Rural areas and a few other cities have demonstrated the importance of ward committees and areas sabhas, but their absence in Chennai has limited community response to the pandemic.
Do you want greater participation in civic issues and creation of common resources? Would you like greater accountability for the spending of tax-payer money by the local government? A petition that demands greater say for citizens aims to push for these rights in urban local governance!
The divergent models followed by Kerala and Bengaluru to ensure participation of citizens in ward committees can hold vital learning for Chennai, where citizens seek a greater say in local governance.
For the second year in a row, a bare-bones statement of accounts was passed through a secretive exercise. While the figures themselves raise many questions, more alarming is the fact that there is no elected body of representatives for citizens to approach.
