Satark Nagrik Sangathan

Citizen Vigilance Programme

I

“ We have hard work ahead. There is no resting for any one of us till we redeem our pledge in full, till we make all the people of India what destiny intended them to be.

We are citizens of a great country on the verge of boldadvance, and we have to live up to that high standard. All of us, to whatever religion we may belong, are equally the children of India with equal rights, privilegesand obligations.” Jawaharlal Nehru

ORGANS OF THE STATE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

EXECUTIVE(Government)

Council ofMinisters

Administration

JUDICIARYLEGISLATUREMLA’s, MPs

STATE

Legislative control over executive

Judicial control over executive

Accountability: Executive is answerable to judiciary

Accountability: Executive is answerable to legislature

Citizens’ tools for accountability

• Vote

• Question – RTI

• Complaints

MCGM

Deliberative wing Admin wing

Mayor Municipal Commissioner

Corporators (227) Ward Officers (24)

Mumbai governance structure

Wards in Mumbai

Responsibilities within MCGM

DW/ Corporators• Development work within

constituencies (annual LAD fund – 1.4 crore)

• Regulatory policies• Control on admin wing/

executive• Participate in Committees• Budgets

Admin Wing/ Commissioner &

Ward functionaries

• Delivery of services

Admin wing services• Solid waste

management• Water supply• Drainage and

sewerage• Storm water drainage• Roads • Street lights• Hospitals

• Primary schools• Gardens and zoos• Licenses – shops and

hawkers• Security of BMC

structures• Advertisement

hoardings

( BEST and Fire dept)

State

Legislative Council and Assembly CM and Council of Ministers

MLCs (78) and MLAs (289) Departments

Governance structure in Maharashtra

Responsibilities within StateMLAs

• Make laws• Control over executive –

asking questions thru legislative devices

• Participate in Committees (25)• Budget – passing thru debate• Representing constituency

issues• Development work in

constituencies (annual LAD fund – 2 crores)

Admin Departments (42)

• Implementation and delivery of services

The Power of Complaints

FOR THE BMC

• Call 1916

• Go to the ward office

• Go on …http://www.mcgm.gov.in/irj/portal/anonymous/qlcomplaintreg

Getting started on your complaint

– Identify the problem – something that you feel is not working right

– Identify the public authority that is responsible for that problem/ issue

– Check the website of that public authority and submit online complaint or get address of complaint/ grievance redressal officer and file complaint

– Obtain complaint number and keep copy of complaint and follow up

The power of a question

“Hamen vishwas nahi ho raha ki hamara bacha itne bade school me padh raha hai. Soochna ke adhikar ke bina ye mumkin nahin hota.” (We can’t believe that our child is studying in such a big school. It would not have been possible without the Right To Information Act.)

- Kanhaiya Lal, whose grandson is now studying at Apeejay School

The Power of RTIo Covers central, state and local governments, and

NGOs substantially financed (directly or indirectly)

• Covers all information – documents, memos, notes, CDs, circulars, contracts, samples etc.

• Covers all Govt. officials, bureaucrats, MLAs, MPs, corporators and judiciary

• Includes information relating to private companies*

The Power of RTI• Application to be made to PIO or APIO of department

• Response timeline – least 48 hours, normal 30 days and maximum 40 days

• Has appeal procedures

• Has penalties – Rs. 250 per day and maximum Rs. 25,000 from the individual officer not dept.

• Requires proactive disclosures – Section 4 of the NRTI Act – ‘suo moto’

Getting started on your RTI

– Identify the information you need

– Identify the public authority that has the information

– Identify who to submit application to – get list of PIOs/APIOs and their addresses from department’s website or direct from dept.

– Make your application for information - clear, concise and specific

Important contact numbers and websites

MCGM control room 108, 1916, 22694725 www.mcgm.gov.in

Police control room 100, 22620081, 22621855, 22625020 www.mumbaipolice.org.in

Fire brigade control room 101, 23085991/2/3/4

BEST control room 24143611, 24146583 www.bestundertaking.com

Railway police control room 23759283, 23759201

Important contact numbers and websites

Traffic Control Room 24937746

Senior Citizen Helpline 1090

Clean-Up Mumbai helpline no. 1916 www.cleanupmumbaicity.org

Western railway control room 22017420 www.wr.indianrail.gov.in

Central railway control room 23081725 www.centralrailwayoneline.com

Ward information www.mumbaihelpline.org