Children to have a say in Cyberabad’s urban planning

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CMC Commissioner G. Srijana chairing a review meeting on the activities of the Urban Community Development and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas departments. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

What do children want their neighbourhoods and the city they grow up in to look like? The Cyberabad Municipal Corporation (CMC) plans to find out by making them stakeholders in urban planning, inviting them to share their concerns and suggest improvements to their surroundings.

Under its Child-Friendly CMC initiative, undertaken in collaboration with UNICEF, the corporation plans to reach out to children in government schools, youth schools, anganwadis and orphanages. The consultations will seek to understand what children need, what concerns them and what changes they would like to see in their neighbourhoods.

To ensure that young voices are heard across the city, the CMC aims to identify at least 152 resource persons across its 76 wards, with two to three persons in each ward. The corporation is planning a ‘Listening to Children’ campaign from November 20 to 23, around Child Rights Day.

The tentative schedule includes an orientation programme for CMC officers in the first week of November, followed by training for the selected resource persons in the second week.

The initiative was among several issues discussed at a review meeting chaired by CMC Commissioner G. Srijana to assess the work of the Urban Community Development (UCD) and Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas (MEPMA) departments.

The meeting also focused on expanding livelihood opportunities for women. The corporation has directed officials to draw up a target-based plan to form 10,000 self-help groups (SHGs) across its jurisdiction.

The Commissioner asked officials to set circle-wise targets for SHG formation and prepare a five-month action plan to strengthen bank linkages. The CMC has also set December 31 as the deadline for setting up Indira Mahila Shakti canteens at all circle and zonal offices, as well as its head office.

Ms. Srijana further directed officials to ensure that every circle has a shelter facility and to expand night-shelter access for the urban homeless.

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