The Hindu : New Delhi News : Aruna Roy turns down World Bank invitation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 25, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Aruna Roy turns down World Bank invitation

Sujay Mehdudia

Discussion on privatisation of the water sector in the Capital and the much talked about 24X7 project

NEW DELHI: Asking the World Bank to review its disclosure policy vis-à-vis projects of public importance, social activist and Magsaysay Award winner Aruna Roy has turned down its invitation to discuss privatisation of the water sector in Delhi and the much talked about 24X7 project, stating that certain issues need to be independently addressed in the public domain by the Bank.

Expressing disappointment over the Bank's refusal to participate in the public hearing held in Delhi on October 17 over the issue, Ms. Roy in her reply to World Bank Country director Michael Carter inviting her to discuss the "Delhi Water Supply and Sewerage Project'' in his office over a "cup of tea'', stressed that discussions on the project needed to be taken up with Delhi's citizens so that people themselves could play a more basic role in understanding and choosing policy options.

Perplexed

In her reply Ms. Roy stated: "I am a little perplexed about how this could be done over a cup of tea. The issues that have been raised after accessing the papers from the Delhi Jal Board are substantial ones and many of them require a detailed discussion to even understand the range of options that could be exercised.

While we all agree that existing water supply arrangements are beset with problems that must be addressed, we feel that the possible solutions would depend a lot on who all are a part of the decision-making process. However, having read the papers accessed by NGO Parivartan under the Right To Information Act, the extent of influence exercised by the World Bank in decisions of the Delhi Jal Board has become public.''

"The World Bank's disclosure policy seems to pay lip service to many of the norms of transparency, but falls short of these very norms in practice," she added.

"The Bank is after all by its own admission not a commercial bank but also a public institution with development objectives. The views and actions of the bank have a direct relationship and impact on people's lives. It is only fair that they have unhindered access to the views of the bank affecting their lives. I am surprised and disappointed to note the categorical statement from you that the Bank is a transparent institution but will disclose only what its disclosure policy mandates.''

No public consultations

Wrapping up the issue, Ms. Roy said: "The decisions of the World Bank vis-a--vis Delhi's water and sewerage supply seem to be largely devoid of public consultations. You will agree that in an area like water supply at least, commercial viability cannot be the hallmark of necessity and sustainability. At the very least, this lack of public consultations means the acceptance of a paradigm of solutions by policy makers without obtaining the sanction of the people. In a democratic framework, this is simply not acceptable. We have been most concerned by the Bank's repeated emphatic statements that it has nothing that it even needs to reconsider. If your invitation to me for discussion over a cup of tea is only to reiterate what you and the Bank have already stated, then I do not see much purpose in the meeting.''

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