Urban Governance in Karnataka

In this edition of Swaraj for Cities, we hold the lens on the state of Karnataka, for the progress it has made in its urban centres, in terms of decentralisation, devolution and subsidiarity. How far has this otherwise progressive state travelled in realising the ideal of Swaraj? How is the Capital City faring, how are the tier-2 and tier-3 cities and peri-urban areas faring? How are the census towns being managed? Is there a conscious effort to ensure that there is planned growth and urban governance as prescribed in our constitution?

What about the laws that govern all these urban centres? How many laws are there? Are they uniform, or is there unequal application of laws? Do all urban centres have equal opportunity?   

We explore these and more. Join us for a full day event at the Bangalore International Centre, for a series of sessions, with eminent experts and diverse personalities, as we explore the question of Karnataka’s cities and a special session on Bengaluru, its capital city, which has been coming under increasing scrutiny, and garnering negative attention, with even the Supreme Court chastising it for unplanned growth, and  media articles terming it a ruined city. Can Bengaluru find its way out of the quagmire it is in?

What changes are required in the entire ecosystem to enable participatory planning and participatory governance in local areas /third tier /cities /wards /areas /peri-urban areas /fast urbanising areas outside of town/city jurisdictions /urban rural continuum areas /census towns, etc.