Citizen actions, local governance needed for MDGs

BHOPAL - With only five years left to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a UN official said Wednesday that citizen participation in the governance process and more ownership of the local governing authorities will make a huge difference.

UN Millennium Campaign Regional Director, Asia and Pacific, Minar Pimple, told reporters here that the UN Millennium Campaign, with its civil society partners - Samarthan and Vikas Samvad Samiti - in Madhya Pradesh, will organise a series of actions with the panchayat, state government, citizens and media to create an environment of positive and informed action towards governance accountability.

He said: “The Millennium Campaign will be working towards giving more power to the citizens.”

Pimple said about 40 crore population of India is living in poverty.

“Highest proportion of poverty and illiteracy is in India. For achieving MDGs, three important factors are political willingness of governments, attitude towards status of women, children, disabled and SC/ST and involvement of people and local arrangements in process of development.

“For achieving these goals, it was necessary to involve people and local arrangements in the process of development,” he said.