Who is Shaitan? : The Corrupt Qazi of Golconda

The Qazi of Golconda has been charging from both the bridegroom’s and the bride’s parents for conducting the Nikha ceremony. This is clearly a violation of Wakf Board rule, which stipulates that the bride’s parents need not pay for the ceremony fee. When as the bride’s father M.A.Khaliq pointed this out, during hisdaughter’s marriage on 17th February 2006 at Hyderabad Function Hall, Kishanbagh, the Qazi abused him in blasphemous terms. (Teri daadi mei shaitan hai)

It is quite well known in the area that the Qazi of Golconda has been indulging in corrupt practices, which harass the poor people in this area. They want an enquiry, preferably through CBI and Intelligence, into this matter and an appropriate action against the Qazi who is earning by corrupt means.

Scheduled Castes being deprived of Public Toilets in the old city

MCH has no use for Scheduled Castes? They are planning to demolish the public toilets at Bandi Ka Adda, Murgichowk, Shakkarkota, near Charminar. These public toilets are now being used by a community of about 50 poor families belonging to Scheduled Caste. Responding to the demand by a well-to-do local person, the MCH authorities are going to resort to this action.

The poor residents, who are a worried lot now, have immediately responded to this planned move today, and represented on this issue to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, A.P. High Court Legal Services Committee, Secretary, A.P. State Commission for SC & ST Commission, the MCH Commissioner, and the Additional Commissioner, MCH (South Zone).

These poor people have been enjoying the facility of public toilets in the basti for the past four decades. The households are too small to accommodate individual toilets. Thus they are entirely dependent on public toilets to answer calls of nature. The MCH Commissioner Mr Sanjay Jaju warned in the past that those who used roadsides and other public places would be penalized. On the other hand, the MCH demolishes the public facilities in a methodical manner. The MCH appears to be keen on punishing the poor.

This case is not first of its kind. At Fukrulmulk Deodi in the old city, the public toilets meant for a community of SC families were already demolished, and the people there are running pillar to post to learn why it happened. (Refere to Pay, Shit & Watch on this blog)

If the MCH does not protect their facilities, the peace-loving people will be forced to launch public protests to secure their rights.

Open School Teachers exploited by the government

The govt. is finding new ways to save money. One way is to privatise the service sector. Education, one of the most basic services that any citizen should be entitled to, is being privatised. When NGOs are given contracts for services, it does not exactly look like privatisation, right?

AP Open School Society has provided about 30 open school centres during 2002-2004 through the management of an NGO based in the old city of Hyderabad. The teachers, all poor Muslim women, were supposed to train and send students to take open school exams. They are paid on a per-candidate-this-much basis. The academic year lasts for 3 trimesters or nine months. In the first year, that is, 2002-2003, they are paid only for the first trimester. In the second year, that is, 2003-2004, they are not paid for the entire year. After an endless series of representations, it is only in the first week of February 2006 they were paid for two trimesters. Three trimesters' pay is still due. One of the teachers threatened the NGO that she would commit suicide if she was not paid her due.

When the coordinator of AP Open School Society was approached by a newspaper reporter, he pleaded not to publish this story. Why is he so afraid?

All of us in the development sector will benefit from a crash course on how to get things done from the government. Is there anybody who would offer such course?