the inlets and outlets of lake being used as drainage sewage units cannot be marked. Therefore HMDA should take up this issue with GHMC and get the JNNURM project implemented at the earliest which provides for stopping sewage flow into the lakes. Therefore this Term of reference is hollow.
iv. In case certain extent of land falling within the FTL or the buffer zone or in the inlet streams or outlet streams falls in private patta land, not to prevent such pattadars from ingress or egress from their patta lands.
The HMDA should provide data for the extent of land. At the outset the HMDA owns some lakes as such it is under Revenue authorities or some are with GHMC. Neither the GHMC or the Revenue Authorities have the map of extent of lakes. The problem is reverse. The pattadars are not allowing citizens or RWA’s or NGO’s to ingress into their patta lands. I was attacked personally when I went to stop the sikkam pattadar from dumping debris in Alwal lake. However I overpowered them with support and handed over them to the Alwal Police. But how many can take this kind of risk ? This term of reference has to detail the extent of ingress or outgress to be made available and how it is to be implemented.
v. To maintain constant vigil by employing suitable watch and ward team who continuously monitor and ensure that no encroachment or debris dumping or any construction or tampering of the FTL boundary, buffer zone & the inlets and outlets of the Lake take place in any manner. No debris dumping should be allowed within the FTL even if it is private patta land. Similarly, no unauthorized construction shall be allowed within the FTL or in the buffer zone.
HMDA should leave this term of reference to the Corporators elected for each Ward under GHMC, Panchayat members in Gram Panchayat who have support or legal standing as constitutionally mandated. Their are several Acts of the Government which clearly necessitate the involvement of local communities in management and utilization of natural resources through the Gram Sabhas (in villages) and Ward Committees (within GHMC), and are applicable. HMDA should direct this effort to constitutionally mandated and representative local community bodies for such activities relating to lake protection, rehabilitation, management and conservation. The Ward members should be made as the watch team. The Civil Society is just not equipped for such activity. Yes the LAKE ADOPTER can take it up if he is given a constitutional status as Police or Civil Policeman. This is impossible for a small organisation like HMDA. Therefore this Term of Reference be made to Corporators or Ward members or Gram Sabha members.
vi. To maintain all inlets and outlets into the Lake so that the water hydrology is properly maintained.
This term of reference is silent on the Jurisdictional powers of the LAKE ADOPTER. Who shall clothe the LAKE ADOPTER with the powers to maintain all inlets and outlets. How can he trespass which is exclusive area of Government ? As such, lakes are drying up due to the natural slopes flowing into the lakes have been flattened with active connivance of Revenue Authorities and inlets have been lost. This is a fraud played by authorities that be and therefore is just namesake with no teeth.
vii. To prevent discharge of sewage, or any other effluent into the inlets and keep the inlets free from pollution.
As such Law prohibits discharge of sewage or other effluent into inlets as per Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Wetland Rules, 2010. Law provides that sewage or industrial effluents should be let into only after appropriate treatment. Therefore the LAKE PROTECTOR cannot be entrusted with Constitutional powers and it is the duty of HMDA to implement it.
viii. To construct I&D structures or sewerage treatment plant, if required where it is inevitable to clean the water inflow with the prior written approval of HMDA / Lake Protection Committee.
This Term of reference is silent on the funding of such treatment plants. The running cost of a 100,000m3/day wastewater treatment plant (inclusive of includes wastewater discharge fee, electricity cost, chemical cost, staff cost, maintenance and replacement cost, sludge disposal, administration cost) is US$ $339,333 or Rs 1,90,02,648 (rupees one crore ninety lakhs, two thousand and six hundred and forty eight only…calculated at 1 US$ = Rs 56). In India too, CSE, Delhi assessed the value for treating 10,000 litres of waste water as being Rs.2.0 Lakhs/day (this is apart from the civil work costing around 60 Lacs and system cost will be around 18-20 lacs). In Alwal with 2 lakh population around 3 crore litres of water (or 30 million litres) is used on an average calculation of 150 litres per person. Assuming only 50 percent goes out of Alwal in the rain water storms, still 1.5 crore litre (or 15 million litres) of waste water go into our two lakes. The cost of treating this quantity would be 30 crores per day. With such costs even the best of private companies or MNC’s will not come forward to ADOPT A LAKE, leave alone a RWA. This is the primary duty of the Government and cannot be shelved or transferred to private authorities.
ix. To maintain the outlet of water of the Lake, after duly leaving required water level in the Lake, so that lower catchment area is not disturbed.
First the FTL’s should be known to maintain this. When MRO’s are unaware of it and HMDA is totally silent then how can the LAKE PROTECTOR be entrusted with this. The Irrigation Dept has totally forgotten its bounden duty of maintaining sluice gates and most of the gates of the lakes have been non-functional or missing. This should be given to Irrigation Dept.
x. To monitor the lake water quality at regular intervals.
This job cannot be executed by individuals and can be handed over bodies like HMWW & SB
xi. To submit a detailed proposal to HMDA/ Lake Protection Committee to the effect as to how the Lake shall be maintained and upgraded to make it environment friendly with proper bio-diversity. However, the proposals shall follow the following restrictions.
. No reduction in FTL or water spread area.
. No construction in buffer zone.
. No disturbance to inlets & outlets
This is the only reasonable term of reference of all those presented by HMDA. RWA’s and NGO’s can sit together once in 6 months to review status and suggest measures. Yes. GAASA Alwal will love to be associated.
xii. Not to undertake any construction without prior approval of HMDA / LPC and after approval, to take up strictly as per conditions imposed.
This Term is the gateway for ‘legalising lake encroachments’. No discussion be entertained on this and be totally scrapped.
xiii. For taking up above mentioned obligations/activities to bear expenditure thereof.
Please see our statement under (viii) for an example.
Therefore this whole exercise of issuing an EOI without giving due consideration to standing rules and practical problems, is all an eyewash to show some ‘undue’ achievement. Strong words used in this document be excused as being a young man, I am driven with passion to protect water bodies.
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PLEASE LEAVE YOUR VALUABLE COMMENTS ON: [email protected]
SUGGESTIONS FOR BETTER RAIN WATER HARVESTING
Dr G V Rao,
General Secretary,
Greater Alwal Allied Service Association, (GAASA),
&
Secretary,
National Confederation of Resident Welfare Associations (NCRWA)
&
Executive Vice President,
United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations, Hyderabad (UFERWAS)
&
General Secretary,
Sri Venkateswara Co-operative Housing Society, Golnaka Alwal, (SVCHS)
24th April 2013
To,
The Zonal Commissioner
North Zone, GHMC
Sir,
We most gratefully acknowledge and thank you for the invitation extended to us for the seminar on RAIN WATER HARVESTING CAMPAIGN. In this regard, we are herewith placing our suggestions to promote RAIN WATER HARVESTING within all Zones of GHMC
We are pleased to inform your good self that our Federation of colonies i.e., GAASA Alwal in collaboration with CERANA FOUNDATION introduced two economically designed Rain water pits in Om Sri Sai Nagar Colony, Old Alwal and Ram Nagar Colony, Venkatapuram, on an experimental basis during the early part of this year. The recent rains have proved that these pits had received the maximum rain water as they were installed in water logging points in these colonies, as identified by the respective residents.
Therefore basing on our experiences, we request your office;
i) to trust and consult the RWA of each colony or the associated Federation, as was done by GAASA, Alwal, to identify the water logging areas within the said colony and install the rain water pits for maximum utilizations.
ii) Not to concentrate on digging rectangular cubes or pits, but also consider the following to recharge ground water with other structures as detailed :-
a) Trenches:- These can constructed when the permeable stream is available at shallow depth. Trench may be 0.5 to 1 m. wide, 1 to 1.5m. deep and 10 to 20 m. long depending up availability of water and many road side areas are the best preferences. These can be back filled with filter. materials.
b) Dry wells:- Existing dry or dug wells may be utilised as recharge structure and water should pass through filter media before putting into the well.
c) Hand pumps :- The existing defunct hand pumps shafts may be used for recharging the shallow/deep aquifers, if the availability of water is limited.
d) Recharge wells :- Recharge wells of 100 to 300 mm. diameter can be used for recharging the deeper aquifers and water is passed through filter media to avoid choking of recharge wells.
e) Using nalas or streams:- Spread the water in streams/Nalas by making check dams, nala bunds, cement plugs, or a percolation pond may be constructed.
iii) to lay down a rule which shall determine the size of the rain water pits as per the size of construction or plinth so that maximum runaway water is retained. Considering the availability of rainwater in a residential site of an area of 2400sq.ft around 2,23,000 lts of rainwater can be harvested on a 100 cms rain.
iv) impose huge penalties for non-execution of rain water pits by owners of apartments and independent house owners,
v) identify and demolish concrete ramps running onto and alongside the roads,
::3::
vi) Survey and inspection of all constructions to check whether rain water pits have been installed as mandatory for water recycling,
vii) Compulsory erection of rain water pits in slopes instead of on steep roads,
viii) Provide more logistic support and finances for lake protection and control the outflow of excess water through the sluice gates in active consultation with revenue authorities.
ix) Current practice of installing rain water pits in open lands of GHMC be stopped as it is found that they are being demolished or damaged during development of parks and sports grounds. Instead the pits be located in water logging areas,
SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING POLICING IN ANDHRA PRADESH
A note prepared and presented to DGP, AP Police during
Police Public Meet on 16th March 2013, Hyderabad
The Police are a direct visible representative of the Government and its acts are symbolic to prompt efficiency, transparency and credibility of State Administration. The problems facing the Police today is of their own creation. Years of working in a system highly influenced by the Colonial mentality has led the Police to become an insensitive institution. Police is failing on all fronts including Intelligence gathering. Intelligence gathering is a key function in averting criminal activity and protection of common man. Intelligence is key to effective policing particularly in preventing or dealing with terrorism, insurgency, communal riots, organized crime, mass migrations and other non-traditional security threats. Poor intelligence has been a major cause of police failure which led to terrorist and other attacks. It was only with upgraded Intelligence activity that led to averting at least 50 publicly known terrorist attacks against the United States since 9/11. The fact that the United States has not suffered a large-scale attack since 9/11 speaks to the country’s counterterrorism successes.
In contrast our police force has been constituted in a top down manner and lacks accountability to citizens; it is conditioned to respond only to two signals: A kick from above and a bribe from below. Today the most important functionary, a Police official working in a Police station including constables of the Police Organisation have been neglected if not being totally exploited.
Today the lower level of Police personnel have come to stay as a symbol of poorly paid, poorly trained, poorly equipped, thoroughly demoralized and commonly disliked, lacking the capacity even to enforce traffic laws honestly and efficiently, leave alone be effective in combating serious crimes. Even a superficial look at the miserable working and living conditions of a Constable at the local police station level, without basic amenities including rest rooms or barracks proves why their efficiency to perform their responsibilities is low and how distorted relationship between him and the elite IPS officers has become. An absence of coordination between various wings of Police and the unholy political pressures under which they operate, are enough to show that they are no longer believed by the common man to be instruments of law and order.
SUGGESTIONS
Until such time some progress is made to improve the working conditions of the Police personnel the terrorists cannot be rooted out, and our free nation will be under threat from global terrorism.
In contrast our police force has been constituted in a top down manner and lacks accountability to citizens; it is conditioned to respond only to two signals: A kick from above and a bribe from below. Today the most important functionary, a Police official working in a Police station including constables of the Police Organisation have been neglected if not being totally exploited.
Today the lower level of Police personnel have come to stay as a symbol of poorly paid, poorly trained, poorly equipped, thoroughly demoralized and commonly disliked, lacking the capacity even to enforce traffic laws honestly and efficiently, leave alone be effective in combating serious crimes. Even a superficial look at the miserable working and living conditions of a Constable at the local police station level, without basic amenities including rest rooms or barracks proves why their efficiency to perform their responsibilities is low and how distorted relationship between him and the elite IPS officers has become. An absence of coordination between various wings of Police and the unholy political pressures under which they operate, are enough to show that they are no longer believed by the common man to be instruments of law and order.
SUGGESTIONS
- The duty hours of the Police Officials manning a Police Station need to be fixed. Shift system should be introduced for field staff upto the level of Inspectors. 8hr shift is recommended with a staff holiday of atleast 1 day for every 10 days of work or best once in a week. The practice of making them work continuously for days together should be abolished or banned.
- Resting areas for lower grade officials in Police stations has to be provided which are totally neglected and presently unavailable. A rest of 2-3 hours during disturbed conditions is very essential to Police personnel who are working continuously and for them no accommodation is available for them to lie down for rest.
- The Police to Public ratio are presently very poor and has to be enormously enhanced. The police population ratio must be improved in a time bound manner. For instance, in Alwal Area, we have 1 Police person for every 6000 citizens. Under such conditions how can we feel safe?
- Women SI’s and Women constables need to be provided on full time basis for each Police Station under Urban areas.
- Police patrol vehicles which were purchased over 12 years ago need to be replaced and their number increased. The recurring budget for maintenance needs to be enhanced to keep vehicles in condition to attend to Crime Control Patrolling. High speed mobikes need to be provided to BLUE COLTS and old bikes be phased out. These are essential to provide quick response in severe conditions.
- At present Weapons in the Police stations are old and of vintage value. Procurement of weapons has been delayed by red tape. They have to be immediately replaced with modern ones and with ammunition. Training in use of weapons should be provided from Constable to Highest officer of the Police Station.
- A regular training and refresher courses need to be made mandatory for every Police person atleast twice in a year. These courses should be conducted twice in a year which should include physical exercises and exposure to modern methods of
- Police should upgrade the technologies to fight crime such as facial recognition systems, automatic license plate scanners, and satellite imaging. Use of GIS & GPS software for daily work of Police should be implemented in various applications, including criminal intelligence and crime analysis, crime prevention, public information, and community policing.
- The CLUE Teams should be available at Zonal level with properly trained and equipped teams.
- A psychological assessment of mental condition of Police has to be periodically conducted for better health of such officers. Officials who are found stressed out should be moved away from Law and Order functions to other non-stressful posts until such time they are found fit again. Such persons become unfit to perform cutting edge policing involving active interface with citizens
- Separate the investigation and law and order functions of the police.
- Service conditions of constabulary and lower ranking officials should be improved.
- Particular attention may be given to sensitizing them in regard to human rights.
- There should be a complete ban on the use of constables as personal servants and orderlies. It vitiates the morale of lower level staff by destroying their self-
- There should be proper utilization of funds to equip the police force to tackle terrorism, cyber crime, piracy, organized crime and economic offences. We should have modern facilities such as mobile data retrieval systems, computer data retrieval systems, face and fingerprint recognition search management systems, global positioning systems, and speed dome cameras.
- Improper and inappropriate spending of funds under Modernization of Police Forces (MPF) has led to non-upgradation of weaponry and vehicles, and computerization. According to statistics from the Union home ministry's Bureau of Police Research and Development, only 58% of police modernization funds had been used during 2011-12. The Centre and respective state governments provided 1,150.1 crore for modernisation but only 671.19 crore was spent. In 2011-12, most police expenditure was on constructing buildings. Data shows that 1,189 crore was spent on housing, and 912 crore on training.
- At present, there is no well-established system of performance evaluation. The present DGP Sri Dinesh Reddy introduced the grading system for officers of SI’s and above. The lower staff including the Home Guards and Constables is not assessed for decades and this has led to lack of motivation in performance of duty. Grading system should be introduced for Constables, Head Constables, ASI’s just like SI’s and above. A system of evaluation needs to be put in place which is consistent and gives a holistic evaluation of the police on the basis of pre-determined planning, provisioning and rationalized performance parameters which could pave the road to better policing year on year. Incentives for good performance and training for under performers should be included in service conditions.
- VIP security needs to be reviewed and dismantled. As an immediate measure, L & O Police should not be allocated for VIP security.
- Community policing philosophies should be encouraged by reviving the Mythri sangam bodies in each Police Station by involving trustworthy representatives of Resident Welfare Associations through a transparent process. These Mythri bodies would be an act of Citizens’ Policing to promote the community’s participation in prevention and control of crimes, and for the protection of human rights.
Until such time some progress is made to improve the working conditions of the Police personnel the terrorists cannot be rooted out, and our free nation will be under threat from global terrorism.
After I submitted my above suggestions for better policing to DGP and Commissioners of Police, the Cyberabad Commissioner of Police was kind enough to give a thought to my suggestions and sent a proactive reply to me which is being given below:.
------------------------------------------------------------------------- Forwarded message ---------------------------------------------------
From: cp <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 11:37 AM
Subject: Re: Suggestions for better policing
To: gaasa alwal <[email protected]>
Dear Dr. G.V. Rao,
I am in receipt of your mail thanks for suggestions for enhancing the working of Police force. Your mail has been forwarded to our officers at various levels to come with proposals and suggestions for discussion. After receipt of reply from them necessary steps will be taken.
Warm regards,
Commissioner of Police,
Cyberabad.
IMPROVING ELECTROL ENROLLMENT FOR GENERAL ELECTIONS – 2014
On Invitation from Chief Election Commissioner A.P.
on 22nd May 2010 at Jubilee Hall, Hyderabad
Presented by : Dr G V Rao, General Secretary, Greater Alwal Allied Service Association (GAASA).
Contact details: Mob: 9849006955 and email: [email protected]
Andhra Pradesh has a population of 7.5 crores and covers an area of 2.76,754 square kilometers. The electorate of AP is 5.66 crores. We all are aware that many out of the 5.10 crore electorate could not exercise their franchise due to lack of election card or other recognized document for identification. Mere back slapping ourselves as the biggest democracy in the world and conducting elections as best exercise of duty is just not sufficient. I am strongly against outsourcing this enrollment process since we have sufficient manpower in this country. Outsourcing has been experimented enough and each time we have failed in our duty at huge expense to the exchequer. We always ignore our strengths. Our population is our strength and not weakness.
Budgetary allocation needs to be planned strategically and the Government needs to spend at least an amount of Rs 200/- (subject to deferring cost of logistics) for providing each citizen his right to adult franchise, a fundamental right over the next five years. This Electoral card would serve as an identity card for all purposes just as a Social Security Card or number is guaranteed for US Citizens. Once each citizen is assured an electoral card then it could be made mandatory for a gas connection, rental, purchase of properties, booking of air and rail tickets etc., or for everything and every time a citizen wants to do a transaction. Maybe a dry spot of blood on the electoral card would also serve it as a biological identification card. Let’s leave that to future and another forum.
I propose that the following plan of action be put in place for enrolling each and every citizen of AP in particular and India in general. The Municipal Corporations (hereinafter referred as “MC”) and Gram Panchayats (hereinafter referred as “GP”) shall not be involved in enrollment process of electorate. Further their role should be restricted to transfer of their data base to Election Commission (hereinafter mentioned as “EC”).
Within AP we have 21,943 GP’s, 7 MC’s, 1096 Mandal Parishads, 109 Municipalities, 22 Zilla Parishads and 1 Nagar Panchayat.
ROLE OF MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS IN URBAN AREAS AND GRAM PANCHAYATS IN RURAL AREAS DURING ENROLLMENT PROCESS.
TIME FRAME: 0 year to year 1.
The Municipal Corporations and its offices managing its various circles, Gram Panchayats etc., shall complete their respective databases of registered households with door numbers of all the residential units within their jurisdiction within a span of 1 year. This data would comprise of names, ages, sex and addresses with phone numbers of the residents within each MC and GP. The time frame of 1 year or 200 working days would be sufficient for each MC and GP to complete the data collection.
TIME FRAME: 1 year to year 3.
This data in soft copy and hard copy would be passed over to the EC. The EC in turn would divide each circle within each MC and GP into Zones based on geographical terms. That means each zone would be named as NORTH, SOUTH, EAST and WEST Zones.
As of 31st December 2004 the number of unemployed youth in Andhra Pradesh was 18,79,000. Today it could be more than 20 lakhs. So the EC should draw candidates on contract basis from the employment exchanges who have working knowledge of English and Telugu. That absolves the MC’s from deputing their officials for enrollment. These contract employees of the EC would be deputed to different zones as earmarked earlier for cross checking of data passed over by the MC and GP as well as Mandal Parishads and Zilla Parishads.
The enrollment staff would be made in groups of 10 members each and would be given a target of 400 households every day (this number could vary as per the household to staff ratio) to complete the cross checking and updating in hard copies. Each group would be provided with a lap top computer with either web or digital camera to record the data and photo of the voter. The software should be simple and handy. These groups have to visit each household 3 times in all viz., during day time, during night time and during week days and holidays. The enrollment staff in groups would work in 3 shifts of 9 am to 5 pm and 5 pm to 1 am and 1 am to 9 am.
For every Zone the EC would take a control room in a space to be provided by the revenue department or any other department which can spare working space. The enrollment staff would download all the information collected in their lap tops to the main server with backup for storage and preparation of the electoral cards (storage area network or SAN servers which has storage space in terabytes or 10000 lakhs kilobytes). Each server costs anywhere around 20 lakhs to 80 lakhs of rupees.
The time frame should be strictly adhered to complete the photographing and collection of details of each voter in the earmarked areas.
Parallel the enrollment could also be done by distribution of enrolment forms from Medical shops, Banks, Post offices, Shops etc or from the website. Capable voters could enroll online on the upgraded EC website which also should have frequently asked questions about how to enroll online. The other option to be given is to enroll by post. Voters can enroll by post by downloading the enrollment application form, filling it out and sending it by post, fax or dropping it into any post box free of cost.
TIME FRAME: 3 year to 4 year
During the last phase of this time frame, a period of 2 months should be allocated and voters informed via TV media and newspapers to all the missing eligible voters to enroll. Inform the consequences of not enrolling also. After the end of the time frame of 2 months, and beginning of the 4th month of the 5th year, all eligible voters should be issued a draft election card with photo, by the enrollment staff. These cards need to be checked by the eligible voters and given back to the enrollment staff, who shall collect them back, after a time break of 20 days. Therefore almost 5 months would be over in the 4 to 5 year time frame. After receiving the draft election card with or without corrections the final cards need to be completed and handed over by the enrollment staff to the eligible voters during the 8th month to 9th month of the time frame year. Civil society organizations could be associated to facilitate the process and to endorse the final product. In all about Rs 1000 crores would be sufficient for ensuring a trouble free and best exercise of 100% enrollment process for around 6 crore of voters in AP, in case the Election Commission is ready to implement it.
NO FIXED ADDRESS ENROLMENT
The needs of the citizens who have no permanent address are not addressed, at present, by the EC. For such citizens a no fixed address enrolment form needs to be put in place. This no fixed address enrolment form could be used in the state or territory for which the citizen is claiming enrolment, even if it is not the state or territory in which the citizens are currently living. Just copy the form being used by the Australian Government and modify it with their permission and use it. This form should be completed and returned to the EC.
The form could ask for a short statement to support citizen’s application state that he is experiencing homelessness. The form could ask the citizen to identify a residential address for which he can claim enrolment, and has instructions on which address he should use. The citizen would need to provide proof of identity. If the citizen does not have a driver’s license and does not have one of the accepted identification documents, two people who are enrolled and who have known him for at least one month can confirm his identity by signing his form.
HOW TO COMPEL VOTERS TO COOPERATE IN ENROLLMENT PROCESS
The EC should by all means see that the voters get their final election identity card by the end of 9th month of the final year of the 5 year time frame. The EC needs to come to an understanding with the Electricity distribution agency to collect the electricity consumption charges for the 11th month of the 5th year time frame from the consumers only on production of the election card or face disconnection. This is applicable for urban populations. For rural populations, the ration supplies or Arogyasri Card etc., could be stopped until the production of electoral card.