Citizens ACTion for Governance
It is now widely acknowledged that India’s otherwise impressive growth rate and dynamic momentum will not yield the desired results for nation-building until the basic needs of millions of poor people are met simultaneously and until there is equitable distribution of the fruits of globalization.
In theory, these basic needs of people in the form of health, education and livelihood-based entitlements are being provided through a wide array of “flagship development programmes” or social sector schemes on which the Government of India is spending billions of rupees each year. Since it was first rolled out more than five years ago, the government has spent an estimated 1.185 trillion rupees on MNREGA alone, making it the world’s largest social sector scheme, according tonews sources.
The looming question that remains is how much impact the schemes are making on improving citizens’ lives, and governance lies at the heart of the answer. The devil lies in implementation and improved public service delivery, which also implies the need for much greater public accountability every step of the way.
With this rationale in mind, the UN Millennium Campaign, mandated to support citizens for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, has recently launched a citizen’s feedback system called “Samadhan-Citizen’s Action for Governance” in Orissa (Koraput District) and Madhya Pradesh (Sehore District) in collaboration with local district administrations, civil society organizations and a technology solutions provider.
Recently profiled by the Washington Post as an example of using information technology for improving governance, Samadhan, which means resolution in Hindi, is a an internet-based platform which offers citizens multiple ways to demand their entitlements under various government schemes – by sending a text message through their mobile phone, calling directly at a toll-free number or the Samadhan mobile number, submitting a written application or visiting a citizen’s hub at the local government office.
Over 500 reports have been filed from all across Sehore District since early September, reinforcing the great need among citizens for getting their voices heard. In Koraput, a remote, predominantly tribal and Maoist-influenced district of Orissa, the system has similarly fueled hope among its citizens. “It’s a start and there is a big need for such a system,” said Sahib Khilo, who was the first complainant on the system and called in live during the formal launch of the platform by the Orissa Chief Minister after his MGNREGA wages had not been paid for over six months. “If the system can work, then it will provide a lot of relief to people.”
- Blog post for ACT Campaign by Minar Pimple (Regional Director, Asia and the Pacific, UN Millennium Campaign) and Divya Gupta (National Coordinator, India, UN Millennium Campaign).