PRIA

PRIA turned to its vast experience in Panchayati Raj Institutions in rural areas for insights when it ventured into urban governance through pilot programmes across five states in the country for a period of three years. The initial pilot phase (June 2000 to June 2003) clearly pointed out that future interventions of PRIA should focus on improving municipal governance of small and medium towns through enabling and strengthening citizen participation. The next phase (April 2004 to March 2007) of the programme focused on two broad objectives in tune with PRIA's strategic plan "Governance Where People Matter". They were (1) making urban local self-governing institutions transparent and accountable, and (2) enabling citizen leaders to have an effective voice in urban governance. A range of interventions have since been undertaken to pursue these objectives in 54 municipalities across 12 states.

Some of the interventions include

• Facilitating the formation of new citizen collectives like Mohalla Samitis (neighbourhood committees) and Mohalla Swachchata Samitis (neighbourhood sanitation committees). These groups along with the existing and newly formed citizen groups (e.g. women's groups, youth clubs, etc.) collaborated with the municipal administration and elected representatives on issues like water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, birth registration, etc.
• Strengthening the capacity of municipal governance to become responsive to the emerging demands of citizens. Workshops, seminars, meetings, and exposure visits were organised besides general information dissemination to enhance the capacity of elected representatives and officials of the municipalities.
• Networks of elected representatives, particularly, women, Dalits and tribals, catalysed and strengthened in many states and districts.
• Technical support was provided to a number of municipalities to undertake participatory town planning and preparing of plans on solid waste management.
• Organising Pre Election Voters Awareness Campaigns (PEVAC) in the states where municipal elections took place. A variety of civil society actors were involved in the campaigns with the objective of educating citizens, to ensure free and fair election and to foster participation of the most marginalised in the electoral processes.