Southern States
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Karnataka-Bangalore
BMP to adopt participative budgeting for 2002-03
By Our Staff Reporter
BANGALORE, DEC. 8. Bangaloreans will decide what work is important in their ward, and how much to spend to meet the expenditure. Their collective input will provide the basis for the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP)'s budget for 2002-03.
Engineered to meet this unique attempt at participative governance, Janaagraha, a collaborative, citizen-centric initiative, will start work on December 9, with an agenda, ``Participative Budgeting for Ward Works.''
The brainchild of financial expert and Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF) member, Mr. Ramesh Ramanathan, Janaagraha is an alliance between the citizens represented by residents' associations and their corporators to change the face of Bangalore with ``a partnership-based positive approach to working with Government, through network of communities and institutions.''
Here is how the ``Ward Works Expenditure'' project will work. The works relate to local infrastructure maintenance of roads, footpaths, and drains in various neighbourhoods of each ward.
Over the next four months, the Janaagraha support team will help residents' associations across the City to generate specific outputs in the form of costed works for the improvement of roads, footpaths, and drains. ``This will provide the basis to ensure active engagement between the corporator and the residents, which, in turn, will shape the BMP budget (2002-03),'' Mr. Ramanathan told presspersons here.
Over 40 residents' groups have already endorsed the movement. Civic-minded institutions such as CIVIC, Swabhimana, and Public Affairs Centre (PAC), have ensured support. The BATF has come on board as a partner.
The countdown to participative budgeting for ward works will get going on December 9 with an event at Jayanagar Civic and Cultural Association. Mr. Vishnu Vardhan, Kannada filmstar, will participate in the programme. On December 12, noted heart surgeon, Dr. Devi Shetty, will join in at a Janaagraha community programme at Shakthivel Nagar slum near BMTC Bus Depot, Shantinagar.
Also on agenda is a City-based community launch at the Parade Grounds on December 14. More celebrity endorsements will punctuate a massive 45-day community orientation package in the latter part of December. ``All that the resident needs to do to come on board is to join a citizen community (like a residents' association) and spend just three hours in completing a specially-designed field report,'' Mr. Ramanathan explained.
For more information, contact Janaagraha, 198, Nandidurg Road, Bangalore - 560046 (ph: 3330668, 3542381). e-mail: (janaagraha@vsnl.net).
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