From JNNURM to Antyodaya

1. From JNNURM to Antyodaya “Civil Society Window” Planning Commission January 25, 2007 CASUMM

2. Livelihood and Rights Constitution guarantees everyone the Right to live and work anywhere in India This needs to be backed by a minimum wage. Does NURM provide this? NURM must guarantee at least minimum wages (and equal wage for women) in each infrastructure and service project. We should move toward setting a living wage as in Kerala. The model for slum rehabilitation is in-situ multi-storey, commercial housing. It does not encourage slum dwellers to assemble and develop their own land. It destroys networks of small entrepreneurs, petty traders and their suppliers / transporters operating in the community. This results in massive displacement of poor from their livelihoods. NURM seems to be a private sector development strategy but not a quality of life strategy for the urban poor!

3. Chronic Poverty and Basic Services What does NURM do to help the homeless, urban poor woman and child? We need universal access to services based on affordability for those able to pay and subsidy for the poor. This livelihood support would bring people to a minimum quality of life. Pro poor governance needs to be about providing this subsidy for the urban poor. The forthcoming Urban counterpart of NRHM should focus on providing affordable and assured quality of health services for the poorest and not on mindless commercialization. Not stakeholder but shareholder of development: All people have a right to share in development!

4. Displacement and Environment Refugees from mega infrastructure/mining projectsare growing due to large scale displacement for urban and rural development. How do schemes like NURM address the specific needs of these groups? Environmental clearances for urban infrastructure projects have been consistently diluted. What steps are being taken to mitigate damage to environment? NURM permits dumping of debris in surrounding lakes and villages, tree cutting for road widening, air pollution from increased private car usage. Proper mechanisms and resources for protection are not in place. In 160 out of a total 600 districts of the country, there is Naxal activity. This is a direct result of a large majority left out of economic growth. If all people do not share growth surpluses, India’s demographic dividend will become a demographic deficit!

5. Real Participation by Strengthening Local Governments and Democratic Processes Do we want uniformity linked to top-down processes or do we want to choose our model of participation? We need policies that support and encourage local (city council) innovations suitable for diverse local needs. Community ownership and consensus will not happen under present NURM practices of branding based PR & advertisements. Real decentralisation is needed where villagers / citizens can decide for themselves what economic activity they want based on adequate, timely and proper information. Capacity building for local government should have a role for citizens and should be fine tuned over time. The curriculum should not focus only on one type of model but should examine several alternatives. It should not ignore or negate political structures / processes. We do not have any role in framing and influencing participation

6. Empowering or Emasculating Finance Models? Does the NURM financing model enhance social sector spending that builds educational and health capacities of the urban poor? NURM paves the way for development that requires huge capital outlays that rely on debt financing. This model slowly devolves national debt burdens down to the individual household level with the burden falling disproportionately on the urban poor. What is the nature of the poor budget under BSUP? We need to make services accountable to dalits, homeless, street families and poorest of the poor through conducting multi-sector social audits and public audits for all projects. There needs to be extensive and rigorous debate on what are the costs of large projects and whether citizens are willing to bear them.

7. The Way Ahead Prioritize provision of basic services to redress the skew between UIG and BSUP (currently 75:25) and fill in the extraordinary historical gap in access to services Ensure the conduct of and enhanced role for citizens, councilors and councils, DPCs, and GPs in annual review of JNNURM (city level) Annual budgeting and draft plan preparation (city & DPC) Prioritize livelihood opportunities. Promote higher job generating industries and self employment opportunities. Devolve decision making and 40% funds to local govts (similar to Kerala and PRIs). Extreme centralization under NURM is inefficient, unconstitutional and will never result in properly functioning institutions of local self govt. Question one-off experiments in urban devt that become national policy as governance is restructured in a way that flouts democratic process & benefits new vested interests.