Lok Satta for GHMC polls – Offstumped Endorsement

With the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, GHMC set to go for polls, it is with great disappointment Offstumped is noting the utterly imaginative agenda the BJP has proposed.

By raking up issues that are not even remotely of any consequence to Urban Local Governance in Hyderabad and regurgitating a laundry list on entitlement programs the BJP in Hyderabad tragically has demonstrated an utter lack of understanding of what an agenda for Urban Local Governance ought to focus on.

Tragic because the same BJP in Bangalore has come up with a promising vision with the ABIDE initiative under the leadership of Anantha Kumar and Rajeev Chandrashekhar.

On this tragic note, Offstumped has decided to endorse the Lok Satta Party for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls.

It is noteworthy that the Lok Satta Party echoes some of the ABIDE thinking on making the Ward the central focus of local governance.

For those wanting to learn more on the agenda proposed by Lok Satta for the GHMC polls more can be found on their website.

More in the media on the same in this story on Ward Level Agenda and this one on spending 10% budget at the discretion of Ward level committees.

Offstumped looks forward to more debate on this proposed agenda for the GHMC polls in the days to come.

Some Twitter accounts tracking Lok Satta

@LokSattaSupporter

@MarutiRaghuveer

 

Filed under: ABIDE Bangalore, DesiPundit, India Elections 2009, Local Governance, Shveta Chhatra

ABIDe Bengaluru – Reforming Local Governance

OFFSTUMPED is taking a break from its self imposed hiatus from the blogosphere to highlight a significant initiative for the Center Right movement to differentiate itself from the psuedo-progressive Left of Center agenda of the Congress.

The ABIDe initiative in Bangalore under the leadership of long time South Bangalore MP and former Minister Anantha Kumar and entrepreneur and fellow twitterer Rajeev Chandrashekhar must be supported, highlighted and enhanced by all those sympathetic to the Center Right cause.

The psuedo-progressive approach of the Congress Party to force down from Delhi one-size-fit all solutions from education to development offers the BJP its best opportunity to differentiate itself as a Center Right party.

The joint initiative by Anantha Kumar and Rajeev Chandrashekhar is daunting as this report from the first public consultation reveals, but it cannot be allowed to fail.

It is surprising that for a City that is home to perhaps the highest concentration of Technology savy residents, there has been barely any discussion on ABIDe’s agenda on its website.

Offstumped urges its readers, community members and twitter followers many of who are from Bangalore ,  to take this debate further on with greater engagement.

• ABIDE Task Force Agenda
• Plan Bengaluru 2020
• Secure Bengalauru
• Govern Bengaluru
• Urban Poor
• Roads, Traffic Management, Transportation
• Namma Bengaluru Action Plan
• ABIDE Heritage Plan

The new Big Tent will not be a reality till the vision of Shveta Chhatra in heralding Freedom to Local Communities in governance is pursued with a missionary zeal.

By differentiating itself on Urban Local Governance the BJP could script its come back with the cosmopolitan Urban  voter who has been disenchanted with it over the last two elections.  Bangalore rightly reposed its faith in the BJP  and the BJP would do well to follow through with this initiative till it transforms everyday urban life in Bangalore to become a showcase for Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities, towns.

Offstumped wishes Mr. Anantha Kumar and Mr. Rajeev Chandrashekhar all the very best on what will likely be a herculean task.

NOTE: Twitter compilations and guest posts from Offstumped Community will continue to appear as Offstumped continues with its break from active blogging.

More from Offstumped archives on Local Governance.

Nithari

Burra Bazaar

The Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project

Delhi BRT mess

Vadodara CDP

Mumbai BMC

Filed under: ABIDE Bangalore, DesiPundit, Local Governance, Offstumped, Shveta Chhatra, Uncategorized