Rajiv Gauba, a member of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog), urged states to shift authority and financial resources to city governments as urban growth raises pressure on public services.
At the second National Urban Conclave in Bhubaneswar on Oct. 25, Gauba argued that decisions affecting cities should not be made only in state capitals. “We can’t run cities from state capitals,” he said, according to a NITI Aayog statement. He proposed fixed five-year terms for mayors chosen by voters, a Mayor-in-Council system and regular municipal elections.
Gauba also called for urban local bodies to take responsibility for all 18 functions under the 74th Constitutional Amendment, including planning, water supply, fire services and traffic. He cited a projection that India’s urban population would grow from about 500 million at the time of his address to 850 million by 2050, when nearly half the population was expected to live in urban areas.
The agency’s report Moving Towards Effective City Government – A Framework for Million-Plus Cities, published April 29, says states decide how much municipal authority to transfer under the amendment. The report cites a Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) audit across 18 states: city governments had full jurisdiction over an average of four functions and a minimal role in seven.
On municipal finances, Gauba called for stronger property-tax collection and recovery of user charges. Separately, he advocated adoption of the Model Tenancy Act to increase rental housing for migrant workers, students, young professionals and industrial labourers. He described mixed-use zoning and development near transit as planning measures.
Gauba urged states to enact new municipal laws and called on the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to link support through urban missions to the implementation of reforms.
