WHAT THEY WANT

WHAT THEY WANT


V Ravichandar, CMD, Feedback Consulting, and former member, BATF
The BATF experience showed that there is value in government and civil society collaborating for a better quality of life for all Bangaloreans. It is a model that can be adapted. For it to work, it needs the following. Firstly, the government sets out the key goals and initiatives it wishes to drive through the collaborative platform. It needs to show political commitment by empowering the platform and monitoring the progress of initiatives. The partnership needs to be accepted by administrators in government departments who should be willing to be publicly accountable to citizens through regular progress reports on the commitments. Finally, it needs civil society participants willing to contribute time, expertise and funds to work alongside government agencies to realize the mutually shared vision.


Kalpana Kar, social activist
Be it a resurrection of the BATF or otherwise, Bangaloreans need a strong PPP body which has a long-term, committed mandate to work for the development of Bangalore. It should have the following features:
It should be an institutionalised form of public-private partnership
It should be headed by a hands-on CEO — supported by a board of directors — who will be accountable to all stakeholders including each Bangalorean
The minister who holds the Bangalore portfolio should be on the board and will represent the body in the government and will lobby for funds and sanctions
A progress report should be published quarterly through the media, identifying the media too as a key stakeholder
Members of the body should include the government (minister for Bangalore), a key official from the urban development body, industry representatives, professionals/ individuals and specialists in e-waste/ solid waste management, traffic, water and infrastructure
The body should be empowered
The sole mission of the body should be the betterment of the city