Championing Local Priorities in Urban Areas

By : K. K. Pandey

Page No: 79-88

Abstract
Championing local priorities has been a part of urban policy agenda in India since enactment of 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) of 1993 covering continuity in the elected body, reservation to women and weaker sections and creation of ward committees. Yet, the process of decentralisation got stuck at town hall level and could not move below up to grass root level. Local councils in Aizawl (Mizoram) present a model to take the process of decentralisation to a common man in the remote part of city structure. These are first ever elected bodies in India representing 1500 people at grass root level.
Further, the local councils are an intermediary link institution in a multipronged context covering (i) ward committee, (ii) city government (iii) state departments, and local authorities. This makes the governance inclusive and participatory with special thrust on Jan Bhagidari (People’s Partnership). Local councils also have unique feature of Hnatlang meaning a customary service covering labour, financial contribution and management responsibility. In addition, optimum synergy and convergence are achieved on public sector schemes and programs.
The model presents citizen participation to access basic services covering common space, management of parks, gardens, play grounds, water bodies) ,(iii) waste management (iv) essential consumer durables (Cooking Gas, Ration), addressing forest fire, retaining walls, local markets, public conveniences etc. , collection of municipal revenue (waste collection charges, property taxes) and (vii) local inputs for city level planning. Finally, Legal and institutional framework of local councils needs wider assessment and adaptation in the overall city size framework in in India and elsewhere.

Author :
K. K. Pandey : Professor Coordinator, Centre for Urban Studies, IIPA.