JN-NURM: State may lose legislative powers

JN-NURM: State may lose legislative powers
Deccan Herald

With the City development plans under preparation for Bangalore and Mysore, which have been chosen for assistance under the JN-NURM (Jawaharlal Nehru - National Urban Renewal Mission), certain sections have sought to point out that the State government may be losing some of its legislative powers. The mandatory reform clauses like enactments of the Public Disclosure Law and Community Participation Law, which have been made binding on State governments availing funds under JN-NURM, are intrusive on the legislative powers vested with the State, say activists and urban researchers of the Bangalore-based Collaborative for Advancement of Studies in Urbanism through Mix-Media. (CASUMM).

While a State government has the powers to debate and decide for itself how best the aims of a public disclosure law and community participation law may be achieved, the Centre is ready with draft bills on the same. The draft of the community participation law titled 'Nagara Raj Bill' is being made available to the State governments, they point out.

Their main objection is that the draft speaks of nominations, and not elections, to the representative body of the area sabhas; the bill has proposed area sabhas at the level of every polling booth.

"It is reflective of fear of the elite. They don't vote and they are afraid that people who vote will push them out", says Dr Solomon Benjamin, an independent researcher on Urban issues, and a member of CASUMM.

The draft bills contradict the purpose of JN-NURM, which has the urban poor as the sole thrust of one of its submissions, he notes.

CASUMM member Vinay Baindur noted that in case of cities like Pune and Nagpur, members of their elected local bodies were not apprised of the programme (JN-NURM), and there have been protests, after their CDPs were approved by the Centre recently.

The JN-NURM is also promoting the case of international funding agencies like USAID and ADB, he opined. CASUMM will come out with a fact sheet behind JN-NURM before Karnataka sends its CDPs to the Centre, he said.

PUBLIC MEETINGS ON MAY 6

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will hold public meetings, as part of NURM, across the City in about 30 assistant revenue offices on May 6 at 11 am.

The meeting will introduce the various residents' welfare associations and voluntary organisations to the NURM guidelines to take their suggestions. A City Development Plan will be drafted based on the suggestions, which will be forwarded to the Centre for the approval and subsequent release of funds.

READERS CAN HAVE THEIR SAY

In a bid to help cities find their own standing, the Central government in December 2005 unveiled the JN-NURM. As many as 63 cities have been chosen to receive central assistance for infrastructure development and basic services to the urban poor over the next 7 years.

As much as Rs 50,000 crore is available for infrastructure development alone. The Central assistance will be complemented by respective contributions from the State and urban local bodies or the parastatal agencies.

Bangalore, inclusive of eight municipal councils adjoining it, and Mysore have been chosen for the programme in Karnataka.

To begin with, participating cities should submit to the Centre a City Development Plan - as a vision document, along with its Detailed Project Reports. Public hearings have been marked as a necessary exercise while preparing the City Development Plan (CDP). Details on JN-NURM may be assessed on the government of India website: goidirectory.nic.in

From today DH will publish stories which highlight different aspects of the JN-NURM. You can have your say in the City planning under the project and we will publish them. Send your responses with name, address, phone numbers to editor@deccanherald.co.in or fax it to 25880523 or post it to Deccan Herald, 75, MG Road, Bangalore-1.