The Bharatiya Janata Party, ruling party in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), has drawn up an ambitious educational seminar for its elected representatives of the masses - the corporators. Experts on urban infrastructure have been invited to provide knowledge on 20 different issues related to urban development. It is interesting to note however, that almost 50% of the corporators have not received formal education of upto the graduation level.

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The list of speakers at the seminar includes ex-secretary of the Central government's urban development department, Anil Baijal, director of Centre for Energy Environment, Urban Governance and Infrastructure Development at ASIC (Hyderabad) Srinivas Chari, director of National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) Chetan Vaidya, and senior CEPT advisor Dinesh Mehta, to name a few.

The civic body's seminar will cover various issues such as challenges and development opportunities in the process of urbanisation, the concept of urbanisation, the importance of people's participation in providing infrastructure facilities, moral values and principles, a corporator's role in good governance, and the importance of town planning schemes for inclusive development of the city, among other things.

However, how many corporators will finally be able to grasp all that is said, and be able to utilise the same for development of the city, is a big question - so say sources in the AMC, pointing to the inadequate formal education received by many of them.

The seminar will be inaugurated by CM Narendra Modi. Revenue minister Anandiben Patel will deliver a lecture on 'Nurturing democracy', while urban development minister Nitin Patel will speak on 'Social development - inclusive progress and role of municipal councillor'.