It was a unique experiment; the first of its kind in Karnataka. The Mysore City Corporation (MCC) went to the doorsteps of the ratepayers. Not for votes, but to seek financial support to the huge investment for infrastructural projects that Mysore is witnessing under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

As an implementing agency, the MCC has taken up projects for development of physical infrastructure of the heritage city, under which the Centre is making available JNNURM funds to Mysore. The MCC has taken up storm water drainage, solid waste management and water supply from Kabini to the city, the three projects costing together Rs 534 crore.

Community participation is one of the important components of the JNNURM for which assistance may be obtained for area sabha jurisdiction in an urban area.

The primary objective of the JNNURM community participation fund is to create capacities in the communities to effectively engage and contribute in improving their living environment by undertaking projects needed vitally in their local area. The local community of a booth can prepare a project to the maximum cost of Rs. 10 lakh and become eligible for assistance under the community pariticpation fund itself making a contribution of ten per cent of the project cost.

Moving in this direction of citizen participation for initiating boothwise development projects, the MCC launched ‘Mane Manege Palike Nadige’ programme recently. Mayor Ayub Khan launched the drive in Ward No 12 in J P Nagar area. Accompanied by officials and some corporators, he mobilized funds from the public. The drive netted over Rs 3 lakh in a span of about two hours.

The MCC has decided to involve citizens in implementation of the development projects by raising Rs 1 lakh from the citizens of respective booths in a ward. The Centre will then provide the balance of Rs 9 lakh from the JNNURM funds for the project designed and prepared by the members and residents of the booth. The urban local body is accountable for the citizens’ funds, while the local community can engage itself in the process of decision-making and thus help create a ‘participatory incubator’.

The MCC campaign for raising contributions from the local residents towards the fund, viz-a-viz the community level project will be continued in the other wards of the city.

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