In his second term, Modi can ensure better urbanisation through greater devolution of power, and finances | The Indian Express

In his second term, Modi can ensure better urbanisation through greater devolution of power, and finances | The Indian Express

Written by Isher Judge Ahluwalia |Updated: May 29, 2019 9:23:28 am

The writer is chairperson of Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and former chairperson of the high-powered expert committee on urban infrastructure and services.

In his second term, Modi can ensure better urbanisation through greater devolution of power, and finances

State governments have the principal responsibility for urban development. But in order to deliver, they can and should ensure that city governments are sufficiently empowered to get the job done. The state governments need to decentralise, devolve and empower the cities.

Essentially, co-operative federalism needs to go deeper, below the state level. There are no shortcuts to improving the state of our cities. (Illustration: C R Sasikumar)

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins his second term with an even larger political mandate, it is time to reflect on what should be the priorities in fixing our cities. The scale of the challenge is massive whether we look at the availability of clean drinking water, unpolluted air, quality of public transport, traffic management and parking, integrated planning of transport and land use, law and order, management and safe disposal of solid waste that is generated, treatment of waste water and effluents, and affordable housing. In short, the state of public service delivery in our cities is abysmal and what is more, the cities are financially broke and cannot address these problems on their own.