Put pressure on the authorities to deal with the problems
of the people!

The coordination committee of the Jan Pratinidhi Manch met in Delhi on September 10 and took the decision to organize the people to put pressure on the authorities to look into their demands.

Following up on the campaign of JPM, to empower residents of slum colonies with the requisite information and mechanism to procure their ration cards, various lacunae in the existing system and errors in the ration cards issued were discussed. It was decided to organize a large group of residents from Sanjay Colony, Transit Camp, Indira Vihar and other colonies where this work is being carried out, to submit their demands in writing to the appropriate officers in charge of the Public Distribution System, asking for implementation within one month, failing which further action will be undertaken.

With regard to the struggle of the people of Transit Camp against the sealing of their houses and threat of eviction, it was noted that the Delhi High Court has ordered the DDA and MCD to provide documents showing the terms and conditions under which the people were settled there and what the resettlement plans are. The JPM coordination committee proposed that an open letter be prepared, demanding that the authorities clearly state their plans for the “green area” from which the residents of Transit Camp are to be evicted and the plans for resettlement of the evicted residents. Affected residents could be organized to sign this letter in large numbers and then go in a delegation to submit this letter to the Delhi Chief Minister, the minister for Urban Development, the Lt. Governor, members of Parliament, etc.. This would also be publicized in the media.

The case of the evicted residents of the slum in Jahangirpuri, who are at present without any shelter and for whom no resettlement plans have been announced, also came up for discussion. The coordination committee was informed that after talking with these people, senior advocate Prashant Bhushan had agreed to file a writ petition on behalf of the affected people of Jahangirpuri. JPM coordination committee decided to follow up on this as well.

It was observed that the basic problems of shelter, livelihood, PDS and civic amenities faced by the majority of the working people of Delhi are due to the fact that the existing economic and political system is not geared towards serving the needs of the people. Only a very small section has access to all the resources and the power to use them for their own private interests. The JPM coordination committee took up the challenge of preparing for a public debate and discussion on an alternative system that would first and foremost serve the interests of the majority of the working people of Delhi. It also took up the task of drafting a proposal for a convention on reforms urgently needed in the electoral system, in order that people have a greater say in deciding matters that affect our lives and the elected representatives are accountable to the people.