Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC) has requested PAC to carry out the second Citizen Report Card in Hubli-Dharwad. In 2005-06, in response to a request by the Commissioner of HDMC, PAC carried out a Citizen Report Card (CRC) for select services provided by HDMC, as well of those of HESCOM (electricity services) and NWKRTC (public transport) to measure user feedback and satisfaction. The CRC conducted with PAC’s own funds, came up with some interesting findings. The findings showed high satisfaction levels among HESCOM users while HDMC services needed to improve their drainage, garbage clearance, road and public toilet services. In the recent past, HDMC has been implementing effective reform measures to improve governance in Hubli-Dharwad. To assess the effectiveness of these reform measures and to benchmark the current status of quality of services as against the earlier CRC, HDMC approached PAC to carry out the second CRC, a proposal for which was submitted by PAC and accepted by HDMC.

Objectives of the second CRC

The objectives of carrying out this CRC would be the same as earlier –

a)   To assess the current quality of basic services provided by major service providers in Hubli-Dharwad through users’ feedback;

b)   To compare the findings against the earlier benchmark;

c)    To indicate further platforms for more effective reforms;

d)    To assess the recent reform measures carried out by HDMC as against the earlier ones.

Research design and sample size

The CRC survey would cover the following services of the three service providers:

·         HDMC – Drinking water, Sanitation (including public toilets, drainage, and garbage clearance), Streetlights, Roads, Birth and Death Certificate, and Property Tax

·         HESCOM – Electricity

·         NWKRTC – Public transport

Aspects would include availability / usage, service quality, problem incidence and resolution, responsiveness of staff, cost and transparency, satisfaction, changes in the past one year and suggestions for improvement. The other aspects to be covered in the CRC survey would include citizens’ assessment of the reform measures carried out so far along with an independent assessment of the same by the PAC Research Team.

Post CRC survey, data would be analysed and presented to the stakeholders and also released to the public. Subsequently, further discussions regarding future course of action would also be carried out.

Time frame  

The CRC would be carried out over a period of a total of about six months beginning from the day of signing the MoU. At the end of this time period, PAC would present the published report to HDMC.  A presentation of the findings of the CRC however, will be made to all the three service providers at the end of three months from the date of provision of all support by HDMC .