URBAN GOVERNANCE IN INDIA

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URBAN GOVERNANCE IN INDIA A Framework for Reforms
JANAAGRAHA CENTRE FOR CITIZENSHIP AND
DEMOCRACY Bangalore
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Outline

• The Urban Context
• The Reality of Urban Governance
• Framework for Urban Governance
• Specific Action Agendas
• Current trends / Developments to consider
• Benefits of the Framework
• Taking it forward

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The Urban Context

• Economic growth closely linked to urbanisation
• North America/ Europe were 50 in 1940s, 80 now
• Cities the gateways to globalisation
• 80 of all FDI into China in 1990 went to top 20
  cities
• Urbanisation a complex process
• No controllable set of factors
• Policy makers reversing traditional bias
• Historical denial of urbanisation beginning to
  change

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The reality of Urban Governance

• Enormous Day-to-Day Challenges
• Solid waste management thousands of tonnes/day
• Water supply
• Sanitation systems and treatment plants
• Multiplicity of agencies
• Ad-hoc measures of past left behind legacy
  problems
• Genuine technical skills issue with local
  government
• New ideas need new skills
• PPPs/ Outsourcing/JV Agreements use complex
  contracts
• Creation and monitoring of Service-Level
  Agreements difficult for local govt
• Rapid economic activity
• Urban growth running faster than solutions can
  catch up
• Very little reliable data being generated to
  track this

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The reality of Urban Governance

• Urban poverty issues
• Multiple factors land rights/ permanent and
  seasonal migration/ beneficiary identification
• Multiple institutional jurisdictions (example
  basic services with local government public
  distribution system/housing with state
  departments)
• Weak administrative systems
• Weak human resources with minimal training
• Poorly designed Cadre and Recruitment Rules
• Dysfunctional internal systems finance, land
  records, personnel etc.
• Massive financial requirements
• Rs 28,000 crores/annum for the next 10 years for
  urban infrastructure
• Minimal support from centre/states
• Rural-urban issues
• Urban growth primarily at fringes?
• Complex Governance and equity challenges

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Key Elements of the Framework

• Recognition of Regional Footprint beyond local
  govts
• Metropolitan Planning Committee, as per Article
  243ZE of COI
• MPC spans rural and urban areas
• DPC substitutes for MPC in less urban regions
• Decentralisation to Local Governments
• Supported by appropriate accountability
  mechanisms
• Synchronisation of rural/ urban structures
• Establishment of co-ordination mechanisms
• Between para-statals and local governments
• A realistic alternative to complete absorption of
  agencies
• Establishment of Technical Groups in MPC
• Spatial Data Centre
• Integrated Transportation Management

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Specific Action Agendas
METROPOLITAN PLANNING COMMITTEE
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10
REGIONAL SPATIAL DATA CENTRE
METROPOLITAN TRANSPORT AUTHORITY
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4
X
CONCERNED PARA-STATALS, SPECIAL-PURPOSE VEHICLES,
STATE GOVT DEPARTMENTS
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CONCERNED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
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LAW ORDER
ALL PUBLIC TRANSPORT AGENCIES (BUS/RAIL/AIR/TAXI/
AUTO/RTO etc.)
EDUCATION
URBAN
RURAL
REVENUE
PWR DISTRIBN.
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URBAN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
TALUK /ZILLA PANCHAYATS
PUBLIC HLTH
INDTL. DEVMT.
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PLANNING ZONING
WOMEN CHILD WFARE
GRAMA PANCHAYATS
WARD COMMITTEES
WATER SANITATION
ECONOMICS STATISTICS
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GRAM/WARD SABHAS
AREA SABHAS
URBAN POOR SERVICES
ENVIRONMENT FORESTRY
X
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3
ALL RELEVANT REGULATORY AUTHORITIES
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9
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Specific Action Agendas

• Permanent MPC, with coordination powers
• Constitution with Elected Representatives and
  Experts
• Master Planning Procedures and Technical Groups
• Completely revamped Municipality Law
• Direct Election to Mayor
• 3-tier structure of Municipality/ Ward
  Committee/Area Sabha
• Formal Citizen Participation in Municipal affairs
• Mandatory quarterly disclosure of performance
• Co-ordination mechanisms on all Municipal
  Services as per Schedule XII (and Schedule XI)
• Alignment of Jurisdictions based on Ward
  Boundaries
• Joint Budgeting/ Reporting cycles

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Specific Action Agendas

• Establishment of Spatial Data Centre
• Real-time GIS for planning and coordination
  across agencies
• Establishment of Integrated Transport Authority
• Planning and coordination across all Public
  Transport Agencies
• Implementing Muncipal Reforms at City-level
• Financial Reforms in Budgeting, Accounting, MIS
• HR and Capacity Building
• Urban Land Reforms
• Simplified Land Records Management
• Guaranteed Land Title

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Specific Action Agendas

• Integrated Services for the Urban Poor
• Provision of Low-Income Housing
• Other Urban Poor Programmes
• Defining and ensuring service outcomes
• Establish qualitative and quantitative benchmarks
  
• Management and Monitoring Processes
• Equitable outcomes for the poor
• Development Delivery of Comprehensive City
  Plans
• Regional Fooprint
• Involvement of multiple stakeholders
• Creation of appropriate infrastructure
• Rigorous enforcement e.g. zoning/land-use
• Regular mapping/monitoring of economic activities
  in the city

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Current trends / Developments to Consider

• Announcement of National Urban Renewal Mission
• Substantial Financial Incentive for Urban Reforms
• Reforms include
• Additional Financial Support for Urban Poor
  Programmes
• Funding support for E-Governance Initiative
• Spatial Data Centre Establishment
• Harnessing of FDI in Real Estate Sector
• Stymied progress without land reforms
• Major Disruptive Transport Initiatives in most
  cities
• Airports Mass Transit Systems not as Integrated
  Transport

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Benefits of the Framework

• Provides a complete response to urban challenges
• Recognises regional and rural-urban issues
• Applies across a state, rather than a specific
  city
• Identifies the specific changes that are required
• Integrates all current national initiatives and
  trends
• Allows for prioritisation of reforms and
  timelines

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Taking it forward - Building consensus

• Process of debate and deliberation as important
  as outcome
• Deliberation integral to the ideas being proposed
• Differences and disputes to be encouraged
• Formal Space for engagement - new in Urban
  India
• Success driven by the design of the process
• Need to move beyond why to how
• Complex, large-scale interactions at multiple
  levels
• Scientifically designed process critical to
  success
• Urban Governance Framework a guide for this
  process
• A mechanism to anchor the debates
• Ultimate solutions/priorities could be different
  in different locations

Abraham Lincoln If I had 10 hours to chop a
tree, I would spend 8 hours sharpening my axe
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Thank You