The Hindu : Red-tapism `blunts' novel initiative

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002

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Red-tapism `blunts' novel initiative

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV. 25. In July this year, the administrator of the Nirmal Chhaya Complex in West Delhi got a call from the director of Social Welfare Department, U.K. Vora, asking her to form self-help groups of women who can undertake sanitation work in the entire area.

Accordingly, a self-help group of women from the After Care Home and the Short Stay Home besides a few arranged by a non-govermental organisation, Manch, working in West Delhi's Tagore Garden was formed. In all, the group comprised 22 enthusiastic members who also completed the process of electing their president and secretary.

Meanwhile, a project was formulated and sent to the Social Welfare Department detailing the work that the self-help group will do over the next one year along with its financial estimate. And till the time the project was approved, it was decided to involve women in sanitation work on "daily wages basis''. For the next two months, the women slogged but till date, they have not got their due.

While all this was happening, an advertisemnt suddenly appeared in the newspapers inviting contractors for undertaking sanitation work in Nirmal Chhaya and Tahirpur Complex. And when this was brought to the notice of Mr. Vora, a corrigendum was promised but it has still not seen the light of day.

A little investigation into the entire episode unveiled a sordid tale of bureaucratic red-tapism and the nexus between contractors undertaking construction work and the bureaucrats who want to maintain status quo. Apparently, bureaucrats in the Social Welfare department are not in favour of assigning the work to self-help groups as it will deprive them of the "commission'' they get from contractors.

While it is learnt that the file relating to the formation of self-help group in Nirmal Chhaya Complex has been sent to the Finance Department for approval, objections have been raised in regard to Rs. 72,000 per month that has been projected as the amount required for getting the work done through the group. Incidentally, the previous contractor was charging the same amount of Rs. 72,000.

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