Thursday 9 May 2013

NEW GOVT MUST STRENGTHEN URBAN POLITICS



Kiran Mazumdar Shaw | May 9, 2013

We are happy to see a clear mandate in favor of Congress, which will enable B.PAC to catalyze a positive change in the political system. Five B.PAC-endorsed candidates have won in their constituencies, we congratulate them and look forward to working with them to ensure they deliver on the B.PAC agenda for Bangalore. 

This is a clear anti-incumbency verdict against corruption and political instability. The mandate calls for a clean and stable government. Development has been a casualty and I hope the incoming Congress-led government pays strong attention to development, and restores Bangalore and Karnataka's leadership across development metrics. 

The concerted efforts of Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC) to galvanize greater political involvement among citizens have paid off. But this is the first small step towards the longterm objective of encouraging public engagement in the political process for demanding better governance. 

From B.PAC, we have a six-point agenda for the newly elected government to restore the lost glory of Bangalore: Proper governance structure for the city, promoting citizen inclusion in governance, strengthening finances of local bodies and civic agencies, ensuring accountability of civic agencies, developing strong infrastructure and strengthening the foundation of urban politics. 

B.PAC will work with the new political leadership to help them deliver this agenda, which is in the interest of citizens. B.PAC-endorsed candidates are aligned and committed to our agenda for Bangalore. 

Another significant area the new government needs to address on priority is the electoral rolls system. It is absolutely unacceptable to have thousands of names go missing from the lists just a day before polling. We need an efficient and transparent process to ensure every citizen gets to exercise his/her right to vote. 

We hope the winds of change witnessed in this election will pave the way for a better Bangalore with high livability index in terms of civic amenities, infrastructure, safety & security and better governance that fosters an economically strong city with a world-class status. 

(The writer is president, B.PAC)

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