The Reform: Community Participation Law (CPL)

This is achieved through the introduction of the Area Sabha, a community-based decision-making body that represents registered voters of a polling booth. The CPL is a mandatory reform under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) and requires states to enact a separate law or amend their existing municipal laws to establish a three- or four-tiered structure. The CPL has several advantages, including: 1. It will help to strengthen democracy, facilitate efficiency, and promote socio-economic growth. 2. It will improve urban governance and service delivery. 3. It will promote transparency and accountability in governance. 4. It will improve the quality of decisions made, as they will be based on knowledge of local realities and requirements. 5. It has significance for regional planning structures like the District Planning Committee (DPC) and the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC), which require citizen participation from the grassroots. The CPL has several components, including: 1. Resolution by the state government expressing commitment to establish a new CPL. 2. Enactment of the law by the states according to the timeline committed to by them in the tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). 3. Notification of the 'Rules' pertaining to the CPL or amendment in legislation. 4. Interim processes, such as a transitional structure set up in the city that can later seamlessly integrate into the Area Sabha structure. The CPL also has several steps involved in drafting the law, including: 1. Deciding on whether to implement a four-tier or 3-tier structure. 2. Deciding whether the structure will be restricted to certain types of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). 3. Providing a link between the different tiers, especially between the Area Sabha and the ward committee. 4. Specifying the manner of selection of the Area Sabha representative and providing the right to recall. 5. Deciding on the functions to be devolved to the different tiers. 6. Providing an activity mapping of functions under each tier. 7. Providing for the responsibilities and powers of the different tiers. 8. Specifying the role of the convener of the different tiers of participation. 9. Providing for checks and balances for the optimal functioning of the different platforms. The CPL also requires the state governments to measure the achievement and outcomes of the reform, including: 1. Resolution by the state governments to establish a three- or four-tier municipal structure. 2. Introduction of interim participatory platforms. 3. Devolution of functions. 4. A report documenting the efforts, successes, and failures. 5. Enactment of the law. 6. Empowerment of the different tiers. The CPL is a significant reform aimed at strengthening municipal governments and promoting citizen participation in governance.