Local Self Governance Model experimented in Kausambhi, Ghaziabad, UP

Residents of Kausambhi -- Ghaziabad, UP - are leading as example by trying Local Self Governance Model, for the first time, in the cities of India. While Panchayat Raj system gives right for local governance to Villages of India, there is no such practical system for cities yet. Arvind Kejriwal, RTI crusader, is one of the resident of Kaushambi and part of the people's group leading the effort.

The importance of local self-governance is becoming increasingly evident after several decades of failed top-down approach. This could be listed as three reasons: First, problems are identified most accurately and timely by those who face them. Second, those who face them also have the best vantage point from which to find solutions. Thirdly, they also have an urgent incentive to implement a solution since they will be suffering from the problem until it is resolved. Finally, the implementation would involve minimum amount of corruption, as the improper implementation of the work would directly affect the lives of the people who would be in the position to act corrupt. 

In the context of a large, diverse nation like India where the public faces a myriad of problems large and small, a functioning system of local self-governance becomes even more critical. To speed up the development process and make it most effective, people at the grassroots level must have as much authority to tackle the issue facing them as possible. Their powers should not be limited only to casting a vote once in five years. They should be actively involved in day-to-day governance issues and should have a say in the matters that concern them. They should not have to run for every small task to their local bureaucrats and politicians. The efforts to eliminate poverty must synthesize the top down policies of the central and state governments with bottom up knowledge, problem solving abilities and the needs of the grassroots citizens.

Idea of Gram Sabha in Panchayat Raj system was created with the hope that it would provide a platform to the local people to collectively plan and implement programs for their own development. However, they are yet to become effective institutions of local self-governance. The local institutions, though exists formally now, have far too little power (particularly over funds and local officials) to accomplish the will of their constituents. In case of Municipalities, it is even worse because at the least Gram Sabha in Panchayat Raj provides a platform to the villagers to collectively deliberate and decide but no such platform in Municipalities [cities], where people can collectively express their will and concerns.

Kausambhi area, a middle class society in Ghaziabhad, deliberated on the issue of lack of municipality's action on their grievances over several years and decided to actively participate in/monitor the daily maintenance of their own neighbourhood by adopting LSG model. For close to 2 years, residents protested by not paying house taxes, pointing to municipality's indifference and inaction against bad roads, unclean drinking water, failing street lights etc. Municipality, shocked by the LSG idea realizing its potential, first seemingly agreed to the concept, asked residents to pay their 2 years tax due but finally backed out and rejected the idea.

Residents furious at Municipality's stand of neither will they do the public works properly not let the people do it, decided to fight this injustice till logical conclusion. First of this is to organize a day-long sit-in in Municipality office of Ghaziabhad before Commissioner's room. They laid out their just demands, some of which listed below:

1.      Complete all the urgent public works in the area that have been pending for years.

2.      60% of total taxes collected from their area [Kausambhi] be spent in their area itself

3.      How to spend this above allotted money will be decided in the general meeting of residents, not by the municipality officials. People to list their priorities and Municipality to just execute the projects based on people's priority list.

4.      Money for the contractors should be given only after 'Satisfaction Certificate' given by the people.

5.      No roads shall be digged/cut without prior consent of General body as there is indiscriminate digging of roads in the area by different parties: public & private parties.

Watch Arvind listing demands and background of the issue to the Media: 

                                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGCQJWRpBtY

                                                http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6avhsJRbUk

[Arvind discussing to Asst. Commissioner of Municipality:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqpTtg9YwO0 ]

It is an amazing effort as many residents personally came to Dharna , taking off from their work, to assert their rights to self-govern their area. Their commitment and determination to get their right was clearly palpable from their approach.

After day-long Dharna and indifference by Commissioner and others, Police was called in the evening to throw us out. After intense parleys, written guarantees were given and Dharna was temporarily called off. It was decided to wait for action and reconvene if promises were not kept.

Check out the pictures from the protest:

http://picasaweb.google.com/somukumar/LocalSelfGovernanceModelKausambhiGhaziabadUP#