Jagruk Nagrik Manch (Forum of awarecitizens)

Aware Peoples Campaign for GoodGovernance using Right To Information Act. as a tool and collective efforts formaking accountable government servant and system for public.

With a belief that injustice is not inevitable and can be done away with collectively, we responded with the formation of a platform called JNM (Jagruk Nagrik Manch), yet another major flagship program of Urmul Jyoti. Started in 1999 at Nokha, Bikaner, with a handful of members JNM today has about 789 members-30% of them being women-in as many as 100 villages. Membership is open to all adults cutting across the barriers of caste, class, religion and gender.
JNM works for the promotion of good governance, honesty and transparency in implementation of government schemes keeping a vigilant eye on governmental procedures. It employs various means for demanding state accountability which can vary from using the Right to Information Act, to using the media and to organizing the masses for a collective demonstration.
As such it acts as a pressure group which not only ensures that ethical and standard procedures are adhered to at every level of administration but also that there is no exploitation of the general public. The resounding success of JNM today is best exemplified by the fact that government officials themselves at times seek assistance of the Manch.

Through this information center we support and guidance to JNM members proper implement of all government development scheme without any delay and corruption.

Our work procedure is participatory and transparent.
 While the Preamble of the Indian Constitution begins with the gregarious “We the People...” democracy in India is far from participatory.
The only two classes of people are those who govern and those who are governed and the gap between the two is ever increasing.
 This results in a regime of secrecy and unacceptability in which officials thrive and there exists a nexus between them and the executing agencies / persons. Consequently and intentionally the general public is at the receiving end being exploited at all stages of the administration.

SC		OBC		General		Total
M	F	M	F	M	F
294	120	214	52	82	27	789

SOOCHNA KENDRA (Information centre)

The Manch carries out its activities from its Soochna Kendra located in Nokha town near the Tehsil administration and block development offices. The Kendra has a formal full-time staff with field workers. The staff and members are selected through a formal procedure and are properly trained for the job. Information available at the Kendra includes:

• List of families below poverty line (BPL).
  

• PDS - list of dealers and other related information.

• All govt. employment and welfare schemes and their procedure.

• Copies of FIRs relating to important disputes.

• List of ICDS (Anganwardi) centres and other related information.

• List of PRI members, Gram panchayat and its operational procedure.

• List of schools, teachers, nunmer of students, and information regarding Midday meal, SSA.

• List of Heath centres and sub-centres including information about the staff and facilities available.

• List of DLC approved land prices area wise.

• Priority list of pending agriculture power connections.

• Phone/Fax numbers of tehsil and district level offices.

• The Kendra also helps in collecting specific information required by the member.

• Also publishes a quarterly magazine named Gram Jyoti for dissemination of information

JNM also publishes a yearly magazine named VIKASH YOJANA for dissemination of information. Besides, pamphlets carrying information relating to specific occasion like assembly and panchayati raj elections are also distributed to disseminate information. On any given working day, 30-40 people visit the JNM`s Soochna Kendra for various reasons. Apart from being updated through newspapers and interactions with the JNM office bearers, they are also provided assistance in putting forward their complaints and grievances to the concerned officials in the various departments. Volunteers of JNM help in drafting applications with relevant details and pleas for redressal which are then submitted by the individual villagers to the concerned authority. Whether it be BPL beneficiaries or SC beneficiaries or widows or senior citizens or any other category of people including educated unemployed, the JNM ensures that schemes meant for the various categories of people are brought at their doorsteps.

The Manch (Forum) conducts regular meetings and during which the progress of applications submitted various grievances that need redressal and official apathy to these, if any, are discussed at length. Other issues discussed in these meetings include:-

• Complaints - collective and individuals.

• Dissemination of latest information for updating the members.

• Preparing the members to ask relevant and pertinent questions in forthcoming gram sabhas.

• eking reports of ongoing welfare works under different govt. and NGO schemes in their villages.

• Corruption cases to be taken for settlement and refund.

• Discussion on course of action for the  months.

RTI in Action, data since 2005

• 765 Applications under RTI filed.

• 157 Applications returned with proper replies and information.

• 246 Applications put through first appeal.

• 192 Applications put up for second appeal.

• 170 Applications had mutual settlements.

Jhopri

The Jhopri (Panchayat Ghar) is a unique institution and another innovation of the UJS. This is a forum for the amicable settlement and resolution of conflicts like farm boundary disputes, attrocities on women by in-laws etc.Issues are resolved by members of the society itself, of course in the light of the law of the land. There is an unwritten binding obligation to abide by it which is absent in any resolution mediated by the police and public authorities. It has high social acceptance.

Year	SC		OBC		General		Collective	Total
	M	F	M	F	M	F
2005-16	5076	2262	4174	1748	1884	732	1376	17252
From April 2017	28	24	46	22	21	09	06	156
Total	5104	2286	4220	1770	1905	741	1382	17408