Greetings from the National Campaign for People’s Right to Information (NCPRI).

As you might be aware, the National Campaign for Peoples’ Right to Information (NCPRI) has demanded that the government concurrently put in place a series of anti-corruption and grievance redress measures to effectively tackle corruption at all levels. Our proposal include the setting up of a strong Lokpal Bill, a strong and independent National Grievance Redressal Bill, a stronger Judicial Accountability and Standards Bill and a more effective Whistleblower Protection Bill.

A key element of these measures is a National Grievance Redress legislation which provides for an independent, decentralized grievance redress mechanism. The NCPRI has prepared a draft bill to provide for an accessible, decentralized, and responsive system equipped to deal with grievances in a time-bound and accountable manner. The provisions for this bill have been based on consultations and discussions with activists and different organisations and campaigns from different parts of the country. The NCPRI draft Bill is available at www. righttoinformation.info.

The Government of India has also prepared a draft ‘Right to Grievance Redress Bill’ which it has placed on in its website, and based on changes after reviewing comments received, it is expected to be placed in Parliament in the current session. It is understood that this Bill will be a compliment to the many Public Service Guarantee Bills that have been passed in different States including Delhi.

The NCPRI, along with many other organisations has decided to organise ‘Registration of Grievance camps’ in order to understand some of the existing mechanisms, and bring particular attention to the support citizens would require in registering their grievances. This would also help address many of the challenges to redressing citizens grievances in a timely and effective manner. We feel it important to provide a public platform where these issues can be understood in a more tangible and practical manner, and that this process take place in Delhi at a time when such legislation is being debated and discussed in Parliament.

It is proposed that four pilot camps would be organised by the NCPRI along with local organizations Satark Nagrik Sangathan, JOSH, Pardarshita and NFIW and others from 14-16th December. These camps will be held at all four venues on all three days, but we have a set of focus days for the press as follows:

  • 1. Aandolan park, Savitri Nagar, New Delhi – 110017 [Satark Nagrik Sangathan] 15th and 16th December
  • 2. D.C. Complex, North East, Bunkar Vihar, Nand Nagari, New Delhi 110093 [Pardarshita] 14th December
  • 3. 13 Block Savitri Bhai Phule Park, Trilokpuri, New Delhi – 110091 [JOSH] 15th December
  • 4. Takyya Calysha – Behind GB Pant Hospital [NFIW] 15th December

The 14th is largely the day of awareness in each of these four localities. 15th and 16th are the days of consultation, and filing of grievances. The camps will take place daily between 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

The three day camp will then be followed by a jan manch to demand that the government pass a strong grievance redress law where political party representatives will be present. This is on the 17th of December (Details will be provided closer to the time).

We urge the Press to visit the camps while they are in progress, to document the nature of people’s grievances, and see whether the current system is able to address and redress these grievances. There will also be people who have repeated unaddressed grievances that you can pick up as case studies. This is an extremely important exercise, especially in a context where a separate Grievance Redress Bill has just been passed by the Cabinet.

We will be in touch to provide further details.

Regards,

Anjali Bhardwaj, Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey

(For the NCPRI)