[pmarc] Jawabdehi Yatra

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arun...@gmail.com

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Dec 28, 2021, 6:39:47 AM12/28/21

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Social Accountability Law.pdf (78,0kB)

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Appeal letter.pdf (0,1MB) Yatra Route.pdf (2,0MB)

Zindabad!

As you are aware, social movements and campaigns of Rajasthan under the platform of Soochna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan (SR Abhiyan) have been leading a public campaign for an accountability law in the State, and for the whole country over the past decade. The core demand of this campaign is that the Government of Rajasthan pass a Social Accountability Law that ensures accountability of public functionaries towards citizens and gives citizens the right to register their grievances, participate in the redress of their grievances and have them redressed within a time bound manner. Positioned as RTI Part II, the Social Accountability Law empowers ordinary citizens the right to act on the information they have and demand accountability from the Government for the realization of their rights.

In 2016, the Abhiyan held a 100 day yatra covering all 33 districts of the State to create awareness and campaign for an Accountability Law. The Yatra involved a group of 100 activists representing nearly 80 civil society groups of the State traveling district-to-district understanding local grievances that people face, and understanding the status of functioning of public institutions across the State. Nearly 10,000 grievances were filed by people who participated in the Yatra, on to the State Government’s official platform Rajasthan Sampark and are still being pursued as of today. The yatra concluded with a 22 day long dharna demanding an immediate redressal of grievances faced by people, and the passage of an Accountability Law for the State. Pursuant to the public campaign, Indian National Congress included the commitment of passing an Accountability Law in its 2018 Assembly Election Manifesto. When the Congress party formed Government in 2018, the Abhiyan continued with its advocacy for a Bill reminding the Government to fulfill its promise and pass the Accountability Law on an immediate basis. A State level Committee was established by the Rajasthan government to prepare the draft bill with inputs from civil society, which it submitted within 5 months.

In spite of all the above, the Government of Rajasthan has not yet passed the much needed Accountability Bill. Therefore, the people of Rajasthan have decided to remind the elected Government of its promises. The SR Abhiyan will embark on a second Jawabdehi Yatra from December 20, 2021 that would cover all 33 districts of Rajasthan over a period of 45 days. The Yatra will be undertaken in a large bus, and a van called the ‘RTI on Wheels’ and will be joined by local organisations and local people in every district. About 50 volunteer activists will be with the Yatra at all times who will propagate accountability issues in areas of education, health and Covid, MGNREGA, ration, pensions, human rights, Right to Information, mining, silicosis, environment, dalit and gender issues, PESA etc. It will attempt to build on the RTI so that the work done on forging transparency in the state is carried forward to strengthen the democratic and constitutional mandate of the accountability of the State and public functionaries to its citizens. Some of the following activities will take place during the Yatra, which will spend a day and a half to two days in each District: block level meetings, seminars and workshops, RTI and accountability clinics, theatre, songs, nukkadsabha meetings, distribution of pamphlets, discussions and meetings with the administration, and an accountability ‘mela’ in every District head quarters where we’ll bring together, help document, and present to the administration the pending, and current issues and grievances of the people.

The Yatra is a purely volunteer driven collective exercise, where activists will be volunteering their time to travel around the State, and resources will be raised through individual donations from people who support the cause both in rural and urban areas. Based on a budget drawn up for the exercise, we estimate that the 60 day Yatra will cost around Rs 12,50,000. We attempt to run this Yatra with the financial support of ordinary people. We therefore request you to please support the Yatra through your financial contribution, if possible and participate in building a broad based public campaign for a social accountability law. We would also request you to circulate this appeal with those who you think would be interested in supporting this effort.

Estimated Budget

Item	Cost (in Rs.)
1. One bus	4,80,000
2. Two jeeps	4,20,000
3. Flexes for awareness generation	50,000
4. Pamphlets for distribution	40,000
5. Sound system	10,000
6. Stationary	30,000
7. Video recording equipment, hard disks and other electronic equipment	50,000
8. Expenditure for daily arrangements of yatra participants (Rs 2000 per day for 60 days)	1,20,000
9. Medical equipment	30,000
10. Funds for Dharna to be held at the conclusion of Yatra	20,000
Total	12,50,000

Account details for contribution:

· Account name: Janhit Trust

· Accounts number: 0247000101000494

· ISFC: PUNB0024700

· Branch: Bapu Nagar, Jaipur

We would be happy if you can engage with the issue in any way. Additional details may be found in the attachments.

In solidarity and best regards,

Soochna Evum Rozgar Adhikar Abhiyan

Contact numbers – 9910421260, 9413318705, 9413457292, 9413046353, 9468862200

Peoples Media Advocacy & Resource Centre- PMARC has been initiated with the support from group of senior journalists, social activists, academics and intellectuals from Dalit and civil society to advocate and facilitate Dalits issues in the mainstream media. To create proper & adequate space with the Dalit perspective in the mainstream media national/ International on Dalit issues is primary objective of the PMARC.

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