[Urbanstudy] who is the "public", what is the 'plan', and who consults on whose behalf?

Thu Sep 8 21:45:27 IST 2005

Hi, a useful response and some more questions -- esp
on the last lines:
civil society organisations analyse and expose the
-'Plan'(the hidden plan) and open it for debate and
response from the political representatives and people
affected. Bureaucracy, I think, in India could be made
accountable only through politics.
a) What constitutes 'civil society' and the nature of
'debate'?
b) are the 'affected people' passive reciepients"
c) what are the various forms of politics that we can
visualize? is it that of the day to day, that of
election time? that at particular levels of
government?
d) Which part or section of 'breaucracy'?

How do we conceptulize the process of city building
when we attribute certain directive powers to
particular actors and institutions?
Cheers
Solly

--- jayaraj s <jrajaya at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Hi
> 
> I think the fundamental issue here is  the mismatch
> between- concept and mechanisms of democratic
> process,
> the institutions of both Urban regulatory and
> development plannng, and the contemporary urban and
> social geography of urban agglomerations in most
> cities in India. 
> 
> I guess there should be a constructive debate in
> transformiming the outmoded constitution and role of
> Urban development authorities, along with the
> discussions on the role of elected local bodies, and
> their capacites and powers in preparing development
> Plans for their regions.
> 
> Probably in such situations it may be more
> appropriate
> if the civil society organisations analyse and
> expose
> the -'Plan'(the hidden plan) and open it for debate
> and response from the political representatives and
> people affected. Bureaucracy, I think, in India
> could
> be made accountable only through politics.
> 
> Regards
> 
> Jayaraj
> 
> 
> --- solomon benjamin <sollybenj at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
> 
> > Hi,
> > I was in Delhi on the 31 aug and hense could not
> > attend the ESG-CIVIC meet. However, I did attend
> the
> > Bang. Cham. of Commerse meet (with CSD) at which
> > most
> > of the senior most breaucracts headed by the Chief
> > Sec. were in attendence. Not very different from
> the
> > FICCI/ CII meets on the new urban agendas, this
> one
> > perhaps less snazzy. I posed in writing three
> > questions to the Chief Sec. who routed these to
> > Vidyashankar.
> > a) Their own documents showed severe 'shadow'
> areas
> > in
> > West and South West Bangalore -- areas of more
> than
> > 30%  working and living population groups, but
> > deprived of infra. and services. However, the
> > investments proposed by the CDP/MP focused on east
> > and
> > south east of the city, and the only real infra
> > investment in the 'shadow' area was the BMIC. If
> so,
> > was not the CDP an elitest project?
> > b) Considering the Ravindra, Thomas, Chandraskekar
> > report on the BDA, the Karnataka High Court
> > Judgement
> > on the BDA's Arkawati layout, and the 'sprit' of
> the
> > 74th. CA and well as the recent Bellary
> decleration
> > to
> > have local elected bodies undertake planning, was
> > not
> > the BDA and its planning process of the CDP
> > un-constitutional?
> > c) Was not the BDA's CDP elitest precisly because
> it
> > has emerged out of a un-constitutional process?
> > 
> > Well the above three points were in the note and
> not
> > surprisingly were by-passed despite being
> carefully
> > considered by both the CS and Vidyashankar (I
> noted
> > their expressions with interest when they were
> > handed
> > the note). But then, the above three point were
> > posed
> > as a sort of normative strategy. It also leads us
> to
> > wonder if a more fundamental issue is the concept
> of
> > planning, before we even get to the issue of
> > 'participation'. Do we really need to assume the
> > centrality of a statist process like a Plan, which
> > reinforces a dirgisme of both the State and it's
> > shadow in a homogenous 'market'? or then can we
> pose
> > an argument here from a different locality?
> > Cheers
> > Solly
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- ESG VSNL India <esg at bgl.vsnl.net.in> wrote:
> > 
> > > Dear All,
> > > 
> > > On 31 August 2005, a wide range of Bangalore
> based
> > > citizen organisations 
> > > and residents welfare associations met to
> discuss
> > > the ongoing Revised 
> > > CDP - 2015 commenting process.  This meeting was
> > > jointly organised by 
> > > CIVIC and ESG.
> > > 
> > > In the meeting there was unanimous approval for
> an
> > > active citizen 
> > > representation to challenge the ongoing
> > consultation
> > > organised by the 
> > > Bangalore Development Authority, as this was
> > grossly
> > > violative of 
> > > significant provisions of the Nagarpalika Act,
> > > amongst others. 
> > > 
> > > Please find enclosed a representation we have
> > > prepared that reflects all 
> > > concerns that were discussed in the meeting. 
> > Please
> > > confirm if you 
> > > accept this statement,_  by sending in your
> > > endorsements latest by 11 am 
> > > on 9th September to <esg at esgindia.org>.  Pl also
> > cc:
> > > 
> > > <civicblore at vsnl.com>_.   Should you have any
> > > comments or disagreements, 
> > > please write them to us.  You may also phone in
> > your
> > > endorsements.  
> > > Kindly include your full name, organisation and
> > > contact details.  
> > > *Please retain the same Subject as in this email
> > > when responding.  
> > > Please circulate this appeal widely for
> > endorsements
> > > and participation.*
> > > 
> > > *A symbolic protest will be held on Friday 9th
> > > September at Yavanika 
> > > (next to RBI on Nrupathunga Road, Bangalore) at
> 3
> > > pm.  *Please 
> > > participate actively in this protest, and do
> bring
> > > appropriate posters 
> > > to reflect the sentiments expressed in our joint
> > > statement.  Do also 
> > > bring along your association banners. The media
> > will
> > > be invited to cover 
> > > this protest.
> > > 
> > > Thereafter, a delegation will present this
> signed
> > > statement to the Chief 
> > > Minister.
> > > **
> > > Thank you and best wishes for the festive
> season.
> > > 
> > > Leo Saldanha
> > > Environment Support Group
> > > 
> > > and for
> > > 
> > > Vinay Baindur
> > > CIVIC Bangalore
> > > 
> > > Contact:
> > > 
> > > Environment Support Group
> > > S-3, Rajashree Apts.
> > > 18/57, 1st Main, SRK Gardens
> > > Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar
> > > Bangalore 560041
> > > Telefax: 91-80-26341977/26531339
> > > Email: esg at esgindia.org or esg at bgl.vsnl.net.in
> > > Web: www.esgindia.org
> > > 
> > > 
> > > The Statement:
> > > 
> > >  
> > > 
> > > 
> 
=== message truncated ===

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