NEWS ::

v Training Programme on Monitoring PMGSY Rural Roads for Citizen Monitors held in Parlakhemundi, Gajapati

 

The Youth for Social Development (YSD) organized a three-day training programme on PMGSY rural road monitoring for citizen monitors in Parlakhemundi, Gajapati last 22-24 November 2011. Thirty-one (31) citizen monitors selected from Gajapati district and 12 local NGO representatives participated in the intensive practical training. Mr. Chaudhury, Junior Engineer of Rural Works- Parlakhemundi, Retired Engineer Chatrabhuja Pattnaik and Dr. Srikanth Patibandla, Programme Manager of the Citizen Action Support Group, Public Affairs Centre-Bangalore joined as Resource Persons to the workshop.

 

 

The training is part of the project Enabling Community Monitoring of Rural Road Projects (PMGSY) in Ganjam and Gajapati Districts in Orissa being implemented by YSD with support from the Affiliated Network for Social Governance-South Asia Region based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

 

v YSD meets for the Strategic Planning Workshop of “Centre for Local Government Budget and Policy Research”

 

YSD conducted the strategic plan workshop for the “Centre for Local Government Budget and Policy Research” on 1st October 2011. The workshop was aimed to review the Centre’s accomplishments and lay down a strategic plan for next five years. Together with the YSD staff, the ANSA-SAR team and two social development practitioners from local NGOs shared valuable insights and suggestions to advance the work of the Centre.

 

 

 

 

v ANSA-SAR team visited field areas of PMGSY Rural Road Monitoring Project

 

Team of three led by Dr. Gopakumar K Thampi, COO, Nuzhat Jabin and Sarah Iqbal of  ANSA-SAR visited to learn from the field experiences of the on going PMGSY rural road monitoring project in Gajapati districts of Odisha and participated in two meetings with the communities in Chintapalli and Sindling village on 30 Sepetemebr 2011. The visit explored new possibilities of engaging communities in social accountability and the team provided valuable insights in to the ongoing procurement monitoring project.

 

 

 

v Training on Right to Information for the citizen monitors conducted

 

Citizen Monitor’s training programme organised during 12 September 2011 on right to information. Selected citizen monitors from targeted villages of Rayagada block trained on RTI and its usage including framing questions, filling RTI, follow up to get information and also the usage of information to act on certain issues of transparency and accountability. More than 22 citizen monitors participated and practised dummy RTI applications for more understanding and clarity.

 

 

v ‘Citizen Resource Centre’ Kainpur, Gajapati conducted its first consultation with youth on social accountability

 

Citizen resource conducted its first consultation with youth in Kainpur on 10th September, 2011. This includes identifying the issues of the youth and the locality. Team mobilised the interest of the youth by disseminating the objectives of the centre and its function. They were sensitised on various issues related to corruption and lack of accountability in various public programmes like PDS, ICDS, MDM, public health care etc. More than 22 youth participated in the consultation.

 

 

v Coalition Against Corruption and YSD organized peaceful protest in Solidarity to ANNA HAZARE.

 

Coalition Against Corruption and Youth for Social Development organized and participated in a peaceful protest on 16 and 17th August 2011 in solidarity with Anna Hazare. More than 150 people and Brahmapur Nagarika Manch, Dakshina Odisha Vikas Parishad, Patanjali Yoga Samiti and several other citizen groups joined in the two day peaceful protest against corruption.

 

Anna Hazare's protest for Jan Lok Pal Bill has been gaining huge momentum across the country. In Brahmapur activists, CSOs, students, citizens groups and common man have been participating peaceful strike, candle march, bike rally and several other forms of protest against corruption and fasting in solidarity with Anna Hazare.

v YSD received the India NGO ward 2010 (EAST region)

 

In the award ceremony Mr.Bibhu Prasad Sahu of YSD received the Indian NGO award in India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on 5th August 2011 organised by the Resource Alliance and the Rockefeller Foundation. YSD won the regional winner in the small category in EAST region. The India NGO Awards acknowledges and reward the organisation which are setting and promoting best practices in resource mobilisation, accountability and transparency.

 

 

 

 

 

v Citizen Monitor’s training programme on Right to Information and PMGSY

 

Youth for Social Development conducted Citizen Monitor’s training on Right to Information and awareness on PMGSY on 27 July 2011 at Sailada Village in Gajapati district. Two senior level officials from Rural development Department and Mr. Srikant RTI activist from OSAM participated as resources persons. 47 Citizen Monitor’s participated in the training programme.

 

 

 

 

 

v YSD Regional Winner (EAST) of INDIA NGO Awards 2010

 

YSD has been selected as the Regional Awardee from the EAST region in Small Category for India NGO award 2010 by the Resource Alliance and The Rockefeller Foundation.

 

The National winners in each category will be announced at the Award Ceremony on August 5th, 2011 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

 

Organizations has been evaluated on their effective and sustainable mobilization of resources, good governance practices, transparency, accountability and the impact of the work in bringing about tangible benefits to its targeted communities. For more details please visit http://www.resource-alliance.org.

 

 

v YSD launched Citizen Resource Centre (CRC) in Koinpur

 

YSD launched Citizen Resource Centre (CRC) in Koinpur village in Rayagada block of Gajapati. The ideation in promotion of Citizen Resource Centre is to create a space for the citizens to play a proactive role to improve all spheres of their life e.g. social, economic and political particularly creating an identity as a citizen, supporting access to and usage of information, promoting active and engaged citizenry where these would result in citizens competent, concerned and responsible social actor. CRC centre function as an information centre, a knowledge centre, a guidance centre, a monitoring centre and an action centre. CRC will disseminate and demystification of information, conduct sensitization and awareness programmes and conduct training of citizens in the beginning.

 

 

v YSD accredited by Credibility Alliance

 

Youth for Social Development has been accredited by the Credibility Alliance (CA) on April 29th 2011which is given after a rigorous assessment of the self-governance mechanism.  With a set of norms emphasize disclosure, in keeping the principles of transparency and accountability. CA accredited YSD for “Minimum Norms” which has the mandatory norms i.e. identity, vision, aims, objectives and achievements, governance, operations and transparency and accountability.

 

 

 

 

 

v YSD conducted 2nd ‘Public Hearing’ on transparency and accountability in Public Distribution System in Berhampur city.

 

YSD organized a “public hearing” here at Utkal Ashram Bhawan in Berhampur on April 26th 2011 to interface service providers and beneficiaries on transparency and accountability in implementation of Public Distribution System in Berhampur city with the support from Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore. In this occasion YSD team presented the report of the social audit of PDS conducted in 10 slums in Berhampur with the tools designed PAC, Bangalore. Mr. Bhaskar Sahu of dealers association’s Vice-president and one supply inspector from Civil Supply Department presented and heard different issues related PDS functioning from 58 beneficiaries.

 

 

 

v PMGSY Rural Roads Citizen Monitoring Project Launched

 

YSD launched Citizen Monitoring of PMGSY rural road projects here in Parlakhemundi, Gajapati at RMC Building on 5th of April 2011 with the support from ANSA-SAR. 18 participants from local NGO’s, intellectuals and media participated in the project launching. Er. Rajendra Kr. Pradhan, Sub Divisional Officer, Rural Development Department, Gajapati inaugurated the programme and Mr. P.C Mahapatra and N. N. Panda two intellectuals participated as guest of honor in this occasion. Mr. Bibhu Prasad Sahu, Secretary outlined the project design and the activities for the next 18 months in Ganjam and Gajapati.

 

 

 

v YSD hosted first meeting of Network of NGO’s under Citizen Against Corruption

 

YSD hosted the 1st meeting of the Network Against Corruption under Citizens Against Corruption programme of PTF at YSD office on 24th March 2011. Four partners from Gajapati and Ganjam district participated and discussed on formation of a network to fight corruption in public programmes. Mr. Varghes and Mr. Srikanth from Public Affairs Centre present as resource persons.

 

 

 

 

 

v YSD hosted State level Training Workshop of partner NGOs on Right to Information

 

YSD in association with Odisha RTI Coalition organized a two day training workshop on Right to Information of partner NGOs here in Youth Hostel Gopalpur on 26-27- February, 2011. 32 participants from 20 NGO partners from 18 districts of Orissa participated in this programme. Mrs. Sujata Mahapatra from OSAM and Mr. Kiran Kumar Mahanty from YSD coordinated this programme. At the end of the training participants visited one community in Gopalpur to interact with citizens used RTI in different government departments.

 

 

 

 

v Youth in Action (Training of Youth on Media Making)

 

YSD started an initiative to engage youth in media making with support from TakingIT Global a global programme named Adobe Youth Voice. YSD selected 60 youth from high schools of Berhampur and trained on how they will engage in social development purpose by using still, video camera and video editing software (Adobe Photoshop Premier and Element) provided by the Adobe Foundation. Two trained educators from YSD trained the youth.

 

 

 

 

v Consultation with Shop Owners Association on Improving Transparency and Accountability in Public Distribution System

 

A consultation with the Shop Owners Association on Improving Transparency and Accountability in the Public Distribution System (PDS) took place on 16th February 2011 at Utkal Ashram Bhawan, Ganjam Kala Parishad. Berhampur MLA Dr. Ramesh Chandra Chyaupattnaik inaugurated the meeting, senior corporator, BMC Mr. Ashok Shukla, and Mr. Bhaskar Sahu, Vice-president Berhampur Dealers Association attended the meeting as guests of honour.  More than 50 shop owners participated in the meeting. All accepted the findings of the Citizen Monitoring of the Public Distribution System. Resolutions were made to prepare a memorandum to submit to the government to provide benefits to the shop owners with the aim of improving PDS service delivery.

 

v Vice-President Dealers Associations, Berhampur attended PDS workshop in Bangalore

 

Berhampur PDS Dealers Association Vice-President Mr. Bhaskar Sahu participated a “Workshop on PDS and Entitlements, Scope for Citizen Engagement” on 28th January 2011 in Bangalore with Mr. Bibhu Prasad Sahu of YSD, Berhampur. He presented the situation, problems and dealers perspective on effective delivery of PDS services in Berhampur. He also visited one model PDS shop promoted by Paraspara Trust in Bangalore.

 

 

 

 

v PRIA assessed Phase-2 Anti-corruption Project

 

An assessment team from PRIA, New Delhi assessed the Phase-2 Anti-corruption project under Citizen Against Corruption programme of Partnership for Transparency Fund, USA on 21st January 2011. This includes visit to two fields (Raghupati Nagar and Pandav Nagar), interaction with community, service providers (visited one Fair Price Shop) and YSD team.

 

 

 

 

v State level workshop on Integrity Pact organized

 

A ‘State level workshop on Integrity Pact’ in public procurement organized on 3rd December 2010 at conference hall Utkal Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Bhubaneswar by Transparency International India in partnership with Youth for Social Development, officials from central Public Sector Undertakings, members of TII Orissa chapter, members of Civil Society Organization’s of Orissa were participated in the discussion to how to combat corruption in public procurement and monitor corruption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v Transparency and Accountability in Public Distribution System

 

YSD organized a ‘Public Hearing’ on “Transparency and Accountability in Public Distribution System in Berhampur” on 27th November 2010 at Utkal Ashram Bhawan, Berhampur. Two senior officials from District Civil Supply Office, Vice-president of Berhampur Dealers Association and more than 60 BPL beneficiaries were presented and demanded corruption free services. YSD team presented the report on Citizen Monitoring/Social Audit of Public Distribution System in Berhampur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

v Transparency, accountability in water service delivery, problems and prospects.

 

YSD Secretary Mr. Bibhu Prasad Sahu participated in the IRC Symposium 2010 “Pumps, Pipes, Promises” over three days 16-18 November 2010 in The Hague in the Netherlands and presented a paper on “Transparency, accountability in water service delivery, problems and prospects, a case of Berhampur city in Orissa, India. More than 120 sector professionals from 27 countries presented, heard and discussed almost 40 papers related to three streams of costs, finances and accountability in WASH.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v Training Programme of Citizen Monitors on ‘Community Monitoring of Public Distribution System’

 

Training programme of Citizen Monitors organized on 6th and 7th September 2010 to monitor transparency and accountability of Public Distribution System. 32 Participants from 10 selected slum areas in Berhampur city participated and trained how to use ‘Community Monitoring tools on Public Distribution System. On this occasion Civil Supply Officer, Berhampur Mr. M.S.Roy, Mr, Bhaskar Sahu, Vice-president Dealers Association Berhampur and Mr. Lokanath Misra President YSD were present. Mr. Roy inaugurated the programme and highlighted key points on citizen monitoring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v Public Hearing on Right to Information Implementation at Brahmapur Municipal Corporation Organized

 

On 21 June 2010, YSD held a public hearing on the performance of Right to Information in Brahmapur Municipal Corporation (BMC) following a social audit conducted during January 2010 in which trained community volunteers monitored the implementation of RTI with the participation of beneficiaries, citizens, public officials, elected representatives, PIOs and APIOs. A check was also made of the infrastructure available for RTI and the suo moto (17 point) disclosure by BMC. The public hearing was attended by two senior public officials from BMC, Chief Monitoring Officer, RTI Implementation from the Department of Information & Public Relations and other civil society stakeholders. The participants heard that only 6.7% of citizens have filed RTI applications, most of which related to public service delivery, and only 3.3% are familiar with the purpose and practice of suo moto disclosure. Moreover, applicants cited noncompliance with the Act by public authority. To balance its audit, YSD also consulted with public officials who identified lack of training and inadequate infrastructure/resources as key factors inhibiting the ability to comply with the provisions and spirit of the Act. Suo moto disclosure in particular was proven to be incomplete. As a result of the audit and public hearing, a list of five key recommendations has been given to BMC for the improvement of implementation of RTI.

v Training Workshop of Public Officials on Right to Information: A Tool Against Corruption

 

The basic objective of the training programme is to orient the public officials of the selected public agencies on Right to Information especially on their roles and responsibilities to deliver information services and act in a transparent manner to reduce corruption in public service delivery. 17 out of 28 public officials from various public authorities from Brahmapur city participated in the training programme.

 

 

 

 

 

v Coalition Against Corruption HELPLINE launched

      Anti-Corruption and Right to Information

      Join the fight against Corruption....

Coalition Against Corruption launched a HELPLINE to report corruption in public service delivery and to help citizens in filling Right to Information in Berhampur city of Orissa. Any citizens who are victims of corruption can report to this number by telling his name, address and the department which involved issues of bribe/corruption. Also citizens wish to know information under Right to Information Act, 2005 and needs help “how to file RTI application” can dial the CAC in this telephone number 0680 6450804.

v Soochana Mo Adhikar

 

“Right to information Citizen Empowerment Programme” organized in several Panchayats in Rangeilunda block of Ganjam district of Orissa. Hundreds of citizens participated in the RTI camps and their enthusiasm to know RTI and participate in the local governance to bring transparency and accountability was praiseworthy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v Public officials workshop on Urban Corruption and Public Service Delivery

 

Public officials workshop was held in District Collect orate, Chatrapur Ganjam. 13 senior public officials participated in the workshop V.Kartikeya Pandian, District Collector and Prof. S.K. Behera, Berhampur University and R.K. Sharma, Superitendent Police were present in the meaningful constructive engagement on anti-corruption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

v Workshop on Right to Information implementation

 

Mr.Jagadananada State Information Commissioner in the Workshop on "Implementation of Right to Information to achieve Transparent and Accountable Governance: Challenges and Prospects" organized by YSD.