The Gurgaon RWA Confederation

The Joint Action Forum of Resident Associations [JAFRA] is the apex body of Resident Welfare Associations of Gurgaon created under the auspices of People’s Action’s Gurgaon Chapter. JAFRA is the equivalent of URJA in Delhi and was created by People’s Action with the aim of building capacity and developing local leadership within communities.

JAFRA was the result of People’s Action’s continuous engagement with civil society organizations like RWAs, Industry associations and other NGOs active in the governance space. The cumulative impact of People’s Action’s advocacy initiatives and its development of RWAs as prime points of response to governmental policies resulted in the knitting together of over 120 RWAs across the city area including the old city, the New Gurgaon areas as well as the state developed HUDA sectors. Towards the end, People’s Action also involved members of the over 30 villages that comprised the erstwhile Gurgaon assembly constituency [poised to be changed after delimitations exercise]

JAFRA is led by Col. Ratan Singh, one of the staunchest memers of people’s Action in Gurgaon and who also happened to be the candidate of the party floated by residents in Gurgaon in 2004-5, called the Gurgaon Residents Party [Now registered with the Election Commission of India ]. Col. Ratan Singh is supported by a group of prominent RWA heads in the governing council [Executive Committee] who have worked closely with the People’s Action core team in Gurgaon led by Shashi Sharma.

JAFRA continues to be the most prominent forum for interaction between RWAs and the administration as well as a cooperative of public opinion which exercises its views frequently in the media and at other forums.