Friday, May 05, 2006 JN-NURM: State may lose legislative powers
JN-NURM: State may lose legislative powers
Deccan Herald
With the City development plans under preparation for Bangalore and Mysore,
which have been chosen for assistance under the JN-NURM (Jawaharlal Nehru -
National Urban Renewal Mission), certain sections have sought to point out
that the State government may be losing some of its legislative powers. The
mandatory reform clauses like enactments of the Public Disclosure Law and
Community Participation Law, which have been made binding on State
governments availing funds under JN-NURM, are intrusive on the legislative
powers vested with the State, say activists and urban researchers of the
Bangalore-based Collaborative for Advancement of Studies in Urbanism through
Mix-Media. (CASUMM).
While a State government has the powers to debate and decide for itself how
best the aims of a public disclosure law and community participation law may
be achieved, the Centre is ready with draft bills on the same. The draft of
the community participation law titled 'Nagara Raj Bill' is being made
available to the State governments, they point out.
Their main objection is that the draft speaks of nominations, and not
elections, to the representative body of the area sabhas; the bill has
proposed area sabhas at the level of every polling booth.
"It is reflective of fear of the elite. They don't vote and they are afraid
that people who vote will push them out", says Dr Solomon Benjamin, an
independent researcher on Urban issues, and a member of CASUMM.
The draft bills contradict the purpose of JN-NURM, which has the urban poor
as the sole thrust of one of its submissions, he notes.
CASUMM member Vinay Baindur noted that in case of cities like Pune and
Nagpur, members of their elected local bodies were not apprised of the
programme (JN-NURM), and there have been protests, after their CDPs were
approved by the Centre recently.
The JN-NURM is also promoting the case of international funding agencies
like USAID and ADB, he opined. CASUMM will come out with a fact sheet behind
JN-NURM before Karnataka sends its CDPs to the Centre, he said.
PUBLIC MEETINGS ON MAY 6
The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will hold public meetings, as part of
NURM, across the City in about 30 assistant revenue offices on May 6 at 11
am.
The meeting will introduce the various residents' welfare associations and
voluntary organisations to the NURM guidelines to take their suggestions. A
City Development Plan will be drafted based on the suggestions, which will
be forwarded to the Centre for the approval and subsequent release of funds.
READERS CAN HAVE THEIR SAY
In a bid to help cities find their own standing, the Central government in
December 2005 unveiled the JN-NURM. As many as 63 cities have been chosen to
receive central assistance for infrastructure development and basic services
to the urban poor over the next 7 years.
As much as Rs 50,000 crore is available for infrastructure development
alone. The Central assistance will be complemented by respective
contributions from the State and urban local bodies or the parastatal
agencies.
Bangalore, inclusive of eight municipal councils adjoining it, and Mysore
have been chosen for the programme in Karnataka.
To begin with, participating cities should submit to the Centre a City
Development Plan - as a vision document, along with its Detailed Project
Reports. Public hearings have been marked as a necessary exercise while
preparing the City Development Plan (CDP). Details on JN-NURM may be
assessed on the government of India website: goidirectory.nic.in
will publish them. Send your responses with name, address, phone numbers to
editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or fax it to 25880523 or post it to Deccan Herald,
75, MG Road, Bangalore-1.
JN-NURM: State may lose legislative powers
Deccan Herald
With the City development plans under preparation for Bangalore and Mysore,
which have been chosen for assistance under the JN-NURM (Jawaharlal Nehru -
National Urban Renewal Mission), certain sections have sought to point out
that the State government may be losing some of its legislative powers. The
mandatory reform clauses like enactments of the Public Disclosure Law and
Community Participation Law, which have been made binding on State
governments availing funds under JN-NURM, are intrusive on the legislative
powers vested with the State, say activists and urban researchers of the
Bangalore-based Collaborative for Advancement of Studies in Urbanism through
Mix-Media. (CASUMM).
While a State government has the powers to debate and decide for itself how
best the aims of a public disclosure law and community participation law may
be achieved, the Centre is ready with draft bills on the same. The draft of
the community participation law titled 'Nagara Raj Bill' is being made
available to the State governments, they point out.
Their main objection is that the draft speaks of nominations, and not
elections, to the representative body of the area sabhas; the bill has
proposed area sabhas at the level of every polling booth.
"It is reflective of fear of the elite. They don't vote and they are afraid
that people who vote will push them out", says Dr Solomon Benjamin, an
independent researcher on Urban issues, and a member of CASUMM.
The draft bills contradict the purpose of JN-NURM, which has the urban poor
as the sole thrust of one of its submissions, he notes.
CASUMM member Vinay Baindur noted that in case of cities like Pune and
Nagpur, members of their elected local bodies were not apprised of the
programme (JN-NURM), and there have been protests, after their CDPs were
approved by the Centre recently.
The JN-NURM is also promoting the case of international funding agencies
like USAID and ADB, he opined. CASUMM will come out with a fact sheet behind
JN-NURM before Karnataka sends its CDPs to the Centre, he said.
PUBLIC MEETINGS ON MAY 6
The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will hold public meetings, as part of
NURM, across the City in about 30 assistant revenue offices on May 6 at 11
am.
The meeting will introduce the various residents' welfare associations and
voluntary organisations to the NURM guidelines to take their suggestions. A
City Development Plan will be drafted based on the suggestions, which will
be forwarded to the Centre for the approval and subsequent release of funds.
READERS CAN HAVE THEIR SAY
In a bid to help cities find their own standing, the Central government in
December 2005 unveiled the JN-NURM. As many as 63 cities have been chosen to
receive central assistance for infrastructure development and basic services
to the urban poor over the next 7 years.
As much as Rs 50,000 crore is available for infrastructure development
alone. The Central assistance will be complemented by respective
contributions from the State and urban local bodies or the parastatal
agencies.
Bangalore, inclusive of eight municipal councils adjoining it, and Mysore
have been chosen for the programme in Karnataka.
To begin with, participating cities should submit to the Centre a City
Development Plan - as a vision document, along with its Detailed Project
Reports. Public hearings have been marked as a necessary exercise while
preparing the City Development Plan (CDP). Details on JN-NURM may be
assessed on the government of India website: goidirectory.nic.in
From today DH will publish stories which highlight different aspects of theJN-NURM. You can have your say in the City planning under the project and we
will publish them. Send your responses with name, address, phone numbers to
editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or fax it to 25880523 or post it to Deccan Herald,
75, MG Road, Bangalore-1.