Governance

BBMP has spent over 100 crores on fixing, remodelling, and maintaining drains in just one ward – HSR Layout. Their Stormwater Drain Department does not maintain records like work registers or the progress reports of works. BBMP has been indicted for ineffective and inefficient collection of waste, non-compliance with waste management rules, and lack of scientific processing facilities at landfill sites. These are just three instances of impropriety and poor performance in local government bodies. All these are issues that citizens should demand accountability from their elected reps and officials. One easy way to be aware of such issues is…

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With the swearing-in of the councillors, Chennai has an elected local body for the first time since 2016. The councillors who have taken office are a mix of experienced old-timers and those who have been elected for the first time. Half of the council is represented by women.  While these are promising developments, Chennaiites must be able to engage with their elected representatives and officials from the civic body to ensure effective administration. The push for ward committees and area sabhas is one way there can be an element of participatory planning in local governance.  Read more: Chennai in 2022:…

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Making public spaces safe for women, in particular, is not rocket science. Nor is it an expensive high tech exercise. Yet with little action being taken, collecting ground data can help raise awareness of the issue and convince authorities to act. With this in mind, Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) in collaboration with CGI, conducted a safety audit of public places in Malleshwaram and Mahadevapura Assembly Constituencies as a pilot project. The areas were chosen based on preset criteria - Malleshwaram being one of the oldest constituencies and Mahadevapura - one of the newer ones. Some of the locations audited.…

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Mayor R Priya presented the budget for the Greater Chennai Corporation on April 9th. The budget has placed heavy emphasis on upgrades to and creation of new infrastructure, with focus on stormwater drains. The budget also looks to improve the state of schools run by the civic body and improve the quality of education and activities on offer through various new schemes.  The civic body’s expected revenue is Rs 2824 crore while the expected expenditure is Rs 3613 crore. Bulk of the revenue is to come from Rs 800 crore to be collected as property tax.  What is in store…

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Translated by Sandhya Raju முதல் முதலாக பாலின நிகர் மேம்பாடு மற்றும் அதற்கான கொள்கை ஆய்வு மையம் சென்னையில் ஏப்ரல் ஒன்றாம் தேதி திறக்கப்பட்டது. மாநகராட்சி, போக்குவரத்து மற்றும் அரசின் பிற அமைப்புகளுடன் இணைந்து பணியாற்றி, பாதுகாப்பான, ஒருங்கிணைந்த நகரமாக சென்னையை மாற்ற இந்த மையம் வழிவகுக்கும். சென்னை மாநகராட்சி மேயர் ஆர். பிரியா, மா நகராட்சி ஆணையர், ககந்தீப் சிங் பேடி, காவல் துறை ஆணையர் சங்கர் ஜிவால், உலக வங்கி பிரதிநிதிகள், மாநகராட்சி மற்றும் போக்குவரத்து கழகங்களின் பல்வேறு துறை அதிகாரிகள், உறுப்பினர்கள் பல்வேறு இலாப நோக்கற்ற மற்றும் சிவில் சமூக அமைப்புகள் கலந்து கொண்டனர். சென்னை நகர கூட்டுத் திட்டம் மற்றும் நிர்பயா திட்டத்தின் ஒரு பகுதியாக பாலின நிகர் மேம்பாடு மற்றும் கொள்கை ஆய்வகம் உருவாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. ரிப்பன் கட்டிடத்தில் இந்த ஆய்வு மையம் செயல்படும். பாலின கொள்கை மையத்தின் நோக்கம் பாலின நிகர் மேம்பாடு…

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I am Poongothai from Ward No. 194 Gottigere. I took part in the MyCityMyBudget Campaign organised by Janaagraha. BBMP in its Budget book mentioned the campaign and allocated funds for the same. Gottigere ward map. Pic credit: Janaagraha.org Footpaths might sound like a trivial issue. But it cannot be overlooked. Pedestrian infrastructure plays a vital role in sustainable urban traffic. Footpaths, a sub-aspect of pedestrian infrastructure, should be given priority to make it user friendly, improve walkability, safety and comfort of pedestrians. Footpaths are a basic need in road infrastructure. Hence, as demanded by citizens of our ward, we decided…

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Bengaluru's ward committees have been chaired by nodal officers appointed on a temporary basis by the BBMP ever since the last Council's term ended in September 2020. They were mostly senior municipal officials who happened to reside in that particular ward. Before this temporary arrangement, formal ward committee included 10 citizens nominated from the ward, and were mandated to meet twice a month. Chaired by the elected ward councillor and attended by ward officials, these meetings were supposed to decide on ward-level budget, plan, prioritise and monitor works. Now, there are no formal ward committees, but nodal officers chair the…

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This is the second and final of the two-part analysis of the new Act passed by Parliament, merging Delhi’s three municipal corporations into one all-powerful Delhi Municipal Corporation (DMC) under the control of the union government. The first part can be read here. The trifurcation of the Delhi local body in 2012 could no doubt have been better thought out. The three MCDs together had 94.23% of the NCT area — 1399.26 sq km of the total area of 1484.97 sq km. As per the 2011 Census, the three MCDs had 97.81% of Delhi's population under all the local bodies…

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Chennai saw the inauguration of the first of its kind Gender and Policy Lab on April 1. The Lab will work with the civic body, transport agencies and other organs of the government to create a ‘safer and gender-inclusive city’.  The inauguration was attended by the Mayor of Chennai Corporation, R Priya, Commissioner of Chennai Corporation, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Commissioner of Police, Shankar Jiwal, representatives from the World Bank, officials from various departments of the civic body and transport agencies and members of various non-profit and civil society organizations. The Gender and Policy Lab has been formed as part of…

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This first of a two-part series looks at the new Parliament Act merging Delhi’s three corporations into one all-powerful Delhi Municipal Corporation. For Delhi’s citizens, the hope is that creation of one omnibus municipal corporation for Delhi will improve the quality of services provided. For all those employed by the municipal corporations in different segments and capacities, from  teachers and sanitation workers to doctors, nurses and health workers, to name a few, the hope is that they may at last get their salaries, arrears and pensions which the present trifurcated MCDs have been unable to pay. Not surprisingly, all sections…

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