COVA Activity Report 2014-15 People’s Union for Civic Action and Rights (PUCAAR) In tune with vision, COVA carries out various programs with different approaches. The programs include educational and economic services to marginalised communities, awareness activities for all sections of society and rights-based advocacy programs. While women, children and youth constitute the main target group of COVA’s activities, some of the programs also target men from the slum communities, professional and educated sections. COVA’s programs thus aim to integrate and increase interaction among different communities. COVA consciously uses development as a strategy for integration of communities. Rights Based Approach With the objective to enhance awareness among masses for their rights, responsibilities and opportunities from government and private sectors to transform the weak into empowered communities for improvement of their social and economic status in society enabling them to live a decent and dignified life on 13th April 2014 a meeting of Change Activists from different localities conducted at COVA. Suggestions from them invited on constitution of Integrated Multipurpose Community Welfare Centers in different localities to activate people to access their rights from the government and to carry on welfare programs for the benefit of people. 30 men attended this meeting and showed interest in constitution of such centers and to conduct welfare program in their localities. During the year 50 basti meetings were conducted reaching out to nearly 2500 people in Ram Nagar, Secunderabad, Mallepally, Gudimalkapr and Rasoolpura- Begumpet. Ambedkar Nagar (Rail Nilayam), Nandanavanam-Karman Ghat, Toli Chowki, Ambedkar Nagar-Falaknuma, Madanna Pet, Alluri Seetarama Raju Nagar-Gudi Malkapur , Afzal Sagar and Mohammadi Lines-Mehdipatnam, Talab Katta, Karwan, Golconda, Sabzi Mandi, Warsiguda. Topics like RTE Act, standard of Education and Health services in government schools ad government hospitals, lack of civic amenities in their localities, DRI and MSME loans, Insurance and health schemes for the poor and voter awareness were covered during group discussions. A meeting of RTE Activists held with Mr. Ashok Agarwal, advocate, a successful pioneer on implementation of RTE Act in private schools in Delhi and Ms. Vasudha, advocate and activist from Hyderabad was also invited. Mr. Ashok shared his experiences of the campaign in Delhi and its achievement, advised RTE Activists not to be disheartened if immediate success is not achieved. He motivated them to continue their struggle. Many CSOs and NGOs were roped in to run the drive on RTE Implementation. More stress was 1 give on the need of people’s representations to government departments for providing good services and suggested to be organized for this purpose. Apart from focused programs, he rendered services to poor people, lobbied with government offices in sanction of pension to widows and senior citizens Guests on Exposure Visit to COVA June 2015 1st June – A team of 32 social workers from Oddisa Forum For Social Action visited COVA to understand strategies of resolution of communal conflicts and peace promotion. Mr. Mohammed Turab, ES, gave briefing on the work of COVA on communal issues and communal harmony. The guests share their grass root experiences and appreciated the work of COVA. 26th Oct 2014 – A meeting of Change Activists was organized at Ahle Bait School, BiBi Bazaar X Road,Talab Katta. 60 persons attended this meeting. At the outset participants shared their experiences on functioning of Area Sabhas and Ward Committees and expressed their dismay that they could not succeed. Later Citizens Assertion Campaign was reviewed. Participants shared how their participation brought awareness among them and that unless people are aware and take stand change in the society is not possible. There were apprehensions of GHMC elections in December 2014 hence charting peoples preparation for forthcoming GHMC elections were discussed. Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) On 22nd Nov Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty (SERP) invited all NGOs at a consultation meeting at their office to jointly work out ways to achieve the objectives of SERP. Mr. Mohammed Turab, Executive Secretary along with Mr. Kotesh and Ms. Lalitha Program Officers from COVA attended the consultation. At the introduction round the Director of SERP wanted to ensure whether COVA is represented at the consultation meeting. He put the onus on COVA for publicity and awareness about the welfare schemes of the SERP among the masses in the southern part of Hyderabad and put up a target before COVA to organize a program on 25th Nov and to mobilize about 100 persons. COVA accepted the challenge and conducted a program at Urdu Ghar Moghalpura. 105 persons attended this program. Mr. Krishna Das, Director of SERP, Mr. Rajeshwar Reddy, Asst Director and senior officers from SERP addressed the gathering. MROs from 7 Mandals of South Zone were also called by the SERP Director to attend and speak to audience. This was a successful program as all the MROs interacted with 2 participants, gave patient hearing to them and assured all possible help at their office in sanctioning pensions to widows, aged persons and disable persons. This paved a way for the general public and Change Activists in particular to approach MROs in their respective Mandals to avail benefits of the schemes. Further SERP was very much interested to work together with COVA in implementation of the schemes but due to technical snags within the department, they could not come forward. RTE Campaign for Implementation of 25% Free Admissions in Non-Minority Private Schools in Telangana State As Per RTE Act 2009 Parliament enacted the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act,2009 (Act No.35 of 2009) to provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years; this was published in the Gazette of India on 26th Aug, 2019. Taking into consideration these documents School Education Department of State Government of A.P. issued notification vide GO.Ms.No. 14 Dated: 22. 02.2011 for implementation of the Act. Three years time was given to all the state to implement the RTE Act in its spirit. Since it was not implemented COVA took a stand with resolve to mount pressure on government by all means and following steps were taken: A meeting of the working group on RTE – 25% held on 12th April 2014. Two important decisions taken at the meeting were: 1. Short term approach to secure free 25% admission for the children from disadvantaged groups and weaker sections in private/public schools. 2. Long term approach to focus on government schools for implementation of RTE Act 2009 Representation for implementation of Model Rules addressed from highest seat of the President of India to the lowest seat of District Education Officer submitted on 10th Jan 2015. Joint Action Committee comprising of NGOs constituted for implementation of model RTE Rules in Telangana State and a round table conducted on 31st Jan 2015 in which representatives from political parties, NGOs and civil society organisations participated and decision taken to launch a campaign to ensure proper implementation of this Act from the academic year 2015-16. Again representations submitted to high profile politicians of Telangana State including Mr. Kadyam Srihari, Education Minister and bureaucrats on 5th March 2015; statistics of successful implementation of the Act in other States and zero implementation in Telangana and AP. 3 PIL filed on 23.3.2015 in Hyderabad High Court at the bench of Hon’ble the Chief Justice Sanajay Kumar and registered on 24.3.2015 listing date given was 1.6.2015 Director School Education issued a letter Rc. No.45/PS.3-1/2015 dated 17th March 2015 requesting the Regional Joint Director, School Education, Hydrabad and Warangal under intimation to COVA to take action to provide 25% free admissions to the children of disadvantaged groups and weaker section from the next academic year 2015-16 per RTE Rules in force and submit report. JAC made this letter public through media and publicity material used in awareness programs. Parents were provided applications forms to submit in non-minority private schools for admissions to their children under 25% free admissions. In response to the letter reaching to public, the State Director, School Education issued a press statement saying that letter was issued by some officer of the department and that implement RTE Act in Telangana State is still under consideration. JAC met with the Principal Secretary, School Education on 23rd June 2015 with a memorandum for implementation of the RTE Act. Responding to the representation of JAC, she clearly said that government feels that by implementation of 25% free admissions government schools will close down hence considering to focus on investing and improving standard of the government schools. Financial Inclusion COVA is working to empower people, educationally, socially, politically and economically and succeeded to a far extent in empowering people financially, particularly women, through formation of a network of women SHGs, giving a sigh of relief from the money lenders and simultaneously brought them into micro entrepreneurship through imparting various skill trainings to pave way for their self reliance. The women Micro Entrepreneurs who desired to scale up their business were introduced to banks for obtaining loans. Lot of struggle involved for obtaining loans for their business; financial institutions proved as hard nut to crack for the poor. Here we realized the existence of excluded and underserved population and in view of growing need to mobilize financial institutions around these groups towards financial inclusion COVA started initiative for financial inclusion. During the year 85 meetings were held with small traders in different localities of twin cities and bank managers of SBH branches at Attapur, Purana Pul, Hussaini Alam, Dabeerpura, Moghalpura, Charminar, Malakpet, Barkas, IS Sadan, Ram Nagar, West Marredpally; Syndicate Bank branches at Jahanuma, Bahadurpura, Shah Ali Banda, Asif Nagar.