Archive

No water in school: Students walk for hours to quench thirst

 
/ November 13, 2014

The nearest well to the Upper Middle School of Kailashpur is in the neighbouring village of Indrapatti. Students must walk there — miles away — in order to get drinkable water since the school doesn’t have a hand-pump.Community correspondent Amit Kumar reports from Bihar’s Gaya district on the deplorable state...

Violations of the RTE Act in Bihar

 
/ November 13, 2014

The government middle school in Garahi village has 454 students but only 7 teachers. A direct violation of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, which mandates a student teacher ratio of 30:1, is, however, not the only problem at this school. Community Correspondent Indu Devi reports on the violations of...

637 Student and No toilets

 
/ November 12, 2014

Community correspondent Mister Alam reports from Ganpati Vigha village in Hilsa block of Nalanda district of Bihar, on the lack of sanitation facilities in the village’s middle school. CALL TO ACTION: Call the Block Education Officer for Hilsa Block of Nalanda district, on +91-9939712741, and demand that construction of toilets...

MNREGA: 80 labourers, 20 days of work, no payment

 
/ November 7, 2014

Our VV-PACS Community Correspondent, Navita Devi, reports from Ahimachak village, in Bagicha Tola of Katihar district in Bihar, on how the village’s labourers are still awaiting compensation under M.N.R.E.G.A eight months after completion of the work allotted to them. Spokespersons for the affected community say that such irregularities are just...

Tribals not allowed in ancestral forest

 
/ November 3, 2014

The Tharo tribe is indigenous to Betia area of West Champaran district in Bihar. The nearby forest, which has been the source of firewood and other natural resources for the tribe, has recently been converted into a Tiger Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act. VV-PACS Community Correspondent Tanju Devi reports...

Policy Pipe-dreams: Smart Card is just a piece of plastic in Jharkhand

 
/ October 13, 2014

“They told me that the smart card is not working,” says Bahamuni Hembrom, who had to pay more than INR 10000 to the nursing home where she delivered her child. “When we were coming back, they took the receipt back,” her husband told Community Correspondent Chunnu Hansda.   CALL FOR ACTION:...

Houses of Dalit families burnt by upper caste men

 
/ October 9, 2014

12 powerful men from the ‘upper caste’ burnt down the houses of 4 Dalit families, our Community Correspondent Reena Devi reports from Maha Dalit Tola area of Chitauria Village in Katihar, Bihar.   The conflict arose because the attackers had been trying to forcefully evict the residents. A meeting date...

Pestering the people’s republic

 
/ October 1, 2014

Adani Enterprise Ltd, which is Adani Group’s flagship company, was set to be the Mine Developer and Operator (MDO) for Machakatta and Chhendipada coal blocks in Angul District of Odisha. But the Supreme Court ruled in September 2014 that process related to land acquisition in the region are to be...