On, OoruLabs, India's premier urban issues podcast,

Citizens in large agglomerations are at their wits end trying to get relief from disorganised civic agencies across the country. Their only recourse is their political representatives who don’t seem to necessarily have a permanent fix, they appease the immediate requests but fail to fix things for the long haul. What are their incentives? Many cities across the country for example, Bengaluru, don’t have a city government? Why don’t we have it? Do our politicians really care?

Sathya Sankaran brainstorms this with Tara Krishnaswamy, who has spent decades in elections, policy, federalism, ward committees urban governance and gender justice. She is the co-founder of political Shakti a non partisan volunteer collective to increase women’s role in you politics and she has also been a consultant for election campaigns of MP of Karur  constituency in Tamil Nadu and the MLA of Jayanagar constituency in Bengaluru.

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Timecodes

00:00 - Introduction & context

03:02 - Do politicians care?

04:57 - Structural deficiencies

11:27 - Finances and incentives

20:01 - Urban privileged 

37:37 - Minimal government 

46:08 - Urgent national campaign

01:00:41 - Belling the cat

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Profile of Tara Krishnaswamy - https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/unsung-heroes-tara-krishnaswamy-from-techie-to-fighter-for-political-rights-of-women-8018901/

Shakti - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2275236536052616/

The 74th Amendment - https://cag.gov.in/uploads/download_audit_report/2022/Chapter-I-06239c581cc6841.99798296.pdf 

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