‘Implement citizen participation law’
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Civic activist and member of the Agenda for Bengaluru Infrastructure Development (Abide) Ashwin Mahesh attributes noninvolvement of citizens in governance as one of the important reasons for continuing corruption in public administration and politics. Mr Mahesh, through a letter, has sought the intervention of Urban Development Minister S. Suresh Kumar for the effective implementation of community participation law that will pave way for ward sabhas, which will increase the citizen’s participation in administration. The law was passed one-and-a-half years ago.
He has asked Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), civil society organisations and rights groups to share his views on social networking sites to get a bigger support for the movement. He has exhorted these organisations to fight till the law is implemented. He has asked the minister to give valid reasons behind the delay.
“For the moment, it appears that the law was passed simply to ensure that the tate complies on paper with a Central scheme, but without any actual intent to implement it. It is now more than 18 months since the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act was amended to introduce community participation in municipal governance in the state through the establishment of ward committees and ward sabhas. But still, the law has not been implemented,” he said.
Though it is a mandatory reform to tap funds from the JnNURM, the delay has been surprising, he said. Former Mayor P.R. Ramesh said ward sabha or community participation helps in effective governance and transparency. Monthly meetings, with the area corporator as the chairman of the committee, help bring better coordination between different civic agencies. They will help monitor and ascertain the status of complaints, he said.
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