http://www.praja.in/bangalore/blog/murali772/2008/07/30/just-how-regulate-wisely-remains-question-today Muralidhar Rao
On Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 12:20 AM, Dwarakanath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: The only reason what we could see the shifting of constitutional > responsibility, with proping up commercial motives in the guise of public > interest. If a Corporate wants to do water business in India let them to > under the Company Laws, why should every aspect of government functioning > should be privatised. Do we envisage that at a certain point of time the > Administrative function itself could be privatised. Does the Corporates > import water and distribute in India. Do they bring down Bhagirathy from > heaven. Where is the water. Every small lake is being targeted in the > guise of development. One only has to see the Declaration of the Government > for PRR edited by BDA as to how many lakes are being targeted for Roads. > How does the water charge into ground. What happens to the rule that there > should be no Borewells within a certain distance. What about the > population explosition in Bangalore, the migration from other States, the > number of out of country visitors. Add up all these, probably government > could have realised it is an impossible task and want to push it away. > > On 10/30/08, Ralph Coelho <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> >> Hi All, >> >> The PROTAGONISTS of privatisation strongly believe that free market forces >> and competition will ensure that the consumer gets the lowest price or the >> best value for money. Few realise that both are not necessarily the best >> for >> the common good. Value for money may give something beyond ones purse and >> lowest price will likely give you a workable and substandard product. In >> both cases there is one common rule: THE PRODUCER MUST MAKE HIS PROFIT AND >> HE DECIDES HOW MUCH PROFIT HE SHOULD MAKE. >> >> A democratic government should work for the COMMON GOOD and PARTICIPATION >> is the way to ensure that the COMMON GOOD is RESPECTED. >> >> certain facilities such as WATER, ELECTRICITY, COMMUNICATIONS, TRANSPORT, >> ROADS are such that the real cost generally gives a price that is beyond >> that of a substantial number of citizens. On the other hand citizens have >> to >> accept that the best quality will be too costly and they have to settle >> for >> reasonable quality.Its like cutting everyone's salary or sacking some to >> contain labour costs. >> >> The facilities I have listed above are today all products and are today as >> necessary as water and air. Both these are today not in short supply but >> the >> that are constantly polluted by our own life styles and the products we >> want >> to consume. >> >> In Bangalore whether it is roads or airport sites or power or restaurant >> timings or entertainment we constantly hear that these have to meet the >> needs of the IT industry and IT community. What is happening is that their >> demands are far beyond the needs of the common man and in order to meet >> them >> the common man does not even get usable roads and affordable >> housing. This >> is where participative government should ensue the COMMON GOOD and not >> everything under the sun. >> >> Participation should aim at scrutiny of all goveremnmet expenditure to >> minimise cost and provide for the COMMON GOOD. In that context I would >> suggest that the location of the airport or roads to reach it are not for >> the COMMON GOOD. But safe roads, safe even for children and senior >> citizens, >> efficient traffic control and good and cheap public transport within the >> city should have a higher priority than the Airport and the roads to reach >> it. >> >> Similarly water and electricity should be available of reasonable quality >> and quantity at a reasonable price for all. Who really need 24/7 water >> supply in this age and who needs absolutely uninterrupted power supply . >> Ask your domestic if you can still afford one. >> >> Pushpa has rightly said that we need to be uneasy about privatising water >> supply. Can you think of any good reason under the sun why a foreign >> company >> should want to work for our Good. >> Ralph Coelho >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Pushpa" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: "Citizens' Action Forum" <[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 8:08 PM >> Subject: CAF2246 Re: Activists oppose water privatization >> >> >> >> Hi All, >> >> I have been following the ongoing discussions on the desirability or >> not of privatization of Water. I have generally always followed the >> 'middle path.' I have been an advocate for PPP in many sectors/ >> programmes of the Govt., but somehow the idea of privatizaton of our >> water supply gives me pause....I feel this is especially risky/ >> dangerous in these days of growing greed, evil, corruption and the >> widening gap between the haves and the havenots! (Check the news any >> day!) Major Kapur says no one respects anything he gets for free, and >> I agree. BUT, I still feel that we should work towards keeping at >> least this basic lifegiving thing called WATER almost free, if not >> totally free, for the majority poor. The affuent can be allowed to pay >> more, maybe? The distinction between the tapping of groundwater to >> exhaustion, and the proper and efficient distribution of water so >> there is no deficiency in service is valid. We do need to harvest >> rainwater again and make all the once-upon-a-time lakes - I believe >> there were about 80+ more lakes in Bangalore a few years ago - a >> reality again. I hear something to this effect (to relocate layouts >> in lakebeds) is planned, and I hope the govt really means to do this. >> If the sources of water is taken care of so there is sufficient to gop >> around, then only the distribution would need to be made >> efficient.That would mean CAF and others going at the Govt again!? >> >> Murlidhar, thanks for the piece form Praja about the Nagpur Govt's >> call for PPP for supply of water. What struck me was how a private >> player can supply "full capacity , uninterrupted, 24/7 water supply" >> when there is a limited supply of water to begin with? If he is going >> to recycle and thereby increase the supply of available water, perhaps >> a better and a safer option would be to get private players to produce/ >> supply more potable water and hand it to the Government which would >> continue to control the supply to consumers. That way there would >> not be atotal abdication of the Govt from its constitutional duty to >> supply Water to citizens. So the PPP can be can be tothe extent of >> producing mre potable water only. I guess, this would also set to >> rest the, I think, justified fears of the 'socialists' in this >> regard! >> >> Mr Dwarkanath, I live in Northeast of Bangalore, Lingarajapuram, and >> was not aware there is a North Bangalore Citizens' Assn. Is it the one >> at Ramamurthynagar Layout? >> >> Regards, >> >> Pushpa >> >> >> >> On Oct 26, 11:05 pm, Dwarakanath <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > Mr pranav is good starter for seeking solutions. The information >> > collection could be done ofcourse through RTI which will take about 30 >> > days. The other source is the Member of Legislative Assembly is expected >> > to >> > get all the information. It may be possible with the cooperation of the >> > MLA >> > to get all the ongoing information. Afterall he/she is supposed to >> > represent the interest of his constituents. The State Government >> Auditors >> > come late on the scene. One other possibility is the Chairman and/or >> > Committee Members of the Administrative Reforms - Mr. Veerappa Moily was >> > the >> > last Chairman of the Administrative Reforms Committee, to my knowledge. >> He >> > has a responsibility to look into the needs of reforms in the >> > Administration >> > of State Government. He should be glad to receive a delegation, discuss >> > and find ways and means of better administration. This ARC is supposed >> to >> > be a non-political one. I remember during the Governors rule, there was >> a >> > Circular that all representations received by Government should be >> replied >> > within 15 days failing which action will be taken against the persons >> > responsible for delay. This was issued by the Chief Secretaries office. >> > Filing a PIL needs unquestionable evidence of constitutional rights of >> > Public which is proposed to be contravened by an order or a decision of >> > the >> > State.A mere intention may not be sufficient. dwarakanathdm, north >> > bangalore >> > citizens assocaion. >> > >> > On 10/25/08, Pranav <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> > > Enjoyed the write ups from knowledgeable folks here - Major Kapur, >> > > Murali and Vinay. >> > >> > > Actually, I was getting at two separate points. The second one, I >> > > don't want to debate much right now is around whether PPP itself is a >> > > good way of solving the twin problem of conservation + distribution of >> > > water or not. >> > >> > > The first point I have, and want to present to all is this. We all >> > > seem to react to projects. Lack of transparency touches all projects - >> > > from the fluff like BIAL (which touches so few people) to projects >> > > basic services like water and power. A simple example: BMTC buys >> > > Volvos for Rs 72 lakh each, and then it says it will buy Tata low >> > > floor buses for 40 laksh each as they are cheaper. In the latest news >> > > reports, price of these Marco Polo buses is quoted as Rs 52 lakhs. >> > >> > > Don't go too much into just one specific example. - I just picked out >> > > numbers from news articles. I am sure the government has its auditing >> > > mechanisms, but those are likely to work more or less the same way as >> > > the projects work. >> > >> > > Esteemed folks on this list know how small to medium sized road repair >> > > projects work. And see how a so widely visible project like BIAL has >> > > gone - an auditing fraud which is only waiting to be exposed. >> > >> > > What if instead of attacking individual projects and wasting our >> > > energy project after project, we plan a motherhood type PIL asking for >> > > transparency in all public works and PPP projects. It is certainly in >> > > public interest for all public works to be transparent right from >> > > start to finish - EOI, to Work Tender, to Bill settlement to quality >> > > audit to closure. We could do this via newly formed tax payers >> > > association. We could say quality execution of public works to provide >> > > works basic services (water, power, transportation, I leave out food >> > > here) is in public interest. This could possibly be proven with >> > > statistics and reason. >> > >> > > Demanding accountability by asking government to set clear norms for >> > > pro-active disclosure norms of RTI is likely to be seen as a >> > > constructive PIL. I have heard ideas around fixing accountability by >> > > doing this like suing government, say asking BESCOM to pay for damaged >> > > appliances due to voltage surge - those may be a little too >> > > aggressive. There would certainly be other ideas as well. >> > >> > > Promoting transparency is a major goal CAF has set for itself. If all >> > > CAf members join our energies, at least for a while, and not splinter >> > > our efforts chasing individual projects, I think that could be a good >> > > long term strategy for us. >> > >> > > This is not to disrespect each one of us who is chasing select >> > > projects here (water PPP, BIAL RTI efforts, NICE land muddle etc etc). >> > > But every little or big project we get to the details of is like a >> > > potential battleground for activists. >> > >> > > So, why not chase the transparency goal for once and for all - via a >> > > well thought out PIL that looks at making proactive disclosure norm of >> > > RTI more concrete, and details out the whole process in which public >> > > work is carried out, and then suggest modifications in public >> > > interest. >> > >> > > regards, >> > > Pranav >> >> >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> >> >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com >> Version: 8.0.175 / Virus Database: 270.8.5/1755 - Release Date: 10/29/2008 >> 5:27 PM >> >> >> >> >> --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Citizens' Action Forum" group. 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