Certain initiatives towards Participative Governance
1. Social Audit is a powerful tool that citizens can use to monitor and evaluate the performance of various government bodies. It was first initiated by the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) as ‘jansunwai’ or public hearing in the 1990s. Since then, social audits have been made compulsory by several statutes, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. These audits have led to an increase in citizen participation and have helped to ensure a system of checks and balances. For example, in Andhra Pradesh, state-wide social audits discovered large-scale fraud, resulting in administrative or criminal charges against almost 7,000 officials. Social audits have also led to the promotion of environmental democracy and governance.
2. The Bhagidari scheme of the Delhi Government involves citizens directly through Resident Welfare Associations in monthly meetings, mobilizing the community to take responsibility for their respective zones and areas. These RWAs also act as the first point of contact for state utilities while planning developmentrelated and other changes.
3. People’s Plan Campaign (PPC) in Kerala was an experiment in decentralized planning in 1996. It required local governments to make their Five-Year Plans with direct engagement of the public. Adequate funds from the State’s development budget were also devolved for the process. However, this scheme has been discontinued.
4. Resident Welfare Associations: These are groups that are given state-specific incentives to incorporate the views of society or to devolve the decision-making power for basic civic functions to the citizens. Such initiatives have been highly appreciated for their implementation and the intent of engaging common citizens in promoting public participation or ‘janbhagidari’.
