India Uncut
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Thursday, November 17, 2005
Documenting potholes, and much, much more
An outstanding initiative: BangalorePotHole.com.
Why do I like it so much? Well, it keeps in the public consciousness something that we tend to tut-tut to start with and then take for granted and begin to ignore. It helps in keeping the outrage alive and the apathy at bay. It is also a bit amusing.
I'm sure as the site goes on its managers will add more information. For example, if there are potholes on the road outside my house, I'd like to know which official to harangue about it, and which number to call to get to him. I'd also like it publically known which contractors built the road, and repaired it last, and which officials signed the contracts with them. All this can be easily found out using that fine tool, the Right To Information Act.
It's our money being spent on the roads, and the only way to keep the officials who spend this money is by making such information available in the public domain. Information empowers people, and my best wishes are with BangalorePotHole.com.
Now, what about the rest of India?
(Link via email from Varun Singh.)
Why do I like it so much? Well, it keeps in the public consciousness something that we tend to tut-tut to start with and then take for granted and begin to ignore. It helps in keeping the outrage alive and the apathy at bay. It is also a bit amusing.
I'm sure as the site goes on its managers will add more information. For example, if there are potholes on the road outside my house, I'd like to know which official to harangue about it, and which number to call to get to him. I'd also like it publically known which contractors built the road, and repaired it last, and which officials signed the contracts with them. All this can be easily found out using that fine tool, the Right To Information Act.
It's our money being spent on the roads, and the only way to keep the officials who spend this money is by making such information available in the public domain. Information empowers people, and my best wishes are with BangalorePotHole.com.
Now, what about the rest of India?
(Link via email from Varun Singh.)
