Commitment to transparent functioning

We at Pardarshita strongly feel that while we demand the government departments to be transparent with everyone, we also have a duty of maintaining transparency in terms of our own work, expenditures, funding and so on. So, to re-iterate our commitment towards ethical and pardarshi work, we invite anyone to inspect our books of accounts.

Monday 24 January 2011

Ritu Mehra wins Citizen Journalist award

Dear Friends

It is a great pleasure in sharing the news about our latest achievement as a team. Our team member Ritu Mehra has been honoured with Citizen Journalist Award for reporting a story using a picture to communicate the issue. The picture shows students of a government school, asking residents and passersby to give them water. The school has no drinking water, literally leaving the students and teachers high and dry.

The award adheres to a 2-tier selection process involving The IBN18 Editorial Board that generates a list of nominees across various categories & The Jury comprising Eminent Citizens who select the final Citizen Journalist Award winners. It is an excellent platform to pay a tribute to civil heroes of the society who reported fearlessly and dared to raise their voice against injustice and all odds of society for a better tomorrow.

Best Regards

Rajiv Kumar
Pardarshita

Monday 3 January 2011

Police sub inspector robs a rag picker

Dear friends,
This is to bring to your notice a horrible incident that happened with Ibrahim, resident of E-44/273, New Seema Puri, New Delhi – 95, few days before New Year’s eve. 
Ibrahim is a rag-picker, who has been honestly doing his work at a garbage bin (Dhallav) situated at Shahdara (in front of Muskaan  Restaurant) for almost 15 years now, earning a dignified livelihood for himself and his family, without ever troubling anyone.
At middle of the night on 27.12.2010, 1:45am precisely, Sub Inspector (SI) Shishpal along with six policemen barged into his modest dwelling and like criminals, looted Rs 37,000 cash the man had painstakingly saved for his daughter’s wedding. The policemen also used abusive language while slapping him on his face in front of his wife and children. The harassment didn't end here as they dragged Ibrahim to Seema Puri Police Station after robbing him first at midnight.
As if this wasn't enough to disgrace khaki vardi, policemen even asked few thieves already in lock up to identify Ibrahim  as their accomplice in unlawful activities, but none of them identified  the rag picker as one of them.
After not being able to charge Ibrahim with any illegal activity at the thana, SI Shishpal ordered him to go back home. Before leaving,  when the hassled man demanded that his money be returned, he was hung upside down, and beaten severely on his lower body parts with sticks. This is police treatment meted out to hardened criminals while here is an innocent man getting subjected to inhuman, shock treatment, who was shaken out of his sleep, robbed of his life’s savings, abused physically and verbally in front of family members for no fault of his.
Next day i.e. on 28.12.2010, Ibrahim submitted a written complaint to Deputy Police Commissioner District North East Delhi, but no action against SI Shishpal was taken. On the contrary, the SI and other policemen are currently threatening strict action against Ibrahim if he didn’t withdraw his complaint.
It is such incidents that make our Nation kneel down in shame, and embarassment, where  a poor person from the minority Muslim community is targetted for extortion and loot by police, and never any rich or powerful personality, who has the resources to put everyone in their places in case of  slight trouble they might have to go through. Such crimes by police are regularly happening in Seema Puri as the majority population  here  comprises poor Muslims. It's a matter of utter shame that the level of discrimination against the weaker and vulnerable sections in our society is so high that even police has stood up against them, looting them and torturing them instead of protecting their interests as per their mandate. 
We are circulating this mail to you for seeking your suggestions because there are very few persons like Ibrahim who raise their voice against such  unlawful acts by police.  
We, at Pardarshita, believe we must help Ibrahim in his fight against a corrupt system.
Zindabad!
Rajiv Kumar

HEAVY PENALTY PAID BY BPL CARD HOLDERS DUE TO MODERNISATION OF FOOD & SUPPLY DEPARTMENT

Dear friends,
This is very unfortunate that on the one hand  food grains are rotting in godowns while on other, thousands of people who have BPL and Antodaya ration cards are not getting ration.
The Assistant Commissioner of North East District has stated before the Central Information Commission:  “because of an error in their computer program, thousands of BPL persons, who are eligible for getting ration, have been denied ration supplies.”  As a result of departmental fault ,people are not getting ration for last five months despite their ration cards.
Since August 2010, the ration supply for thousands of BPL& Antodaya card holders at 70 Circles of Delhi has stopped suddenly. On inquiry, the people affected were told the following at their respective Circle Offices: "the Head Quarter has cancelled the cards; we do not know the reason for the same.” 
The Food & Supply Department had not sent any notice for the cancellation of cards and all of a sudden, when people went to withdraw ration from the FPS shop they were told that their cards are cancelled.
In Seema Puri Constituency, 707 BPL & Antodaya cards were cancelled and when some of the card holders sought reasons for cancellation of their cards under the RTI Act, then the Public Information officer did not provide  any explanation for their cancellation. 
When the matter reached CIC,  at the time of hearing, the PIO gave the list of cancelled 707 BPL & Antodaya Ration Card Holders and informed the Commission that due to the technical fault of computer the BPL & Antodaya Cards throughout Delhi has been cancelled.
The Hon’ble Commissioner directed the PIO to provide compensation of Rs.2000 to the information seekers for not providing the information in set time limit. The Commission also directed the Food Commissioner to provide reasons why the ration has not been provided to the appellants. 
Warm Regards
Rajiv Kumar

Pardarshita

F-185,186 New Seema Puri
Delhi-110095

Ph: 01122356476, 9899358835
Blog:http://pardarshita.blogspot.com
Email: pardarshita_india@yahoo.com