Yashaswi Raj VardhanAIR 11 · CSE 2025 · 344 wordsTheir whole copy
Opening
The 74th constitutional amendment Act introduced a framework for urban local bodies. Recently the Capacity Building Commission organised a national workshop to foster unified approach in capacity building of ULBs
Body · points and prose
Municipal corporations as key to urban governance
- Decentralisation of power - empowers grassroot decision making
- Adapting to local needs : The challenges and solutions are unique for every city.
- Effective service Delivery : eg water supply, waste disposal
- Accountability : unlike state and union governments which may be out of reach - they are local & accessible
- Bottom-Up planning : District and Metropolitan planning committees will be starting point
- Representation of marginalised and vulnerable groups eg SC, ST, OBCs, women.
Constitutional framework
* 74th AA, 1992
* 1/3rd reservation to women & SC/ST
* Recognition to ULBs
* 12th schedule (list of subjects)
* Election by State Election Commission
* 5 years term
* Financial devolution through State Finance Commission
* Planning mechanism
* Municipal Corp, Municipality, Nagar Panchayat
Reluctance of States
- Powers for subjects under the XII (12th) schedule not devolved
- Funds - rely mainly on grants which states are not giving
- Lack of Taxation powers' scope
- Local taxes subsumed under GST are not compensated
- Don't have own functionaries
Why States are Reluctant
- Financial mismanagement
- Lack capacity to govern
- seen as alternate power centres
- inefficient functioning leaves residual burden on states
- use of cess by central govt. to reduce devolution to states
Other challenges
- Parallel structures: District Admin, Parastatal Bodies (eg Jal Board, Health Society)
- 65% of urban bodies don't have a master plan (NITI Aayog, 2021)
- Increased complexity of challenges (eg waste management, Air pollution)
- Non-functional ward committees
- Lack of integration like PRIs
- Three tiers here are not interlinked
- Lack unity of command: Mayor-in-Council
Measures for paradigm shift
- Directly elected executive mayor system
- Innovative funding through Bonds
- Integration by giving superintendence over parastatal bodies
- Capacity building and training
- Whole of the Govt. approach: uniform integrated local body - hub and spoke connection with other ULBs and PRIs
- Japan model of glocalisation
- Merge XIIth schedule in PRIs - local list
Close
The need for effective good governance can only be realised by bringing global standards to local levels through grass-root democracy.
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