Ideas For Ensuring People Participation In

Government And
For Making Transparency Of Working Of State
Government To People.

Submitted by Himanshu Kumar Chaudhary

5th Year Student
Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University

Email id -

hkc1492@gmail.com

Contact Details 7398601443

Postal Address Room No. 233, Boys P.G. Hostel, Dr RML National
Law University, Sec - D1, LDA Colony,
Aashiyana,
Lucknow, 226012

Citizen participation in local governance involves ordinary citizens assessing their own needs
and participating in local project planning and budget monitoring. It is important for improving
public resource management and reducing corruption, by making public servants and political
leaders accountable to the people. For citizen participation to work, transparency of government
information is needed, as well as the inclusion of members into decision-making from groups
whose concerns are being addressed. Excluding the weak and powerless from decision-making is
a cause

of

poverty because

it

denies

them

rights

and

creates

unequal

power

relationships. Engaging citizens in local governance improves accountability and the ability of
local authorities to solve problems, creates more inclusive and cohesive communities, and
increases the number and quality of initiatives made by communities. One way to increase
awareness and to empower citizens to have a voice is through increased access to technology and
in particular social media.
Fundamental to any consideration of citizen engagement in policymaking and the design of
public services is the recognition that the citizens in a democracy have both rights and duties,
and that democratic governance provides opportunities for citizens to participate actively in
shaping their world. Such participation is effected in multiple ways and at various levels, from
informal local and community settings, through incorporated entities, NGOs and peak bodies, to
such key institutions as legislatures, the courts and the public service. Democracies are socially
and culturally distinctive, developing traditions, conventions and structures that reflect the values
and habits of their citizens.
To promote more effective and sustained citizen participation in local governance: understanding
and using formal institutions of power, electing and appointing local officials, and bringing
together

citizens'

groups

and

government

officials

to

jointly

formulate

program

plans. Government should be working to create an interactive platform to provide stakeholders

with key information, bring together the various actors involved in local governance, empower
citizens to demand accountability from elected leaders, and ensure equitable distribution and
provision of goods and services. Government should have check in remote localities to monitor
if elected representatives keep their election promises. Education and training are crucial in
empowering citizens to effectively participate in local governance, especially in communities
that have experienced significant political change and must quickly learn how to find and vet

timely political intelligence. NGOs should train police officers to help them understand the vital
role they can play as defenders of human rights as well as the many advantages of interactive
security
For younger democracies the change to democracy is not always easy; citizens can be branded as
opposition for questioning state related actions. It is thus important to invest in community-based
leaders to insure sustained mobilization of village residents.
When developing a local agenda, it is important to consider citizenship rights, democratization,
plurality and rights of minorities. Stimulating interaction between the public and civic actors at
the local level allows information to reach local stakeholders, providing them with a holistic
view of the actors and relations involved and helping local actors make better-informed decisions
on strategic routes to take for participation in their local settings. Undertaking nuanced
analysis is key-participation in local governance can only be effective if it is context-appropriate.
One weakness of analysis is focusing on how things are 'meant' to happen and less on how things
'really' happen, highlighting the need for a deliberately deep and wide analysis of power relations
in local (or even national) context. Relating experience at local spaces in iterations with the
government is difficult, especially in contexts where citizens do not exercise their rights. In order
to empower civil society organizations, decision makers should be influenced to create a suitable
environment for the active participation of citizens and citizens trained in the skills,
competencies, mechanisms and methodologies to participate.