Factors influencing citizen participation in Ward Committee meetings: Evidence from suburban India

The paper analyzes the factors influencing citizen participation in Ward Committee (WC) meetings in the context of transitioning cities on the metropolitan periphery of India. The study focuses on two socioeconomically distinct cities in the periphery of Kolkata while leveraging empirical quantification of 240 surveyed households from these cities supplemented with qualitative information from different stakeholders. The findings reveal a variation in participation practices. While the city in the periphery relies on formal measures such as participating in WC meetings and formally communicating with elected representatives, informal ad hoc interaction with elected leaders and alternative mechanisms are more predominant in the city adjacent to the metropolis. Information provision significantly promotes the levels of citizen participation. Affluent citizens rely on casual interaction with councilors or their representative civic bodies, whereas a few localized networks, such as local clubs and formal interactions with councilors, are mediators for marginalized citizens. Dependent on councilors, these citizens avoid any community initiative to represent grievances fearing repercussions, a practice often undertaken by society committees representing affluent citizens. Such a variation in participation culminates in fragmented service delivery and exclusive representation of citizens. Hence, the study underlines the need for city-level investigations to understand the nuances of inclusive participation in decentralized governance and for appropriate policy interventions.