JOIN USThe State government came out with draft rules on Palike ward committees on May 26 without publishing them in newspapers or posting them on the website of Urban Development Department, according to Kathyayini Chamaraj of Civic Bangalore.
Chamaraj wrote in her Facebook page on June 6, 2015, “The Urban Development Department (UDD) has published fresh Draft Ward Committee Rules on 26-5-15 without announcing its publication or putting it up on their website. I had kept enquiring about the Rules now and then and they (UDD officials) always said it will take another ten days, etc. I happened to go and enquire again on 4th June and got a copy of it. They have given just seven days to submit objections and hence the date for submitting objections is already over when I got a copy of it.”
The ward committees are meant for empowering citizens and ensuring their participation in local governance and policy making.
However, the manner the entire exercise was carried out raised many eyebrows. Chamaraj said there were many suggestions by her group, of which only four have been included. Speaking to Deccan Herald, she said, “This was the fourth draft the government had called for. On the earlier occasions, we had submitted our suggestions and in the previous draft two of our suggestions were included.
Tragically, the latest draft rule has omitted them.”
The two key suggestions, which were included in the earlier draft and have been removed now are: First, the corporator has to prepare a five-year ward vision plan with the help of citizens and second, a plan for the human development and social infrastructure by keeping a database of the level of social infrastructure and the human development.
The Civic Bangalore had even proposed the Right To Recall or disqualification of the corporator if the 51 per cent of Area Sabhas pass a no confidence motion against the corporator.