In the past few months, the Tamil Nadu Government has taken certain steps to create platforms for democratic participation in an urban setting. These include the formation of Area Sabhas and Ward Committees. They had been envisioned to function similar to Gram Sabhas, a constitutionally approved platform that exists in rural parts of our country, where people come together and deliberate on developmental issues. They also pass resolutions to achieve their developmental needs. Every village panchayat performs various functions as well as conducts social audits which are then approved by the Gram Sabha to ensure transparency and accountability. Area Sabhas…
Read moreArticles by Gurusaravanan M
Gurusaravanan M is a development practitioner and an advocate of decentralization. He currently serves as a chairperson at the Institute of Grassroots Governance (IGG), a development organization working with a vision to build a local governance movement in India. He also works as a young professional at the Ministry of Education.