Public Participation In Sustainable Governance: Case Study And Best Practices Of Pune District

The essence of development is nothing but people’s participation. Of all the social factors, like money, material, humans, etc., human factor are the crucial element. Public or people are pivot around whom the entire development processes are supposed to revolve. The responsible government which involves public engagement in the developmental projects experiences sustainability in it. This is because when participation is there the wastage of resources is less and there is more transparency which leads to build a sense of responsible and belongingness among the citizens and also leads to optimum and rational allocation of resources with greater efficiency in output and in the growth of the area. However, due to centralization of the decisions which excludes the opinions and suggestions of the citizens, urban cities faces sustainability in the governance. Thus, Pune being the world’s most livable, economically vibrant, inclusive and environmentally sustainable city, is working to become a Smart city by connecting citizens to local government and encouraging direct participation. The Smart Pune Mission enables the citizens to get engage in the developmental projects soas to help the government to understand their needs and make informed decisions accordingly. This research will help the readers to raise awareness of citizens’ rights andbuild political will for their participation. Combination of leaders, facilitator and participation groups working together through deliberative democracy can effectively integrate the public into civic decision-making.