Soon, digital governance, with its ever expanding and evolving self, will take the reins of the State, raising hopes of good governance. If elected representatives have to be democratically accountable to their voters, they have no choice but to keep pace with development. A reality check on how competent our netas are is the need of the hour.
How many of them are equipped to use the computer when the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike administration is streamlining its governance by extensive use of computers?
Are City corporators – the interface between the government and the common man – academically qualified to understand the finer nuances of user technology?
Does the academic background of a corporator help him perform better and work efficiently for the development of his ward?
Deccan Herald studied the academic background of all 100 corporators. The exercise has been taken up now, since the corporators will soon complete their five-year term which ends in November. And Bangaloreans will face the challenge of choosing their corporators again.
Two issues which have been widely debated in the recent years are the crumbling infrastructure of Bangalore and the growing density of vehicular traffic. Much-talked-about projects like the Bangalore Metro Rail, Elevated Rail, Peripheral Ring Road, site allotment in Arkavathi layout, desilting of storm water drains and others have remained at discussion stage.
Why this state of affairs? Are our corporators not mature enough to understand that the City can get on the right track only if they work with missionary zeal?
According to some top bureaucrats, the BMP corporators are lacking not only in academic education, but also in commitment. If officials are lethargic or indifferent, they have to be ‘woken’ up by corporators. “It is said that either one has to read or travel to be wise. A majority of our corporators do not possess academic qualification, nor have they read the Karnataka Municipal Act. They may travel, but definitely not to improve their administrative skills but to enjoy,” points out a retired IAS officer.
Quelle/Source: Deccan Herald , 30.09.2006
