"Indian government's failure on MDGs will fail the world"

Thousands of ordinary people across 12 states rallied together on Saturday to review the government's performance on the historic Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted by India at the United Nations Summit in 2000. July 7, 2007 marks the mid-point of the MDGs timeline, which ends in 2015.

In addition to the State-level review, the national level 'Mid-Term  Checklist' revealed that 80% of people living below US$ 1 in South Asia live in India. Again, the TB prevalence rate in India (344 per 100,000 people) is comparable to that of some of the countries of  Sub-Saharan Afrcia. The Checklist evaluates the MDGs as also the Planning Commission's National Development Goals and the government's Common Minimum Programme, both of which reflect the MDGs.

"On this date we are highlighting the key challenges that the government must overcome to address poverty, hunger, ill-health, illiteracy, environmental degradation and social exclusion," said

 Amitabh Behar, Convenor, Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (Keep your Promises Campaign), a national coalition of nearly 3000 organizations across 23 states. These themes are reflected in the eight MDGs and in the  government's own goals and promises to us. If our government fails on its promises, the world will not achieve the MDGs."

The Wada Na Todo Abhiyan is an assertion of people's power to demand accountability from the government. On July 4, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met and told a delegation comprising of the representatives of the coalition that many of government's key anti-poverty and  development programmes with high investment can be more effective with the participation of citizens and credible NGOs. He referred, for instance, to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act which was more effective in states where there was a high level of "citizens' watch."

The delegation was led by its partner alliance, Social Watch India, to give to the Prime Minister it's annual 'Citizen's Report on Governance  & Development 2007.' The Report monitors the performance of the Parliament, Judiciary and Local Self Governments and, over the last five years, has been recognized as a unique commentary on governing  institutions from the perspective of the 'have-nots.' The WNTA itself annually reviews the Common Minimum Programme. The '3rd Civil Society Review Report of the National Common Minimum Programme' was given to the Prime Minister on the same occasion.

"Wada Na Todo Abhiyan's state-level member organizations and alliances have released Mid-Term Review Reports of their State governments in  West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu," said Lysa John, National Campaign Coordinator, WNTA. "There were also  consultations between people and state government representatives, media conferences and rallies. In Orissa, for instance, there was a discussion on how dalit groups can influence budget allocations in the  context of the MDGs. All the reports will be available on our website (www.wadanatodo.net <http://www.wadanatodo.net/>) so that anyone can  see what the ground reality is on our government's promises."

For further information contact:
Pasang D Lepcha
Wada Na Todo Abhiyan National Secretariat
info@wadanatodo.net <mailto:info@wadanatodo.net
91-11-46082371 9810745404

Wada-Na-Todo-Abhiyan National Secretariat
C-1/E, Second Floor, Green Park Extension
Behind Yusuf Sarai Gurudwara, New Delhi 110 016 INDIA
Tel: 91-11-46082371 to 74 / Fax: 91-11-46082372
Email: info@wadanatodo.net <mailto:info@wadanatodo.net> / Web:
www.wadanatodo.net <http://www.wadanatodo.net>