Citizen Forums as Spaces for Citizen Participation in Ajmer

Over the past few months, under the Engaged Citizens, Responsive City (ECRC) project, citizens of Ajmer have become aware of the need for inclusive sanitation planning. PRIA has been sharing the data from its participatory sanitation survey through ward level resident forums. These forums include active citizens from Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs)/Vikas Samitis, representatives of trader and market associations, Settlement Improvement Committee (SIC) members, SIC steering committee members, and non-government organisations (NGOs) working in the city.  

Discussions at the ward level raised the felt need for a city level forum. Creation of such a forum at the city level is important to increase citizen participation in various processes of planning for sanitation services and can be used to create dialogue and promote trust between Ajmer Municipal Corporation (AMC) and the city’s residents. These platforms can also be used to encourage citizens to provide continuous and real time feedback to the AMC. The Swacch Survekshan guidelines for 2018 mention the setting up of citizen forums and continuous interaction between citizens and municipalities to help boost rankings in future surveys.

Towards achieving this goal of a city level platform comprising all stakeholders, PRIA is organizing a city level consultation on May 17, 2018. The consultation will discuss strategies to promote citizen engagement, especially in planning and monitoring sanitation services in Ajmer, and how to improve coordination between citizens, especially to sustain achievements under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). The participants for the consultation include the mayor and officials of AMC, members of RWAs, representatives of trader and market associations, SIC members, NGOs, and other stakeholders.