Paintings by Kishita Gupta - wins prize

Mermaid

Mother Nature

Certificate

Flat Mo. 315, Pragati Apartments

झंडा ऊंचा रहे हमारा

हर वर्ष की भांति, इस वर्ष भी पार्वा ने प्रगति अपार्टमेंट्स में स्वतंत्रता दिवस मनाया.
हर वर्ष की भांति, इस वर्ष भी कुछ ही निवासी इस आयोजन में शामिल हुए.
हर वर्ष की भांति, इस वर्ष भी लोग देर से आये.
हर वर्ष की भांति, इस वर्ष भी .............. (जाने दीजिये).
एक नई बात हुई इस वर्ष. पार्वा के महा-सचिव, श्री मलिक, ने एक चुटकुला सुनाया. उन्होंने कहा कि प्रगति अपार्टमेंट्स के निवासी समय के बहुत पाबन्द हैं.

आज हुई छमा छम वारिश

कई दिनों की लुकाछिपी के बाद आज आखिर वारिश हो ही गई प्रगति अपार्टमेंट्स में. कल बादल गरजे थे, कुछ बूँदें भी पडीं पर वारिश नहीं हुई. ऐसा अकसर होता है कि दिल्ली में तेज वारिश होती है, रास्तों में पानी भर जाता है, पर प्रगति अपार्टमेंट्स सूखा ही रहता है.

खैर आज वारिश हो ही गई. विश्व स्तर के शहर दिल्ली की तरह प्रगति अपार्टमेंट्स में भी जगह-जगह पानी भर गया. इस नाते प्रगति अपार्टमेंट्स भी विश्व स्तर के अपार्टमेंट्स हो गए हैं. वधाई हो.

पंद्रह अगस्त - क्या भूल गए क्या याद रहा

पिछले वर्ष मैंने पंद्रह अगस्त पर अपनी एक रचना अपने ब्लॉग काव्य कुञ्ज पर प्रकाशित की थी. आज वह रचना इस ब्लॉग पर प्रकाशित कर रहा हूँ.

"मैं बच्चा था एक वर्ष का,

जब पंद्रह अगस्त आया था,

आधी रात सूरज निकला था,

माँ ने मुझको बतलाया था,

आजादी के रंग में रंग कर,

नया तिरंगा फहराया था,

कई सदियों के बाद आज फिर,

भारत माता मुस्काई थी,

कितने बच्चों की कुरबानी

देकर यह शुभ घडी आई थी.

रंग-बिरंगे वस्त्र पहन कर,

हम सब विद्यालय जाते थे,

झंडा फहरा, राष्ट्र गान गा,

सब मिल कर लड्डू खाते थे,

दिन भर हा-हा-हू-हू करते,

रंग-बिरंगी पतंग उडाते,

मौज मनाते, ख़ुशी मनाते,

थक जाते, जल्दी सो जाते.

अब सोते हैं सुबह देर तक,

छुट्टी का आनंद लूटते,

लाल किले की प्राचीरों से,

कुछ न कुछ हर साल भूलते,

बना दिया बाज़ार राष्ट्र को,

भूल गए अपना इतिहास,

बने नकलची बन्दर हम सब,

अपना नहीं बचा कुछ पास.

राष्ट्र मंच पर कहाँ खड़े हैं,

नायक हैं या खलनायक है,

हैं सपूत भारत माता के,

या उसके दुःख का कारण हैं?

छह दशकों के दीर्घ सफ़र में,

कितने कष्ट दिए हैं माँ को,

माँ की आँखें फिर गीली हैं,

जागो अरे अभागों जागो."

Clean Pragati Apartments Drive on Independence Day

Next Sunday is India's Independence Day. Like every year, PARWA will celebrate it this year also. I think this year this day should be celebrated in a different manner.

Flag hoisting should be done by the senior most citizen in Pragati Apartments. After Flag hoisting, he/she should be requested to share with the children, young residents and others their personal experiences of that 15th August when India became free. This first hand account will give right information to the young generation.

After that, to sensitise and educate residents about keeping the environment clean and healthy, a cleanliness drive should be launched. Selected children and young residents can speak on the importance of cleanliness, protection of environment, saving water and electricity etc. A cleanliness procession should be taken in all parts of the apartments with banners carried by children and young residents.

Let the children teach the elders.

PAWA EC should restrict the movemnt of dogs

Free movement of dogs has become a nuisance in Pragati Apartments. Dogs have a free run in the parks, on the main road, in the back lanes, everywhere. This is not correct. PARWA EC should follow the example of Mumbai society and issue a circular for restricting the movement of dogs in the apartments.

Dogs should not be allowed in the parks. They should not be left unattended. Whenever a dog is taken out of the house, the dog should accompany the dog. Dog should be properly chained. Dog owners should take take their dogs outside the apartment if they want to take a stroll. Dog owners should ensure that their dogs do not urinate and poop inside the apartments.

PARWA EC should take action to solve this problem

Today there is a function going on in the Community Hall. They have installed a DG set without acoustic enclosure. It is generating lot of noise. Residents in near by flats in Group C are forced to tolerate this deafening noise, as PARWA EC has not been pro-active to stop this noise and air pollution,which is causing lot of inconvenience to them. This is yet another example of PARWA EC not bothering about the problems being faced by Group C residents.

I am on second floor. I have closed my doors and windows, but still the sound is troubling me. I can imagine the trouple ground and first floor residents must be going through. The smoke comtainng harmful gases is coming into the flats.

Using DG sets without acoustic enclosure is also a violation of Noise Pollution Law. PARWA EC should take up this issue with concerned Govt. departments managing this comminity hall.

Photos added on 05.08.2010

Enjoy the beauty of nature

Pragati Apartments have 13 parks but its residents never get a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature. All parks are ill kept. Yesterday I was in Mohali. In the morning I visited the Rose Garden. I took many photos of roses and green surroundings. Then I made a movie from these photos. I uploading this movie so that residents can at least enjoy the beauty of nature as photographed in the movie:

Gate No. 2 needs attention

On left are some picture of Gate No. 2. Don't you think it needs attention. PARWA ECs have always been partial to Group C. No doubt Gate No. 2 is near to Group C flats, but it is also near to some flats in Group B. PARWA EC should at least give some consideration to this Gate on it being near to some flats in Group B.

Time slots when this Gate opens are also not adequate if convenience of Group C residents is considered. Whenever I have raised this issue, some EC members have talked of shortage of security staff. This shortage is not a handicap when Gate No. 3 and 4 are opened for longer periods.

I do not know what two Block representatives of Group C residents are doing for solving problems of those residents whom they represent? They have not even called a meeting of Group C residents to know about the issues they should raise in EC related to welfare of Group C residents. One block representative has even been the President for two terms, but issues related to welfare of Group C residents have not engaged his attention. What may be the reasons for this?

I have put up a post on this blog detailing the issues related to welfare of Group C residents, but both block representatives do not seem be bothered about them. It is very unfortunate.

सावधानी में ही सुरक्षा है

पुरानी कहावत है पर हर समय लागू होती है. कल रात गेट नंबर १ के बाहर नाले पर पार्क्ड कारों में से एक के शीशे खोलने की कोशिश की गई. गेट पर मौजूद चौकीदार के अनुसार वह चार आदमी थे. उसने आवाज लगाईं. उसी समय अपार्टमेन्ट के एक निवासी अपनी कार से वहां पहुंचे और उनकी तरफ दौड़े. इस से घबरा कर वह आदमी भाग गए.

घटना तो घट गई. ईश्वर की कृपा से कोई नुकसान भी नहीं हुआ. पर इस से सबक सीखना जरूरी है. क्या पार्वा कार्यकारिणी इस से सबक सीखेगी?

रात में गेट नंबर १ पर केवल एक चौकीदार होता है. बाकी चौकीदार अन्दर गश्त लगाते रहते हैं. कम से कम एक चौकीदार और होना चाहिए. दो चौकीदार हमेशा गेट पर रहें. बैसे भी पार्वा कार मालिकों से शुल्क लेती है कारों की सुरक्षा प्रदान करने के लिए. यह शुल्क एक चौकीदार को, जो हमेशा इन कारों के पास रहे, नियुक्त करने में प्रयोग किया जाना चाहिए. अब तक ऐसा क्यों नहीं किया गया?

एक और बात का ध्यान रखना भी आवश्यक है. चौकीदार रात में अपार्टमेन्ट और उसके निवासियों को सुरक्षा प्रदान करते हैं. चौकीदारों की सुरक्षा की जिम्मेदारी निवासियों की प्रतिनिधि संस्था पार्वा की है. क्या पार्वा यह जिम्मेदारी पूरी तरह निभा रही है? मुझे ऐसा नहीं लगता. पार्वा कार्यकारिणी तुरंत इस बारे में विचार करके उपयुक्त निर्णय ले. सावधानी वरतना जरूरी है. सावधानी में ही सुरक्षा है.

सवाल उठ रहे हैं, जबाब कौन देगा?

मौसम विभाग ने भविष्यवाणी की थी की सोमवार से दिल्ली में तेज वारिश होगी. सोमवार तो ऐसे ही निकल गया. सुनने में आया कि पड़ोस के पंजाबी बाग में वारिश हुई पर प्रगति अपार्टमेंट्स में मात्र चार-पांच मिनट हल्का पानी बरस कर रह गया. शाम को बहुत अच्छी हवा चल रही थी. पश्चिम विहार की तरफ काले बदल भी दिखाई दे रहे थे, पर वारिश नहीं हुई. इन्तजार करते सो गए. रात में जब आँख खुली तब देखा वारिश हो रही थी, विजली भी चमक रही थी. हलकी-तेज यह वारिश दोपहर तक होती रही. फिर धूप निकल आई. अब तेज धूप निकली हुई है और चिपक वाली गरमी महसूस हो रही है.

सीवर अभी तक साफ़ नहीं किये गए हैं. रास्तों में फिर पानी भर गया था. किसकी जिम्मेदारी है यह? पार्वा कार्यकारिणी इस बारे में उदासीन है. निवासी भी उदासीन हैं, कोई शिकायत नहीं करता. मुझे यह सब बड़ा अजीब लगता है.

ग्रुप 'सी' के छोटे पार्क में खूब घास निकल आई है, पर कुछ छोटे-छोटे हिस्से ऐसे हैं जहाँ घास नहीं निकली है. इस बारे में कुछ किया जाना चाहिए. पार्क कि स्थिति देख कर ऐसा लगता जैसे काफी दिनों से सफाई नहीं हुई है. नगर निगम उद्यान विभाग के कर्मचारी कभी नजर नहीं आते. पार्वा द्वारा नियुक्त माली भी दिखाई नहीं पड़ता. पार्वा कार्यकारिणी द्वारा ग्रुप 'सी' के प्रति सौतेला व्यवहार अभी भी जारी है. इस ग्रुप से दो ब्लाक प्रतिनिधि पार्वा कार्यकारिणी में हैं, पर यह लोग न जाने क्या करते हैं. धवन साहब और पालीवाल साहब को अपनी जिम्मेदारी समझनी चाहिए.

छोटे पार्क में पौधे लगाए गए थे. उनमें से कुछ सूख गए हैं. पौधों की देखभाल बच्चों की तरह करनी पड़ती है. अपार्टमेंट्स के पार्कों की देखभाल पार्वा कार्यकारिणी के किस सदस्य की जिम्मेदारी है? किसी को यह जिम्मेदारी दी भी गई है या नहीं, पता नहीं. गेट नंबर एक के बाहर एक पेड़ सूख गया है.यह किस की जिम्मेदारी थी? पार्वा ने इन पेड़ों और पौधों को लगाने के लिए कितना पैसा खर्च किया? वह पैसा अगर बर्बाद हो गया तब इस के लिए कौन जिम्मेदार है?

सवाल पैदा हो रहे हैं. पार्वा कार्यकारिणी को जबाब देने चाहियें. पार्वा अध्यक्ष और कुछ ब्लाक प्रतिनिधि का चुनाव बाई-लाज के अनुसार नहीं हुआ है. यह एक बहुत बड़ा सवाल है जिसका उत्तर दिया जाना चाहिए.

स्वागतम इंद्र देवता

नई दिल्ली, पश्चिम पुरी, प्रगति अपार्टमेंट्स
गर्मी अपनी चरम सीमा पर थी. इंद्र देवता प्रसन्न हुए. अभी कुछ देर पहले खूब जम कर वारिश हुई, अभी भी हल्की-हल्की हो रही है. सीवर बंद हैं. रास्तों में पानी भर गया है. मैंने कुछ दिन पहले सावधान किया था पर रेजिडेंट वेलफेयर असोसिएशन ने दिल्ली नगर निगम की तरह मेरी वार्निंग को नजर अंदाज कर दिया.

Warning signal ignored

Last week I posted a WARNING SIGNAL on the blog about waterlogging in Group 'C'. The warning signal was ignored. Yesterday (08.10.2010) it rained and this time waterlogging was more and in extended area.

What Block Representatives are doing?

सूख गया बेचारा

जनवरी २०१०, में मैंने ब्लॉग पर एक पोस्ट डाली थी वृक्षारोपण पर. वृक्षारोपण करते नेताओं के फोटो भी पोस्ट किये थे. देखने के लिए क्लिक करें.

बेचारा एक पेड़ सूख गया. जो नेता फोटो में नजर आ रहे हैं जरा उनसे पूछिए तो कि यह पेड़ क्यों सूख गया? क्या नेताओं का काम फोटो खिंचा कर समाप्त हो गया था? पेड़ बच्चों की तरह होते हैं. उन्हें बड़े प्यार से पालना होता है.

अप्रैल २०१०, अन्दर के और बाहर के कुछ नेताओं ने दो पार्कों में वृक्ष लगाए थे. उनकी फोटो देखने के लिए क्लिक करें

मई २०१० में मैंने लिखा था - "कुछ पौधे सूख गए हैं और अगर कुछ जल्दी ही नहीं किया गया तब कुछ और पौधे भी सूख जायेंगे. गरमी का मौसम है. किसी भी प्रकार की लापरवाही नुकसानदेह साबित होगी." पढने के लिए क्लिक करें.

यह वृक्ष बेचारा सूख गया. किसी को इसकी चिंता है क्या?

A warning signal

Yesterday night it rained. It was light rain but it flooded some portion of Group 'C' - (the passage which is used by residents to park their cars in the back). The drains are choked. Immediate action should be taken to clean the drains or else it will be a big problem when it rains heavily.

Pro-active action should also be taken to check all other drains in the apartments.

Hope for fountain park

On 5, 2010, I wrote a post on this blog - "Even grass has been partial towards this park". CLICK to read the post. This park has always been neglected. Residents in Group 'C' collected money and built a fountain but that fountain is not put in operation. People who claim to be the guadians of the apartments raise eyebrows whenever this issue is raised. Anyway that is the dirty politics of these people.

Yesterday, July 3, 2010, some people (perhaps from Horticultue Department) were seen working in the park. They sweeped the park and levelled the ground. Then in the night it rained. The rains have revived the hope that grass may grow in this park.

Some children are seen playing football in the park. Parents of these children should properly advise the children, as it will damage whatever grass has grown.

The rain Gods have been kind. Let us hope the park become lush green.

Message for President/Gen Secretary PARWA

Mr. Ajit Sharma, a resident of Flat No. 68 has sent following e-mail to this blog about the blockge of staircase by flowerpots put by other residents, thereby creating a hazard which may result in some accident:

"Dear Mr. Chadda/Mr. Malik,

I wish to invite you to my house flat 68 and see for yourself the condition of our staircase where a 1/2flowerpots are kept on every stairs blocking the way to go up to the terrace by resident of flat 64.It not only blocks the way but is a security hazard as one can trip down and cause a n accident.further it causes regular flow of mud /dirt/water into our house.

I would request you to kindly intervene in the matter and ask the resident of flat 64 to kindly pursue his hobby of gardening on his terrace and clear the path to the terrace of any items immediately as its th right of every resident to go up the stairs unhindered.and dirtfree.Due to excessive us of water in the stairs in watering and cleaning there is a seepage in our room and damage to our wooden almirah as already been done which can be seen by you.

I look forward to your kind intervention and immediate action in this regards.
ajit sharma"

I have forwarded the mail to President PARWA for necessary action.

PARWA Bye-laws violated in recently concluded election

A resident has sent me an e-mail on the above subject. He has said that I can post his message on this blog but should not disclose his name. Here is the message:

“Dear Mr. Gupta
In recently concluded PARWA elections many provisions of PARWA Bye-laws have been violated. It is a serious matter. PARWA is being managed by an Executive Committee which has many members who have not been elected as per Bye-laws. Even Mr. Chadha has been declared elected as President PARWA in violation of Bye-laws.

As per the circular issued by Election Officer after date of withdrawal of nominations was over, voting was to be held for the post of President between you and Mr. Chadha. But the Election Officer cancelled the voting. I am not able to understand under which provision of Bye-laws he has cancelled the voting. You may have arrived at some understanding with Mr. Chadha and withdrawn yourself from election in favour of Mr. Chadha but the fact is that it can not be a ground for canceling the voting. Voting had to be there. There is no provision in Bye-laws which sanctions such decision of the Election Officer. I am afraid that the election of President PARWA is not having any legal sanction and Mr. Chadha is working as President PARWA in violation of PARWA Bye-laws.

As per Clause 8.4 (a) of Bye-laws, EC or GB appoints an Election Officer. However the practice of EC appointing additional members to assist him is not allowed in Bye-laws. As per Clause 8.4 (c) of Bye-laws, the Election Officer can take help of any of the GB members for conducting the election. In view of this clause, appointment of additional members by EC to assist Election Officer is in violation of Bye-laws. Incidentally these members have played a role which had impacted on the decisions of the Election Officer. This puts such decisions of Election Officer in violation of Bye-laws.

As per the result of election announced by the Election Officer, some posts of Block Representatives (BR) were vacant as no nominations were received. These vacancies were filled up later when EC nominated some GB members as BR. Here again there is no provision in Bye-laws which gives authority to EC to fill up vacant positions of BR by nomination. As I understand, the election process was not over. Election Officer should have again called for nominations for vacant posts and conducted the election. This has not happened. Those BR who have been nominated by EC are working in violation of Bye-laws.

Another point which I want to make here is of both ethics and legality. I have no document with me based on which I am making this observation. But from the information I have received what has happened is unethical and probably illegal also. As per the information, your nomination for the post of President was proposed or seconded by Mr. O N Sharma. After this, Mr. O N Sharma filed his own nomination for the post of President. Is it not unethical? Also why the Election officer did not point it out and rejected your or Mr. Sharma’s nomination for the post of president. This I leave to you and the election officer to ponder upon.

I have taken the liberty of sending this e-mail to you as I know that you are a person who is not averse to criticism and will accept his mistakes and correct them. I respect you for this.

You may put this mail on your blog but please do not disclose my name. The other people mentioned in the mail may not take it kindly and I do not want any tension. I thought that as a responsible member of PARWA I should bring my observations to your notice.

With regards

…………………………..”

Friends, I have thanked him for his observations. I have posted these observations on this blog as I feel that PARWA should discuss these issues and take appropriate action. I am not a legal person but a legal friend advised me that we can not go back into time and correct the mistakes. The right course will be to hold fresh election for the post of President and vacant posts of BR.

Is PARWA EC a truly representative body of residents?

After the results of PARWA EC election were announced by CEO, I had posted the following observation in a post (CLICK TO READ):
"Positions of some block representatives are still vacant. If new EC is going to nominate these representatives then I will like to put up a note of caution. Do not nominate people convenient to you and your group. Nominate people who can make a positive contribution and act as true representative of the residents of their respective blocks.
A representative of tenants has also to be nominated. Similar caution as for block representatives. Form the new directory, I find that there are 41 tenants. This is a big number. EC should organize a meeting of all these tenants and find out their choice and nominate their choice as their representative. Such a tenant can make a positive contribution and act as true representative of the tenants."

Above vacancies have been filled up by EC. It is unfortunate that President, Secretary and other members of EC have failed to change the old practice of nominating representatives without consulting the respective group of residents.

Minutes of new EC meetings held so far have not been shared with residents. Here also the old practice of convenience should change. Residents have a right to know what their representative body is doing, so that they can express their views on the decisions taken by EC. Waiting for six monthly GB meeting to express their views is undesirable. Six months period is quite a long period. If any wrong decision has been taken by EC then six months will be wasted before a correction is made.

There should be a proper work distribution between members of EC and this should be notified.

Blocks and tenants representatives should hold meetings with the residents whom they represent and prepare a list of issues residents want them to address in EC.

I am shortly writing to my block representative. I will also write to the other block representative of 'C' group.

Let us make this EC a true representative of residents of Pragati Apartments.

Do residents of Pragati Apartments really need a welfare association?

When I registered a flat with DDA I was told that I have to deposit Rs. 100 as share money for being a member of a welfare association which will be constituted for the residents of flats. I was allotted a flat in a cluster of flats which later came to be known as Pragati Apartments. As per DDA rule, A welfare association was contituted by name PARWA. Share money (Rs 100) taken by DDA is still lying with DDA. DDA had failed to give this money to PARWA, the rightfull owner of this money as welfare association of the residents of Pragati Apartments who have given this share money to DDA at the time registration of the flat.

Having said it as far as share money is concerned, I come back to the subject of - "Do residents of Pragati Apartments really need a welfare association?" From my first-hand experience, I can say that they do not need any welfare association. Every resident is a association in himself. Why will they need any welfare association which will be run by few residents and which will keep on telling them what to do and what not to do?

Then the question arises, who needs it? The answer is few residenrs who want to project themselves as leaders of the residents. It is a different matter that many of them lack every trait of a leader, and they fill in the blanks by manipulation.

The fact is that there is Pragati Apartments, there are its residents and there is PARWA. Year after year these few residents will rotate the PARWA EC amongst themselves. It has been happening, it has happened and it will happen.