Urbanization

With steady rise in urban population, cities have emerged as the hotspot of rapid socio-economic, cultural, technological and infrastructural. Dubbed as the engines of a country’s growth, urban centers become the site of experimentation in policy solutions. Media-led urban reforms have the power of activating the civic culture of cities and aggregate bottom-up demand for urban reforms towards the cause of better livability for urban residents.

• Zameen ka Dard
• Makadjaal

Zameen ka Dard

Where it all began?

Launched in 2009, Zameen ka Dard was Patrika’s fearless campaign against the deep rooted nexus of the land mafia, media and politicians. The campaign gave voice to the stories of families who has hitherto been waging silent and futile battles against property and land frauds. It forced police authorities to take cognizance of such victims who had failed to even get a police complaint registered on their behalf. The campaign forced the government’s hand to affect stringent measures and the frauds committed in the name of housing societies were brought under the legal scanner. The campaign has remained true to Patrika’s larger vision of adding impetus to public welfare through sympathetic and relentless grievance redressal mechanisms.

Towards this end, the “CHANGEMAKERS: Heroes of Change” campaign began on 4th April, 2018 which gave itself the goal of ‘clean politics’. Through digital platforms such as web-portals and mobile applications the campaign has hoped to give back the onus of sustainable, healthy politics to the primary stakeholders of the country’s polity, that is, its citizens.

Our target areas

GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL

LAND/ HOUSING FRAUDS

NEXUS OF LAND MAFIA

How the campaign took shape:

Pressure mounted by Patrika’s campaign led the Police department to organize special camps to hear out the complaints of victims of land frauds who managed to get their cases registered fearlessly.

The government was also forced to take stringent measures- frauds in the name of housing societies came under the legal scanner.

Our impact story:

5000 complaints in 6 days

Complaints registered

Special search committees, amendment to state Cooperative Societies Act

Government action catalyzed

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Makadjaal

Where it all began?

‘Makarjaal se Haal Behaal’ is a part of Patrika’s legacy of mass-based campaign to create participative demand for governance among city residents. The need for such an intervention was felt in the Pink City which had succumbed to illegal constructions, encroachments and unorganized urban sprawl. The larger aim of the campaign was to raise a voice against the web of overlapping jurisdictions of multiple urban governance authorities. This not only confused urban governance but also divided responsibilities to the extent of leaving several policy domains of the city in a state of paralysis.

Our target areas

ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTIONS

PARTICIPATIVE GOVERNANCE

Streamlining urban governance

How the campaign took shape:

Launched in January 2004, the campaign took on the anchoring of a 21-point citizen’s charter demanding better urban governance facilities from the government. The Charter drafted read as follows:

• Jaipur city should be freed from the web of government agencies with overlapping jurisdictions. Planning and implementation of projects should be performed by a single agency which is also responsible for monitoring.
• Implementation of Municipal Corporation Act.
• Removal of light and telephone poles obstructing roads before the widening of roads can be undertaken
• Roads should not be blocked for more than a week for installation of sewerage lines. After the completion of the project, fine roads should be made again.
• Felling of trees for construction of roads should be supplemented by plantations in other areas.
• The construction site of roads and sewerage lines should feature a timeline for completion along with the contact details of an official of a concerned agency, who may be contacted for response.
• Disclosure of details of 150 crore rupees, collected in the name of development charges from colonies' established on agricultural land.
• Facilities like medical, drinking water, etc. should be provided to the newly developed colonies.
• Parking projects should be implemented in the city immediately.
• Improvement in Public transportation facility.
• Thadi-Wallas, footpath vendors and small businesses that were sabotaged during operation pink should be resettled.
• Rehabilitation projects should be implemented for slums.
• Old towns like Sanganer and Amer should be developed by the authorities.
• There should be one law regarding building construction so that heritage buildings may be conserved.
• Sanitation and toilet facilities should be arranged in every ward.
• Stopping the destruction of old heritage sites.
• Slaughterhouses in various regions of the city should be banned.
• Collection in the name of avulsion should be put to an end.
• A smooth public light system.
• Management and check on dogs, cows, pigs wandering around the cities.
• High Tension Lines passing through the residential houses around the city should be changed.

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