BANGALORE: If the success of Panchayati Raj has not been replicated in urban centres, where wards committees are toothless and hardly function, is the political system to be blamed. No, says Shameem Banu, Principal Secretary, Department of Urban Development. Give the urban mechanism time and take lessons from how the rural system evolved through the years with "political will" is her recipe for success.

Panchayati Raj had champions within the political system, much before the 73rd Constitution Amendment was brought in, she told a gathering of non-governmental organisation activists, resident welfare associations and individuals concerned by the slow progress of the ward panels. "Amending the Constitution does not necessarily imply that things will work out."

Ward committees

The 74th Amendment had mandated the formation of ward committees in municipal corporations with a population of more than three lakh. This was intended to bring about greater decentralisation of functions, proximity of the elected representatives and civic administration to citizens, and enhancement of people's participation in local governance.

But, wards committees are yet to be formed in any of the municipal corporations in the State, barring Bangalore. In the city, the panels were functional for a short period between April 1999 and November 2001. After the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) elections in November 2001, wards committees were formed only in July 2003.

In a study on the functioning of these panels, Kathyayini Chamaraj and Prasanna Rao said that decentralisation in large municipal corporations in Karnataka under the Nagarapalika Act (74th Amendment) was a "gross failure" compared with the laudable progress achieved in rural areas, under the Panchayati Raj Act.

Functional

Ms. Banu insisted that the Nagarapalika Act could not become fully functional overnight. "The Panchayati Raj developed gradually. The State Governments gradually shed a lot of their powers to the panchayats. In the urban context, we are late starters. The systems there are slightly different," she said.

For one, each Gram Panchayat is a recognisable social unit. A village, she says, is a social entity with its own dynamics. "But in the urban scenario, we are creating artificial entities. Political will is very much required. The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike itself may not want to give its powers to the wards committees. It is a threat. Initially, there will be resistance."

Yet, are there mechanisms to speed up the eventual emergence of wards committees as truly functional entities. Ms. Banu refers to including provisions to penalise non-working committee members. But the best way for now would be for the BMP itself to review the working of the panels. "There is no need for separate law for this. In the Council meetings, the ward committee chairpersons could present the performance every quarter," she said.

Avoiding politicians in the wards panels would not be feasible. "Today, the gram panchayat elections are supposed to be conducted on a non-party basis. But that is not the case. In a democracy, political parties do get involved. And the rule says people with administrative experience should be considered for the committees. The government tends to consider politicians that way."

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