Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike the first ULB in North K’taka to form ward committees

Kalaburagi: Amid growing concerns over lack of clarity in the decision-making processes of urban local bodies, a stray of hope has appeared on the horizon, with Kalaburagi Mahanagara Palike (KMP) inviting applications from citizens to help form ward committees. KMP is the first urban local body in North Karnataka, and only the third in the state, to initiate the process to constitute ward committees. Incidentally, the plan to form similar committees to empower and educate the citizenry about local governance in Hubballi-Dharwad has remained on paper for nearly 15 years.
KMP commissioner Lokhande Snehal Sudhakar said that the ward committees were being constituted in accordance with the provisions of the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC), Act, in addition to the state government’s order on the same, issued on June 22, 2016. “Ward committees have been constituted in Bengaluru and Mangaluru, and we have studied the procedure followed closely. The committees will help corporators plan and execute projects in a manner that is acceptable to the locals. We have invited applications from eligible citizens eager to be a member of the committee from all 55 wards,” Sudhakar told TOI.
Director of Kalaburagi Smart City Club Nalini Mahagaonkar, expressing her gratitude to the KMP commissioner, said that a delegation of like-minded citizens had met Sudhakar last week, close on the heels of which a notification inviting applications for membership in the ward committees was issued. “We have requested him to make the announcement in all wards using loudspeakers. Currently, the application format is available only in the office of the KMP Council secretary. They should be made available in all the four zonal offices. Furthermore, the KMP is seeking documents such as income certificate, which is not mandatory according to the KMC Act. Getting all these documents ready in a short span of time is difficult, and will only discourage citizens,” Nalini said.
President of Kalyana Karnataka Grahakara Vedike Sunil Kulkarni said that lack of citizen participation had resulted in the city losing out on qualifying for the Smart Cities’ Mission. “Had the ward committees been constituted then, we could have done more for the overall development of the city. However, the officials must ensure that these committees do not serve as a rehabilitation centre for politicians. Only apolitical and interested citizens must be chosen,” Kulkarni said.
Welcoming the move, head of civic participation for Janagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy, Santosh Nargund said that the KMP had set an inspiring example, which other urban local bodies in the region must seek to emulate.
People can obtain an application by sending an email to: itstaflulb_Gulbarga@yahoo.com, or logging into the KMP website: www.KalaburagiCity.mrc.gov.