The country as a housing society?

Can the country run like a housing society?

A lot of us have started living in apartment complexes in urban areas which are managed by self governed housing societies or resident welfare associations(RWAs). Particularly in the metros and its satellite towns, these apartment complexes have all the facilities one can ask for-spacious parks, club house, departmental store, swimming pool, tennis court etc.  

The societies are managed by a management committee elected by the residents. The residents through the committee therefore become responsible for the upkeep, and by-laws are created to ensure a common set of rules to be followed. A monthly maintenance fees is taken from all the apartments to ensure the facilities offered are maintained and enhanced

Isn't this the same way a democratic country like ours is supposed to operate? People living in the country elect a management committee-the council of ministers in the centre or state or elected representatives in the local bodies like the municipal corporation or panchayats.

But can we say the same of our country outside these societies in terms of the upkeep or services offered?

I am not talking about the housing society facilities like pool, tennis court etc. to be given as public facilities for starters but the basics which are expected in terms of pot hole free roads, footpaths, drainage systems, clean drinking water, public toilets etc. After all like a housing society maintenance charges, you are also paying taxes to the government for these services. And like the management committee of a housing society you also have the PM, CM and he council of ministers in the centre and state.

The key difference here is that the society maintenance charge being paid are used for the upkeep of that society only and the committee is accountable to the society members. Also the residents take personal interest and point put any gaps vehemently to the management committee members responsible for the respective function.

When we pay taxes it may not be necessarily and directly be used for the vicinity development of our immediate neighbourhood but the taxes are spread between the centre and the state. The second and bigger issue is the accountability of these taxes. While the finance minister does present the annual budgets and we know which departments the budgets are going to but it’s the tracking and accountability of these budgets where the general public misses out. Add to that the state or municipal budgets with clear cut micromanagement and accountability missing.

Also like the RWA residents, are we as citizens pointing out all the gaps and following up that its resolved. We need to do our part here. Do we create a common platform (like an apartment adda app or online platform) where residents interact, point gaps and resolutions are given by the government servants.

Like a housing society, can the central and state govt and the local administration publish their quarterly and annual statement of accounts?

Can we have AGM equivalent public meetings across the tehsil, zila and panchayats and local urban municipal bodies wherein the public servant and elected representative list down the achievements and the revenue and costs incurred for the general public to understand where the taxes are being spent?

Like the names of the defaulters of the maintanance fees in a housing society are publicly put on notice boards, can the tax defaulters and the people who do not pay taxes, can their names be published? Is naming and shaming the defaulters in newspapers and other public platform, the solution to make people pay taxes? 

Like a housing society run by people and individuals taking interest in its well being since it affects where one lives immediately, can we as individuals take similar interest and address the issues facing our society and neighbourhood?

Is it time for us to face the facts of urban chaos and mis-management and take the good practices from across the country to better our living conditions everywhere.

Can we stop questioning as by standers and start asking and acting? Can we mobilise support through friends, family and social media to correct whats wrong collectively rather than blaming?

Elections especially in urban areas and metros can actually be fought on issues which a housing society election is fought on: The ability to manage and enhance the facilities, managing the budges honestly and efficiently and ensuring the vendors perform as per expectations and within timelines.

Most of us from middle class upbringing, had our parents in govt jobs who were arm chair critics. My father and his friends in the army were always blaming the politicians and civilians for the ills of the nation. While we have come a long way since the 80s to an open economy and a lot of services now at an arms length unlike earlier, we still have a long way to go.

Its time to stop the blame game and work for a common goal of bettering our living conditions. That should be the single point agenda-bettering the living conditions of both urban and rural India and not the let the govt and public servants become administrators but service providers.

We can have all the facilities in a housing societies we live in, but moment we step out the situation is different. Its time to ensure we have a seamless experience inside and outside the housing society!