The annual survey of India's city-system 2023 indicates that mayors and councillors have a limited role in key municipal functions
At least 39 per cent of India's capital cities lack an active master plan, as revealed by a survey conducted by the Bengaluru-based think tank Janaagraha. The Annual Survey of India's City-System 2023 also indicates that mayors and councillors have a limited role in key municipal functions. Released on Tuesday by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the survey reports that 17 per cent of cities have a mayoral tenure of fewer than five years, making the position largely "ceremonial and inconsequential."
According to the report, mayors and councillors in India remain disempowered due to highly restricted devolution of functions and powers over funds and functionaries, short tenures in office, and a policy of rotational reservations mandated by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. This act mandates the rotation of reserved seats to different wards in the city.
"This has resulted in our city governments being practically reduced to one other civic service delivery agency rather than a city government or a local self-government," the survey states.
"Robust plan preparation is fundamental in improving the quality of infrastructure and services for residents and avoiding urban sprawl. However, at least 39 per cent of the capital cities in India do not have active spatial plans," it reveals.
The report includes the study of 82 municipal legislations and 44 town and country planning acts, among others. It also notes that no state in India provides an effective system to prevent the approval of projects that are not in conformity with spatial development plans (SDPs). Additionally, there are no robust provisions by law to monitor ongoing projects for possible violations, the survey states.
"A vibrant SDP needs to be the product of a carefully structured process of discussion to outline a collective vision for the city. However, there is an absence of formal platforms for citizen participation in planning for our cities," it states.
After releasing the report, Union Minister Puri said the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban has brought about a pan-India behavioral shift towards cleanliness. Solid waste processing has increased from 17 per cent in 2014 to 76% today, he said, expressing confidence in achieving 100 per cent waste processing in the coming years.