The Hindu : Kerala News : Local bodies going slow on charters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 13, 2005

Kerala

Kerala

Local bodies going slow on charters

By N.J. Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 12. Local self-government institutions are going slow on publicising the citizen's charters prepared by them following the directive of the State Government.

Though preparation of the charter is a Constitutional obligation of the local body, the Local Self-Government Ministry had to enforce compliance by taking the first few initiatives owing to the lethargy of the local bodies even after being in power for more than three years.

Official sources told The Hindu here today that 98 per cent of the five corporations, 53 municipalities and 14 district, 152 block and 991 grama panchayats had prepared and printed their charters. They have circulated them among their members and officials. But no effort has been made so far to circulate them among the public who are the real beneficiaries of the charters. Lack of political will to offer the services listed is being pointed out as the main reason for this.

Obligation

On publishing the charter, the local body is obliged to offer the public services listed. So they have done it in a ritualistic manner. They have even managed to escape the notice of the Ministry that has supposedly been closely monitoring the entire process. Elections to local bodies are due in September and any failure in honouring the commitments will have a direct bearing on their poll prospects. So they are unwilling to run the risk of publishing the charter, sources said.

With the decentralisation of powers, the administration of various departments at the local level, including health, education and agriculture, has been handed over to the local bodies. Still, the public in rural and urban areas are unaware of the pivotal role played by the local bodies and the departments run by them. Panchayats being smaller units, there is at least a minimum interaction between the elected representatives and the residents of a locale, but there is no such communication in cities.

Other than using the grama sabhas, where the people of a locality are expected to meet to spell out their priorities for development projects, the local bodies can utilise the services of voluntary organisations and residents' associations to circulate the charters.

Such organisations have registered their presence in society, but no initiative has been taken to utilise their services, sources said. Publication of the charter will help create awareness among the public about their rights.

It will help increase the efficiency of office staff and also weed out corruption.

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