This major activity of FDR/Lok Satta includes several programmes such as
Advocacy Local Reforms
The larger governance reforms often
require national level legislation or constitutional change. Past experience shows that
ordinary people usually are oblivious of such lofty goals, and while parties pay lip
sympathy to them, there is hardly any tangible action for years and decades. Therefore, in
order to encourage public participation in the reform process, it is necessary to promote
awareness on certain local reforms of immediate concern. Such reforms are identified based
on the following criteria:
- The reforms should be possible at State and local level,
not requiring any Union legislation.
- The reform should not involve any major burden on the
state exchequer
- The reform should be strategic in nature, and achievement
of such a goal should lead to many other consequential changes.
- There should be a broad consensus among all segments of
population and the political parties on the desirability of the reform.
Based on the above criteria, the
following six local goals have been identified for strong advocacy.
1.Citizen’s Charters
Citizen’s Charters involving fixing
of clear responsibility on individual public servants for services, establishment of
guaranteed performance standards for each service – time, quality, content etc., and
provision for compensation to citizens for noncompliance with such performance standards.
- Activities
- Drafting of at least 10 Citizen’s Charters
- Building pressure on government / local authorities to
implement them
- Wide dissemination to the public
- Monitoring their implementation at the local level
2. Freedom of Information
- drafting legislation
- building public pressure on government
- evolving modalities of implementation in various agencies
- pressure to implement at local level, with or without
State-level legislation
- utilizing information obtained to combat corruption,
arbitrariness and mal administration
3. Empowerment of local governments
- constitution of a Working Group
- advocacy in coordination with local bodies
- workshops and meeting
- media capsules
- signature campaigns
- demonstrations
- monitoring and improvement at local level
4. Stake-holders’ governance
- Working Group’s effort
- campaign in coordination with stake-holders’ groups
– ex., water users, parents, farmers selling their produce, consumers of ration shops
- media capsules
- workshops and meetings
- formation and orientation of stake-holders’ groups
- signature campaigns and demonstrations
advocacy by stake-holders’ groups
5. Speedy justice through rural courts
Concept: Justice has become very
expensive, inaccessible, incomprehensible and tardy for most people. Even simple cases go
through very tortuous and dilatory formal procedures. In the process there are about 30
millions cases pending in courts for long periods. As a result, criminal gangs and feudal
barons have been dispensing rough and ready justice, often for a price. Rule of law has
become a casualty. Lok Satta advocates rural courts presided by honorary magistrates in
the local area, appointed by the judiciary,
and functioning under the direct
supervision of District and Sessions Judges. Simple civil and criminal cases up to a
certain level — say Rs.100,000 in civil cases and 1 year’s imprisonment in
criminal cases can be heard in these courts. There will be a summary and flexible
procedure, including local inspections by the magistrate, and judgment shall be delivered
within a fixed period of, say 90 days. There will be a provision for appeal to the
District Judge. Such courts will restore the concept of rule of law, and check the growth
of local hoodlums and muscle men.
The activities include
- drafting legislation
- advocacy campaign
- encouragement of local dispute resolution
6. Education guarantee for all
- Madhya Pradesh pattern – community participation,
access to school, and low cost
- advocacy campaign
7. Toilets for every Household
A powerful campaign was launched by Lok Satta advocating
construction of sanitary latrines in every household. As a direct consequence, the
Government of Andhra Pradesh evolved a programme for construction of a million toilets
every year. While this government’s scheme is truncated (Lok Satta proposed 2
million toilets a year, covering the entire population in about 4 years), it is still a
step forward.
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