Citizens from municipal areas are deprived of a forum like the gram sabha to voice their concerns and opinions. Their only option is to attend council meetings and monitor the deeds of the council and the councillors. However, as any suggestions will not be binding on the council, it’s high time the appropriate authority brings in a gram sabha-like mechanism for municipal areas, given the sorry condition of civic amenities and the pathetic calibre of our councillors.
— Dilip Prabhudesai
Our constitution, and particularly the 73rd and 74th amendments, envisages an important role for the panchayat and municipality bodies at the grassroots level. Panchayats have their gram sabhas whereas municipalities have no such platform. The role of each forum is well defined. We are in a representative form of democracy. Directly monitoring the working of panchayat/municipality is neither provided for and may lead to chaos. Asking for nagar sabhas on the lines of gram sabhas may be a way forward. Direct monitoring, however well meaning, may not be a good idea.
—Shridhar Kamat, engineering professional
Citizens attending council meetings is a good development. It keeps a check on the councillors. I do not think citizens can demand answers at council meeting unless rules so permit. Only MLAs can demand answers from ministers in the Assembly. But holding dharnas, public meetings are a good sign of informed citizenry. One can always brief his councillor and see how he acts at the meetings. I agree that there has been an absence of such kind of vigilance by citizens in the past and against that backdrop, this can be the instrument of change.
— Cleofato Coutinho, advocate and columnist
