Loksatta Party today welcomed the publication of PlanBengaluru 2020 as a framework document for integrated development of the city. For a very long time, Bangalore has suffered because there has been no clear yardsticks before the government of what is needed to bring about necessary changes in the governance and development of the city. With PlanBengaluru, the party believes this can now be tackled.

Loksatta has been a people's movement long before it became a political party. Therefore it is particularly encouraging to the party that 'people' are at the heart of PB2020. The party welcomes the space for citizen participation in much of the plan's proposals for governance reforms - elected ward committees, a directly elected mayor, and some control of local expenditure at the ward level. It is also encouraging to note that citizens can give their own inputs to improve the plan in many areas - transport, waste management, education, healthcare, etc. - that need immediate attention.

Loksatta has called upon its members and supporters to actively engage this process, and to give its views for the continuing development of the city. "We will improve this document continuously, by participating in the debates around it, and also by conducing our own research and advocacy in various areas that the report focuses on," said Mr Muralidhar Rao, Loksatta spokesman. "Many of the things that good corporation council candidates want to do for their constituencies are in this report. Its ideas have the potential to engage the politics of the city around real issues, and Loksatta will be at the forefront of this," he added.

The idea of elected ward committees is particularly dear to Loksatta, which has championed the cause of devolution of powers for over a decade. Loksatta proposes to form citizen ward committees in several wards, which can function as de facto ward committees until such a time as constitutional ones are elected. The party invites people to volunteer to join such ward committees, regardless of their party affiliation, in the interest of local civic improvement.