citizens committee - Scorecard to keep track of MPs’ performance Shri priya Gopinath, DC, Chennai April 27, 2009
Election Watch > The tracking results will be published on the internet > The group will assess what the MPs have done for their constituencies, allocation of funds for infrastructure, health, education, etc. > Students, law enforcers, senior citizens will be part of the committee Five candidates for MP’s posts from the state have agreed to be evaluated by a new system of public accountability called a ‘scorecard’ that has been introduced by an apolitical group named Tamil Nadu National Election Watch. At a time when prospective MPs are declaring their assets and heaping promises on voters, a few of them have even accepted to be judged by this citizens committee that will keep the scorecard by which a track will be kept of their performance as MPs if they are elected. The tracking results will mostly be published on the Internet. "We want the MPs to prove what they have done for the their constituencies. They must show how they have allocated funds for infrastructure, health, unemployment, education, security and inflation, and what is the progress of the development schemes like the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and the National Health Mission,” says Kris Dev, Coordinator, TNEW. A major concern of the group is to assess how the MPs have made use of the fund of Rs 2 crores that is given to them under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). Not everyone can become a member of the citizens’ committee that will evaluate the scorecard, though TNEW plans to include people from all walks of life. “People from various sections of the society like students, senior citizens, environmentalists, administrators, law enforcers and members of think tanks, who actively participate in social issues will be a part of the committee,” says Dr.Sudharshan, another TNEW coordinator. The MP candidates who have consented for the evaluation include four South Chennai constituency candidates, N.S Venkataraman of Desia Pathukappu Kazhagam (DPK), R.S Bharathi and V. Gopinath of DMK and L. Ganeshan of BJP. The constituency is known to have a high number of net savvy people in the city. K.Ramakrishnan, DMDK Melur candidate has also given a positive feedback about the concept. Says K.Srinivasan, Founder, India Vision 2020 and a member of the citizens’ committee, “An overnight miracle cannot be expected and it might take 10 years to consolidate. However, it is a good initiative, as it shows that the middle class, who were lethargic till now, want to be responsible voters. http://www.dc-epaper.com/DC/DCC/2009/04/28/INDEX.SHTML Forwarded by: -- Kris Dev for Tamil Nadu Election Watch 98 408 52132, Chennai
