Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, August 20: Around 50 persons from different sectors raised their voice saying that they are not given opportunity to take part in city’s planning process.
They started speaking out during a consultation programme titled ‘People’s Vision of the City’ organised jointly by Center for Children and Women Development and NIDI, an NGO, held at Red Cross Bhawan, here in city.
People from civil society, slum dwellers, resident security committees, auto-rickshaw drivers, rickshaw-pullers, street-vendors, domestic workers, rag pickers, and construction workers shared their views ensuring that their ideas and demands go into the planning of their city.
“Till date, the citizens of the city have been deprived in taking part in the visioning and planning process for city building and even the Vision 2030 of Bhubaneswar lacks people’s vision, their needs and aspiration. City cannot be developed without considering the need of the common people,” said Shankar Nayak, an auto driver.
Another participant Bharat Kumar Jena also attested this view. “Town planners hardly care for ensuring involvement of citizen in the visioning process. Plans for the city have been created without caring about the needs and aspirations of the citizens, without respecting their knowledge and their right to the city. We have right to get involved in this process,” said Jena. He is a street vendor.
The consultation campaign is organized to build alternative models of city building, and advocate for implementation, equitable distribution of resources, transparency and accountability, which will contribute to a sustainable form of development.
The campaign will initiate collective citizens’ vision and approach to their own city. It will ensure participatory planning to city’s development, design and comprehensive city plans encompassing various issues related to urban development,” said Sadashiv Swain, Secretary, CCWD.
