Leaderspeak | Local Governance
What 2021 taught us in ‘Urban Governance Class’?
Life is an endless journey of learning. 2021 taught Indian cities that they have to navigate through a complex landscape to become sustainable and livable in the post-pandemic world. 2021 could be termed the most challenging year in the lives of our cities as they faced a gargantuan challenge that shook the service and infrastructure in cities. Cities can learn a big deal from their experiences and transform their functioning by using the existing constitutional framework
C
ities are the foundation of national finances as most income is generated in urban spaces. However, this advantage turns into a disadvantage when the growing population in cities are not matched with improving services and infrastructure. The mismatch leads to more pressure on civic services. Hence, over a period of time, cities become unlivable. It is true for many cities of the world today. The second wave of the Pandemic was a setback to cities overcoming the socioeconomic debacle of the first wave. The second wave was so severe that it brought cities to their knees. Cities gradually devised their strategies to fight back. In the war against the virus this year, cities learned many lessons on their strategic and instant intervention during a health disaster, how to communicate with their citizens during a Pandemic, manage migrants and what not. The situation remained unclear for days because of no set protocols and guidelines. They were following the instructions of the national health agencies, state governments and district authorities. Their role in policymaking was minimal, but their role in implementing the decisions was crucial. There is need for a paradigm shift in how federal and state governments look at local democratic institutions.
32 December 2021 | www.urbanupdate.in
Urgent Need for Devolution of Powers to ULBs
India gave thrust to democratic decentralization by introducing the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act in 1992-93. It gave a clear mandate to create an institutional framework for strengthening the role of democratic institutions at the local level through self-governing local bodies in urban areas of the country. The Act empowered Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to perform 18 functions listed in the 12th Schedule. The objective was to devolve more power to ULBs, but the implementation of the reform has not been uniform. It is patchy. In the times of Corona, it was observed that the local bodies had a crucial role to play in containing the virus spread and handling the effects of the Pandemic at the local level. The elected representatives were accountable to the people, but most of their functions came with limited authority and inadequate financial autonomy. According to the Performance Audit of Implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act in Karnataka by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the Act was enacted but not implemented in letter and spirit. The report says that out of the eighteen functions, all except Fire Services were transferred. It also highlights that though all functions
were to be mandatory, the State classified the functions as obligatory and discretionary. The report mentions that ULBs had full jurisdiction in only three functions. They had no role in two functions and dual role in one. They were mere implementing agency in three functions. As many as eight functions were those with minimal role or overlapping jurisdictions. The report may be presenting the facts about the status in Karnataka, but it is almost the same in every State. Several such issues
