About Media watching MUDA meetings

Sharing a copy of the letter sent to MUDA members regarding allowing media to watch MUDA meetings.

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MUDA/PS/2009-10        Date:02-11-2009

Respected Member of MUDA,

Warm Greetings to you!

I am writing this letter regarding allowing media to watch the deliberations and decisions taken in the MUDA meetings.  Also, during my earlier tenure as Chairman, MUDA, I had written to the members seeking their opinion. As this did not meet its logical conclusion then, I am again writing to you. This issue is now assuming significance in the backdrop of the following:

1. The credibility of MUDA is being constantly questioned in different forums and media ( Refer to the numerous articles damning the functioning of MUDA).
2. Articles questioning that ‘why MUDA is not allowing media in the deliberations’ and the reasoning in this regard.
3. The increasing demand from the public in the recent times that public institutions function in a transparent manner.

I have discussed the issue many a times with the Hon’ble Members during my earlier tenure and current tenure also. To this, some of the members are opposed to allowing the media to witness the proceedings on the following grounds:

1. MUDA meetings are equivalent to the meetings of the Cabinet of the Government and when the media is not allowed for the cabinet meetings and in a similar manner, media need not be allowed for the MUDA meetings.
2. If the media is allowed inside the hall, it will disturb the deliberations and decisions owing to the presence of 30-40 persons from media.
3. There is no provision in the law which mandates MUDA to conduct meetings openly in the presence of the media.

I have gone through the objections of the members in detail, taken advice from eminent lawyers and I would like to answer queries as below:

1.    The first objection that MUDA meetings are akin to Cabinet meetings cannot be accepted completely. The Cabinet of the Government is the highest decision making authority and it takes decisions on behalf of the whole State, touching the lives of approximately six crores and also deals issues with the Government of India. The Cabinet meetings also deal with issues concerning internal security, external security, which cannot be discussed openly.  Whereas, MUDA being a local body, created by an Act of the State, cannot be compared with the Cabinet of the State.

Section 14 of the Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act says: “the objective of the Authority shall be planning, promoting and securing development of the Urban Area”.

Thus, it is very clear that this Authority has three objectives:

1) Planning for the Development of the Mysore Urban Region;
2) Promoting Development of the Mysore Urban Region &
3) Securing the Development of the Mysore Urban Region.

I am of the humble opinion that in the background of the above objectives, MUDA does not deal with internal security of the State or issues concerning the entire State and only encompasses the planning, promoting and securing the development of the city. Thus, to compare MUDA meetings to the Cabinet meeting will be taking things too far and cannot be sustained.

2.    The second objection can be easily solved by allowing the media to sit in another room and transmitting the proceedings on line audio-visually, for which arrangements have already been made. This will ensure that the deliberations and decisions will neither gets disturbed nor distracted.

3      It is a fact that there is no express provision in the Act mandating permission of media for the MUDA meetings. At the same time, it should be noted there is no express provision in the Act prohibiting conducting meetings openly. In such a situation, the authority to decide whether or not to allow the media for the meetings rests solely with the MUDA Board and with the Chairman of the meeting. Of course, Chairman needs to consult the members and hence my earlier letter and this letter. The Act was made in the year 1987 when the Right to Information Act was not there. With the enactment of RTI later, and the Public Disclosure Act in the anvil, the need for conducting the meetings openly has to be addressed in the right spirit.  However, if members feel that some deliberations are of the nature, which should be kept out of the media, this can always be done by switching off the audio-visual transmission. In this background, I feel that we are not doing justice by conducting the meeting in-camera.

MUDA meeting deliberations are expected to be for the public good in both short term and long term. If this is the situation, where is the necessity for keeping the discussions or deliberations done in the public interest to be kept away from the public. The citizens not only have a right to know about the decisions taken, but also have a right to know the deliberations that happens in the MUDA Board Meetings.

When deliberations revolve around the development of Mysore, I do not find any reason that the deliberations cannot be open to the public. Thus, I am convinced that the balance of convenience lies in conducting the meeting in open.

In this background, I seek the opinion and concurrence of the Hon’ble Members for allowing the media to witness the deliberations of the meeting through audio-video facility from the next meeting onwards. I am sure this action of transparency will bring credibility to MUDA and will go a long way in ensuring that the discussions and deliberations happen strictly in public interest.

I look forward to receive your opinion as early as possible, at least in the next seven days or at least a day before the next meeting. If no reply is received, it will be assumed that you have no objection to the proposal of permitting the MUDA deliberations to the media and this will be taken as your consent for this good cause.

Thanking you and with regards,

Yours sincerely,

(Manivannan.P)