World Bank Group
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Engaging Citizens: A Game Changer for Development?
Engaging Citizens: A Game Changer for Development?
Citizen
Engagement Project: Feedback and Suggestions for Odd-Even Vehicle Plan in Delhi
March 2, 2016
Delhi in India is one of the most
polluted and traffic-congested cities in the world. There have been 8.8 million vehicles registered in Delhi as on March 31, 2015.
Every day about 1500 new vehicles are added to the roads of Delhi.
Govt of NCT of Delhi in order to curb air pollution level and reduce traffic congestion in Delhi has implemented odd-even vehicle plan for the first time for 15 days from January 1, 2016.
Govt of National Capital Territory of Delhi has desired to repeat the plan on later date. However, before enforcing odd-even vehicle plan for the subsequent time(s), Govt of NCT of Delhi could spearhead citizen engagement initiative to get their feedback and suggestions to improve the plan and its implementation. It should ask the citizens through on-line questionnaire, email , phone and also through public consultation meetings regarding whether they want odd-even vehicle plan back, when do they want it and for how many days, which vehicles to be exempted, whether they would buy another vehicle if the scheme returns and any other suggestions they would like to give. The facilities of providing feedback and suggestions through on-line, email, mobile as well as public consultation meetings would help to reach out more people and get them on board - covering every strata of the society. They can choose their communication channel as convenient - affordable & accessible - to them to submit their feedbacks and suggestions.
The risks of this kind of citizen engagement initiative in a democratic country is that the feedback through on-line, email & phone can be manipulated by opposition political party (ies) having parochial and vested interest. The opposition political party(ies) in their ill-intended attempts to discredit the good-works done by the government run by their rival political party may submit malafide feedback through bogus participants. On the other hand, ruling party too could manipulate it with fake participants for its own vested interest. Mentioning the name of the participant, full address, contact number, email ID as well as verifiable identification card number may help in curbing manipulations of the citizens engagement initiatives by malicious syndicates. Moreover, since this citizen engagement initiative is based on voluntary participation, the participation level may not be satisfactory if the people is not interested in the initiative.
Govt of NCT of Delhi in order to curb air pollution level and reduce traffic congestion in Delhi has implemented odd-even vehicle plan for the first time for 15 days from January 1, 2016.
Govt of National Capital Territory of Delhi has desired to repeat the plan on later date. However, before enforcing odd-even vehicle plan for the subsequent time(s), Govt of NCT of Delhi could spearhead citizen engagement initiative to get their feedback and suggestions to improve the plan and its implementation. It should ask the citizens through on-line questionnaire, email , phone and also through public consultation meetings regarding whether they want odd-even vehicle plan back, when do they want it and for how many days, which vehicles to be exempted, whether they would buy another vehicle if the scheme returns and any other suggestions they would like to give. The facilities of providing feedback and suggestions through on-line, email, mobile as well as public consultation meetings would help to reach out more people and get them on board - covering every strata of the society. They can choose their communication channel as convenient - affordable & accessible - to them to submit their feedbacks and suggestions.
The risks of this kind of citizen engagement initiative in a democratic country is that the feedback through on-line, email & phone can be manipulated by opposition political party (ies) having parochial and vested interest. The opposition political party(ies) in their ill-intended attempts to discredit the good-works done by the government run by their rival political party may submit malafide feedback through bogus participants. On the other hand, ruling party too could manipulate it with fake participants for its own vested interest. Mentioning the name of the participant, full address, contact number, email ID as well as verifiable identification card number may help in curbing manipulations of the citizens engagement initiatives by malicious syndicates. Moreover, since this citizen engagement initiative is based on voluntary participation, the participation level may not be satisfactory if the people is not interested in the initiative.
This kind of citizen engagement initiative may be leveraged with the use of social media e.g. facebook, twitter as well as door to door campaign by engaging an agency by Govt of NCT of Delhi to get the feedback and suggestions from the citizens.
Success of such citizen
engagement initiative can be measured by the numbers of citizens (quantity)
participated in the engagement program as well as by the quality of feedback and implementable suggestions received by the government through this
initiative. The merits and demerits i.e. benefits enjoyed and inconvenience
faced by the common people during the odd-even vehicle plan implemented from
January 1 to 15, 2016 in Delhi and suggestions, thereof, given by the people
would be of immense help to structure the odd-even vehicle plan in subsequent
time. The outcome and analysis of the citizen engagement initiative should
definitely make the plan work better next time resulting in decreased pollution
and less traffic congestion.
