People's manifesto released in Old City

Hyderabad: Highlighting the important aspects and aspirations of people living in Old City, a people’s manifesto was released on Sunday. The charter of demands cover subjects like economic development, housing, public health, welfare programmes and education.

Speaking to The Hans India, S Q Masood, an activist who compiled the manifesto on behalf of Centre for Peace Studies, said that the document was the result of several consultations held with common people from around the Old City of Hyderabad during the last few days. “This document is an expression of the democratic aspirations of the people. People here are much concerned about basic requirements of clean drinking water and sanitation, education, lawless behavior of police, naming it as ‘Patabasti’, which casts suspicion of entire populace,” he said.

The manifesto demands development of traditional and non-traditional small and cottage industries by facilitating easy access to capital and provision of marketing facilities so that producers get maximum returns. Modern training should be provided to upgrade skills. The new government must provide 25% reservation for locals in private sector and 25% quota for Muslims in private companies located on Wakf land. For better administration, 30% reservation should be provided to locals in the government offices located in old city. The document emphasizes control over rent in domestic category and poor should be prioritized for permanent patta land for construction of houses with low rates of interest.

While referring to poor health services in the area, the manifesto demands State-run hospitals and Urban Primary Health Posts to provide better services with required staff and equipment. It also seeks setting up of Multi-specialty hospital in each of the Assembly constituency. Free health care should be provided in corporate hospitals through Aarogyasri Health Trust to all poor people (including FSC card holders who have annual income of less than 1 lakh) after proper verification. Besides implementation of welfare schemes, the manifesto demands that widow, old age and disabled pensions be raised to a minimum of Rs 3,000 per month. With scores of government schools facing neglect, the document demands these schools should run with quality education, required number of teachers with all basic facilities – good building, toilets, drinking water, electricity, libraries, scence laboratories, computers and etc.

The Old City people also demand protection of lakes like Mir Alam tank and graveyards which are facing encroachment. Besides these, the manifesto demands setting up of a regulatory mechanism viz a commissionerate with judicial powers to recover illegal occupations and monitor the work of the Wakf Board and to protect all Wakf properties and speeding up of the process of construction of Metro line in the Old City.