Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 20: Some retired government employees and prominent citizens of Jammu have formed Citizen Advisory Forum (CAF) to promote social justice and gender equality, and act as an operational arm of civil society.
While Justice (retd) K K Gupta was made its patron-in-chief, I C Jandial was appointed as chairman. Arvind Mahajan, Vijay Saraf and K K Bhakhri were appointed as vice-chairman, general secretary and treasurer respectively.
The governing body members included Raman Matoo, Arun Sharma, Kiran Wattal, Anil Gour, C P Gupta, Manish Gupta (Early Times), Jugal Mahajan, Adv Ratan Lal Gupta, Dr Viney Gupta, Ashok Awasthy, Vinod Luthra, Hira Lal Abrol, Vinod Sharma, S K Jain, Deepak Sethi and R K Tikoo.
A CAF handout issued here today said the forum was formed to achieve the holistic version of development for which the state required constructive and collaborative engagements of civil society in various development activities and programmes.
"The citizen advisory forum shall act as an operational arm of civil society and hence has an important role to play in the development process here," it added.
The forum would be attracting professionals from various other sectors, and capacities were being built in support such as financial management, resource mobilization, human resources, leadership development, governance, procedures and practice and institutional development.
"The forum may also give ideological content and intellectual thought to the political discourse, besides preparing briefs on topics to be commented upon. It will also try to bring on this platform intellectuals and cultural personalities who are shy of otherwise becoming part of any movement, but could give support on ideological moorings towards it," the handout said. "CAF shall seek to confer on every citizen the right to time bound delivery of services and to provide a mechanism for grievance redresser. This bureau is intended to prove its commitment to fighting corruption among public institutions and redresser of common man's grievances. CAF will fight for the rights of citizens who do not get help, he or she is entitled to. CAF will function a redresser forum for issues confronting common and downtrodden citizens of society on health care, drinking water facility, power, sanitation, hygiene, education and social justice," the handout added.
The delivery mechanism would be highly visible which would not only spread a message of trust but also ameliorate their condition, it claimed.
Rural development shall be another area to be focused upon. CAF would mainly focus on poverty alleviation, better livelyhood opportunities, provision of basic amenities and infrastructural facilities through innovative programmes of minimum wages and self employment which was constitutional goal enshrined under the directive principles of Indian Constitution, the handout said. |
