[Urbanstudy] Re: Urbanstudygroup Digest, Vol 19, Issue 21

[Aditi thorat]

Hi Vinay,
 Apologies for a much delayed response. I think it would be interesting to
discuss the guidelines for consultation for the NURM. I don't know much
about the processes intitiated by WB and UN in Tamil Nadu and outside and it
would also be interesting to understand the kind of suggestions ASCI came up
with.
 I think what I was trying to get at in my previous email, when I made that
comment on consultations, was about how social movements and city planning
processes intersect, if and when they do. I think understanding social
movements and their role could help us in clarfiying notions of
participation in planning. I would recommend Appadurai's article "Deep
Democracy" for those who are interested in this.
 I also think that its important to note the broader backdrop to these
reforms, in terms of globalisation and the changing role of the
state/private sector/civil society and other actors and how this impacts the
planning and reform process. I don't think it's useful to think anymore in
terms of stark dichotomies between these various groups as there is a
transformation of roles and responsibilities of these actors. To give an
example from the NURM, there is a provision that talks of the role that
private sector (including NGOs/community groups) can play in the maintenance
of city infrastructure- we all know the dismal record that the state and
city authorities have had with maintaining their infrastructure, so why
can't other actors be involved in this, especially if through a community
process, groups can have a sense of ownership over this and take charge to
maintain them. My point is why are we throwing out privatisation per say out
of the window, when there are clearly areas the state has not been
successful and where citizens could take control effectively if given a
chance.
 Can the debate be centered around the kind of privatisation instead and how
this impacts poorer groups?
 Aditi
 On 9/15/05, Vinay Baindur <yanivbin at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Aditi
> Thanks for your points.
>  abt Consultations Yes they also do not have any clue and maybe we should
> have the guidelines discussed.
> The City Consultation Process started by the UMP/UNDP/UNCHS in 1997-998 in
> the developing cities was an initiative which had the involvement of
> stakeholder groups. quikly WB lunched the TNUDP which gave birth to the City
> Development Strategy CDS process in coimbatore and soon in the rest of the
> TN cities going into TNUDP II AND III recently. The CDSP whch i feel is a
> diluted and watered down version does have a split funding approach *Infra
> and Governance 65% and Urban poverty alleviation 35% though all other
> empolyment generation programmes will conitune *
> **
> *REFER*
> *http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/mud-final-site/programs/index.htm*
>  It seems NIPFP was to come up with theories of consultation but now the
> bangalore corpn officials have been asked to refer the learnings from ASCI ,
> HYD who prepared the CDS in 2003 there.
>  2) the BATF and JANAAGRAHA *LOBBIED* the GOI USING the para in NCMP about
> urban renewal http://www.nac.nic.in/ncmp.htm
> the batf and before them bombay first has always tomtommed the ppp
> approach on which the FINMIN also issed guidleines recently
> SO THEY WERE JUST LIKE OTHER LOBBIES
> WHICH REFORMS WILL COME FIRST WILL ALSO SHOW HOW HARD THEY LOBBIED VIS A
> VIS REAL ESTATE, CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, ETC.
> 3) NGOs maybe involved becuase the WB group has looked at their involvment
> earlier like SPARC and MAHILAMILAN and groups like Jgrha are geting funding
> (around 4crs for IEC &trng) for setting the stage for citizens to accept
> their conditionalities so that they dont get the solid opposition they are
> now facing in delhi. when a whole array of NGOs groups are all aligned for
> liberalising services and support privatisation, what do you think the
> private sector has been doing all this while. they are compromising them. so
> it is quid pro quo you support my citizens particiaption law and i will
> support your model municipal ( *privatisation)* laws
> regards
> Vinay baindur
>
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