--- FOCUS ON INDIA (FOI) ---
Issue: FEBRUARY 2006. Vol. III. No. 02.
Monthly e-newsletter from Focus on the Global South, India
www.focusweb.org/india/html
============================================================
... Groups tracking urban issues across the country have been dismayed
with the developments in National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM). For
instance the Mumbai city plan is being developed with little consultation
and transparency. FOI carries a memorandum to the Minister for Urban
Development...
============================================================
2. c. Memorandum on NURM - Ensuring Participatory City Development Plan
across cities
MEMORANDUM
SUB: IMMEDIATE ACTION TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION OF PARTICIPATORY &
TRANSPARENT PROCESS IN FORMULATION OF ?CITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS?, UNDER THE
JNNURM
TO: The Minister for Urban Development (GOI) & Chairperson, National
Steering Committee on JNNURM CC: Members of the National Steering
Committee
Members of the Central Sanctioning & Monitoring Committee
State Nodal Agencies
We, the undersigned, representing individuals and organizations working to
enhance development, governance and reduce poverty, seek to direct your
attention to the following concerns:
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was launched
on December 3, 2005 by the Prime Minister, Shri Manmohan Singh, with the
promise of enabling ?cities to realize their full potential and become
engines of growth?, in line with the objectives of the Common Minimum
Program (CMP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The launch of this Mission has been received with enthusiasm for its
effort to create a momentum for urban transformation, but also with deep
apprehensions on its possible use as an instrument to intensify the
deprivation of critical populations from the process of decision-making
and access to land, infrastructure and resources, such as through the
repeal of existing laws such as ULCA, and consequences of private sector
participation in basic services and infrastructure. The development of
detailed guidelines, as part of the JNNURM Toolkit, were seen as a measure
to prevent the subjugation of the reform process to serve the interest of
selective/ vested interests within a city. This includes requirements for
consultative process of defining the Vision of the City through the
involvement of city stakeholders, and a transparent process of developing
the City Development Plan, and Systematic Investment Plan being proposed
to the Mission. We appreciate the integrity of purpose and enthusiasm with
which the Chief Executives of several cities, such as Pune, Nagpur and
Vadodara, have initiated this process of consultation towards ensuring a
public ownership of the developmental goals of the city. However we are
greatly alarmed by the example being set by cities such as Mumbai in
by-passing the consultative process, and reproducing selectively developed
proposals as the public mandate for its development.
In the light of the experiences of the first two months of the scheme, we
urge you to enforce the following safeguards to prevent the violation of
the Mission?s objectives and procedure.
Compulsory City Stakeholder Meetings at each stage of preparation of CDP
Emphasize City Stakeholder Meetings as a pre-requisite for every stage of
CDP development (Mission ? Objectives ? Development Plan ? Investment
Plan) Publicizing Activities & Outcomes through Website and Newspapers
In addition to City Stakeholder Meetings, the municipal and state
administration is also bound to publicize its activities and outcomes in
relation to the formulation, financing and implementation of the CDP and
other programs under the JNNURM at every stage through its website, and
through notices in local newspapers. We would also suggest that the
Central Government should launch an independent publicity campaign across
the country, in the same scale as is done for other Missions and Campaigns
such as the on HIV-AIDS prevention, NRHM and Pulse Polio Campaign.
Acceptance of Proposals developed through Genuine Consultation
Proposals that were made prior to the launch of the Mission (3 December
2005) may not be considered as submissions for the CDP, and every city
must implement the consultative procedures set down in the JNNURM Toolkit
to arrive at its Development and Investment Plan Transparency of Selection
of Reform Components
Special emphasis should be laid on the public discussion of the Reform
components of the Mission, particularly the repeal of existing laws and
reform of existing services and functions of the government. Progressive
Selection of Reform Components
Special effort should also be made to ensure that the agreed reforms are
implemented in a way that does not contradict, but promotes the objectives
of the CMP and MDGs. Progressive measures for resource allocation for the
urban poor, security of tenure & basic services, and direct participation
through Area Sabhas should receive due priority and emphasis. Information
on Status of JNNURM across cities of India
Updates on the status of preparation towards and implementation of the
JNNURM across the country should be displayed on the GOI website. This
includes the status of funds, its allocation and expenditure under the
scheme. 7. Mechanism for Direct Feedback on Implementation of JNNURM
The website must also enable citizens and civil society groups to provide
direct feedback to the National Steering Committee on the implementation
of the Mission across cities.
For more information please write to Lysa John at info@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Issue: FEBRUARY 2006. Vol. III. No. 02.
Monthly e-newsletter from Focus on the Global South, India
www.focusweb.org/india/html
============================================================
... Groups tracking urban issues across the country have been dismayed
with the developments in National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM). For
instance the Mumbai city plan is being developed with little consultation
and transparency. FOI carries a memorandum to the Minister for Urban
Development...
============================================================
2. c. Memorandum on NURM - Ensuring Participatory City Development Plan
across cities
MEMORANDUM
SUB: IMMEDIATE ACTION TO ENSURE IMPLEMENTATION OF PARTICIPATORY &
TRANSPARENT PROCESS IN FORMULATION OF ?CITY DEVELOPMENT PLANS?, UNDER THE
JNNURM
TO: The Minister for Urban Development (GOI) & Chairperson, National
Steering Committee on JNNURM CC: Members of the National Steering
Committee
Members of the Central Sanctioning & Monitoring Committee
State Nodal Agencies
We, the undersigned, representing individuals and organizations working to
enhance development, governance and reduce poverty, seek to direct your
attention to the following concerns:
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) was launched
on December 3, 2005 by the Prime Minister, Shri Manmohan Singh, with the
promise of enabling ?cities to realize their full potential and become
engines of growth?, in line with the objectives of the Common Minimum
Program (CMP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The launch of this Mission has been received with enthusiasm for its
effort to create a momentum for urban transformation, but also with deep
apprehensions on its possible use as an instrument to intensify the
deprivation of critical populations from the process of decision-making
and access to land, infrastructure and resources, such as through the
repeal of existing laws such as ULCA, and consequences of private sector
participation in basic services and infrastructure. The development of
detailed guidelines, as part of the JNNURM Toolkit, were seen as a measure
to prevent the subjugation of the reform process to serve the interest of
selective/ vested interests within a city. This includes requirements for
consultative process of defining the Vision of the City through the
involvement of city stakeholders, and a transparent process of developing
the City Development Plan, and Systematic Investment Plan being proposed
to the Mission. We appreciate the integrity of purpose and enthusiasm with
which the Chief Executives of several cities, such as Pune, Nagpur and
Vadodara, have initiated this process of consultation towards ensuring a
public ownership of the developmental goals of the city. However we are
greatly alarmed by the example being set by cities such as Mumbai in
by-passing the consultative process, and reproducing selectively developed
proposals as the public mandate for its development.
In the light of the experiences of the first two months of the scheme, we
urge you to enforce the following safeguards to prevent the violation of
the Mission?s objectives and procedure.
Compulsory City Stakeholder Meetings at each stage of preparation of CDP
Emphasize City Stakeholder Meetings as a pre-requisite for every stage of
CDP development (Mission ? Objectives ? Development Plan ? Investment
Plan) Publicizing Activities & Outcomes through Website and Newspapers
In addition to City Stakeholder Meetings, the municipal and state
administration is also bound to publicize its activities and outcomes in
relation to the formulation, financing and implementation of the CDP and
other programs under the JNNURM at every stage through its website, and
through notices in local newspapers. We would also suggest that the
Central Government should launch an independent publicity campaign across
the country, in the same scale as is done for other Missions and Campaigns
such as the on HIV-AIDS prevention, NRHM and Pulse Polio Campaign.
Acceptance of Proposals developed through Genuine Consultation
Proposals that were made prior to the launch of the Mission (3 December
2005) may not be considered as submissions for the CDP, and every city
must implement the consultative procedures set down in the JNNURM Toolkit
to arrive at its Development and Investment Plan Transparency of Selection
of Reform Components
Special emphasis should be laid on the public discussion of the Reform
components of the Mission, particularly the repeal of existing laws and
reform of existing services and functions of the government. Progressive
Selection of Reform Components
Special effort should also be made to ensure that the agreed reforms are
implemented in a way that does not contradict, but promotes the objectives
of the CMP and MDGs. Progressive measures for resource allocation for the
urban poor, security of tenure & basic services, and direct participation
through Area Sabhas should receive due priority and emphasis. Information
on Status of JNNURM across cities of India
Updates on the status of preparation towards and implementation of the
JNNURM across the country should be displayed on the GOI website. This
includes the status of funds, its allocation and expenditure under the
scheme. 7. Mechanism for Direct Feedback on Implementation of JNNURM
The website must also enable citizens and civil society groups to provide
direct feedback to the National Steering Committee on the implementation
of the Mission across cities.
For more information please write to Lysa John at info@xxxxxxxxxxxxx