India, Maharashtra, vijay kumbhar, News, Governance, RTI, Transparency, Civic Issues, Real Estate: Privatization
Showing posts with label Privatization. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Privatization. Show all posts

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Slovenia amended the constitution to protect 21st-century liquid Gold, Water is the fundamental right of the citizens!


Slovenia, the small country in the European Union has incorporated water into the Constitution as the basic right of all. Two years ago, the Parliament of the country amended the Constitution, saying ‘the country's abundant availability of 'water is a public goods under a country's system and not a product of market' country's abundant clean supply are 'a public good managed by the state' and 'not a market commodity’. Slovenia has the basic right to all citizens of drinking water in the Constitution and to stop its commercialization. This resolution was accepted by a number of 64 against the number of 0. The then prime minister, Miro Cerar, had urged lawmakers to pass the bill saying the country of two million people should “protect water – the 21st century’s liquid gold – at the highest legal level”

Image Courtesy www.slovenia.info

A couple who come s to me for some guidance on their work. Wife is Indian and the husband is Slovenian. According to them one reputation in Slovenia is of immense importance. This couple has travelled almost across the world. After that, they decided to do something good in India and came. According to the girl, she received a lot of honour in her husband's country.

“Article 70a

(Right to Drinking Water)
Everyone has the right to drinking water.

Water resources shall be a public good managed by the state.

As a priority and in a sustainable manner, water resources shall be used to supply the population with drinking water and water for household use and in this respect shall not be a market commodity.

The supply of the population with drinking water and water for household use shall be ensured by the state directly through self-governing local communities and on a not-for-profit basis.”

II
Laws regulating the matters referred to in the new Article 70a of the Constitution must be brought into conformity with this Constitutional Act within eighteen months of it entering into force.

This Constitutional Act shall enter into force upon its promulgation in the National Assembly.

Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia No. 75/16 of 30 November 2016


Same the behaviour she was expecting from the people of India for her husband. But unfortunately, when they landed in India very first experience with a builder was a nightmare for them. She also had to face a lot of harassment for herself as well as for her husband. But when the builder realized that the couple is not going to succumb to any pressure, he was ready to take back the house and refund the money. But That is not enough for the couple they are expecting an unconditional apology from him. Nothing has happened yet. Now both are experiencing the Indian system in different offices


 After complaining to the Chief Minister and Food and Drug Administration about packaged purified water two days ago they both came to me when I was talking to the Reporters. They were surprised to hear the matter of privatization of packaged water and privatization of dams in the state.  They told me that in their country even if the water reservoir is private it cannot be closed and access to water cannot be restricted, anybody.

The quality of water in Slovenia is very good and, in the future, it will gradually become more valuable good. Due to its increasing value, in the future, foreign countries and international corporations may target it and increase the pressure on Slovenia. To protect water from such pressure Slovenian parliament has made it the fundamental right of citizens. Apart from Slovenia, more than 15 countries have taken such a decision. Slovenia is the first European Union country to include water rights in the Constitution.




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Sunday, September 13, 2015

FTII row, non issue being stretched too far

Students of Film and TelevisionInstitute of India ( FTII) are on strike since last 93 days. Their demands are legitimate or not may be the matter of debate. However one thing is clear, everybody associated with FTII i.e ministry, administration and students can not claim innocence in this matter and everybody is stretching the issue too far.


Photo courtsey Ravi Karandeekar






Right now this issue is focused on the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as ​the ​President of FTII and ​Chairman of the Governing Council (GC).  Students have ​also objected to the Rahul ​Solapurkar, Anagha Ghaisas and ​Narendra Pathak​ as members of the Council​. However​,​ it seems that agitation is​ now​ focused only on Gajendra ​Chavan.

Photo Courtsey Ravi Karandeekar


There is no doubt that nominations or appointments on several authorities or Institutes like FTII are always politically motivated. It is also agreed that process of such appointments must be transparent. There may be some substance in argument on credentials of Gajendra Chavan. But it is also fact that President of FTII or chairman of its Governing Council doesn’t have any special powers. Decisions are taken in governing council meetings on “majority carries the point” basis. Then how come appointment of members who doesn’t have any special power or authority became such a  “big issue”?.

Photo courtsey Ravi Karandeekar
FTII is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and is registered under the Societies’ Registration Act of 1860. There are ​a ​total 26 members ​in the ​Society and a ​President. Th​e​members are appointed by​ the​ ​Central Government under various categories. The 26 members elect 13 members for the​ GC. The general superintendence, direction, control and administration of the affairs of the ​Institute, its property and income vests ​with the GC. ​The President of FTII is by default ​the Chairman of the GC. ​The ​GC has power​s​ to appoint other committees and​ the ​​Academic ​Council and​ the​ Standing ​Committee on ​Finance are ​formed by ​the ​GC.

The GC, as the apex body of the FTII, is responsible for making all major policy decisions of the Institute in consonance with its aims and objectives. ​I​n any event, the 4 members ​of the GC ​against whom allegations ​h​a​ve be​en made cannot take or manipulate any decision. Then why are the ​​Government and more particularly the students making a prestige​ issue on this​ point? Removal of Gajendra Chauhan may solve this problem​ immediately​.​
Photo Courtsey Firstpost.com
Then why is the Government not doing that? ​And why have the students stalled the functioning of FTII​? ​This is specially significant because politically ​affiliated members are in​ a​ minority in​ the​ GC​ and it is crystal clear that these so called politically ​affiliated members ​on the GC cannot make any difference in​ the​ functioning of ​FTII. ​Then what is bothering the students?

Since last 18 months i.e  from 4 March 2014, GC i​s ​not in ​place in FTII.​ ​And it has made no difference to the functioning of the ​Society​.​​ The tenure of the GC being 3 years, the newly constituted committee will get only 18 months tenure because the members ​will be appointed ​retrospectively i.e from 4 March 2014. And hardly 4 or 5 meeting would take place ​in 18 months​.

Photo Courtsey Mid day






Past history of institution shows that hardly any luminary has participated in such meetings. So big names​ do​ ​​not make any difference ​to the functioning of the ​Society. ​Further, there is always the chance of this issue landing up in a court of law due to ​the political ​overtones in this agitation. ​No one can then predict the outcome; however by th​at time this Committee’s tenure will certainly be over.

Support to student’s agitation grew multifold after the Congress ​Vice ​President Rahul Gandhi entered ​the fray. And as media is covering it 24x7​,​ it has now become fashion​able​ to support blindly​ put one's name behind it! ​Surprisingly, Rahul Gandhi did​ ​n​ot do anything for FTII when he ​was the ruling dispensation and had ​full ​authority​ and over a decade​ to ​take steps for​ the​ betterment of the ​FTII? ​The tenure of the earlier committee ended on 3 March 2014 and ​the Code of ​Conduct came in​ to​ force on 5​ March. Why ​did not UPAII appoint ​the ​FTII ​Committee? Why Rahul Gandhi and his government let the opportunity to appoint the new GC slip to ​the ​NDA II?

Recently actors Vidya Balan, Pallavi Joshi and Anjum Rajabali have ​also supported​ the​ student’s agitation urging the ​President to declare FTII as a ​Cent​r​e of ​Excellence and​ de-link ​it from the ​Ministry of ​Information and Broadcasting ​by making it an autonomous institution. Pllavi Joshi while supporting agitation said​, ​"Creativity and great work is an impossible target to reach in a cloud of negativity”.  ​She should have added that politics and art rarely go together! ​Vidya Balan​ ​and Pallavi Joshi are both ​appointed on FTII​ GC​.Pallavi has tendered her resignation.​

Instead of supporting the​ agitation​,​ ​Vidya and ​Pallavi should join FTII and transform the ​Institution. If one ​one 'wrong' person make ​so much difference then two right persons should make​ much more​ positive difference to the ​Society. However,​ no​ one is coming forward for​ the​ betterment of ​FTII but ​appear to be interested in supporting agitations and allegations.

Vidya balan has also talked of de-linking FTII from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and making it autonomous. FTII is already autonomous, now what de-linking will achieve only Vidya Balan may reveal.​ ​One can attach several connotations to the word ​"​de-linking​"​ and many of th​em ​could be serious.

FTII Students’ ​Association ha​s already alleged that ​the ​Union Information and Broadcasting Minister​,​  Arun Jaitley ​has ​hinted that if students d​o not “cooperate” with the ​Ministry to resolve the stand-off over the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, it could lead to FTII’s ​privatization. Earlier​,​ such agitation​s​ in FTII have ended in ​the ​termination of ​the ​course or ​temporary ​closure of​ the​ film wing​.​ ​In such circumstances,​students should help run the ​Institute​e and not ​nip the intention of closing ​the Institute or its privatization in the bud​.

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RTI KATTA is a platform to empower oneself through discussions amongst each other to solve their problems by using Right to Information act, Every Sunday at Chittaranjan Watika, Model Colony,Shivaji nagar, Pune, between 9.30 to 10.30 A.M.


RTI Resource Person, RTI Columnist
Phone – 9923299199
Email – kvijay14@gmail.com
Website – http://surajya.org