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FLAWED LAW Bitter truths of bettering Blore Draft Rules For Urban Plan Panel Have Lacunae,No Role For Aam Aadmi
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Twenty years after passage of the 74th constitutional amendment on urban self governance,the Karnataka government has come up with draft rules to set up a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC). The MPC aims to ensure better planning and governance for Bangalore,which has now taken a backseat with a bunch of agencies (BDA and BMRDA etc) resorting to independent sectoral plans and often working at cross purposes.However,citizen groups and experts say the draft legislation is riddled with flaws and gives little scope for citizen participation. Citizen groups allege that the government has ignored public participation in framing the rules right from November 7,2013,when Bangalore Metropolitan Planning Committee Rules 2013 were notified. Kathyayini Chamaraj,executive trustee of CIVIC NGO,said there was no public intimation before notifying the draft rules.Citizens have been caught unawares and no opportunity has been given for public consultation and receiving of suggestions while formulating the draft rules,which is a violation of Section 4(1)( c) of the RTI Act.After we raised voices against the same,the deadline has been extended till December 7,2013, she added. Not in public domain: Another civic expert said a copy of the draft rules appeared on the Urban Development Department (UDD) website several days after it was notified and the department is yet to publicise the rules in major newspapers.Kathyayini said the draft rules do not even define the area that is to be covered by the MPC.Also,no time-frame has been specified within which this area will be defined to let the MPC start functioning, she added. Suresh R,another expert,said the MPC draft rules have no representation of the real stakeholders in the metropolitan area,the citizens and their associations.In addition to giving representation to civil society organizations on the MPC,the government should allow greater people's participation at the time of drafting sectoral plans.The rules should specify involvement of different groups like vendors,unorganized workers,slumdwellers,RWAs,women,NGOs,children's rights groups,SC/STs and environmentalists to make the city planning more truly inclusive, he added. Urban expert AK Pani said public should not lose hope and start filing more suggestions to strengthen the rules before December 7 this month when the deadline for filing objections ends. Plea to CM: It may be recalled here that Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekar

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has also written to the chief minister Siddaramaiah to have a relook at MPC rules and finalize them only after making necessary recommendations from civic groups. A senior UDD official said they have extended the deadline for objections to draft rules to seek more public participation.A committee in the department will verify every suggestion from public and experts before finalizing the rules, he added. PANEL FOR PEOPLE OR GOVERNMENT

Civic experts have pointed out failings in the draft rules City mayor and BBMP commissioner are not automatic members of the MPC which has CM and minister for urban development as members MLAs and MLCs accommodated in MPC to allow state govt a role in the affairs of local self-governments which is against the spirit of the 74th constitutional amendment Only a fleeting reference to "consult NGOs and other professional bodies" in preparing the draft development plan Accepts status quo of para-statal agencies like BDA,BWSSB etc,which report to state govt and are outside the control of local govt Conditions of transparency stipulated in the rules are inadequate CITIZENSPEAK

It seems the rules have been drafted just to comply with the recent HC order to establish MPC.It is not going in the right direction because suggestions of residents in the city have not been considered Nitin Sheshadri | GEN SECY,KORAMANGALA III BLOCK RESIDENTS WELFARE ASSOCIATION How can a citys development be planned without taking people's opinion Residents know what development they want for their respective areas.How can a person sitting in an AC room decide that Anand Sirur | MEMBER,GOVERN RIGHT GOVERN RESPONSIBLY The draft rules are not framed according to the 74th constitutional amendment.Without peoples participation,it is more difficult to make a good law Vijayan Menon | MEMBER,CITIZEN ACTION FORUM

TIMES VIEW

After 20 long years,the Karnataka government took cognizance of the 74th constitutional amendment on urban self governance and cleared the decks for a metropolitan planning committee.However,by not intimating the public before drafting rules or including citizens,the governments move goes against the very essence of the constitutional amendment which calls for greater participation by citizens in urban development.Its time to make amends,get public inputs and make local governance truly inclusive and transparent.

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URBAN VIEW: Metropolitan Planning Committee aims for city development

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