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.

Cities 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 socio-economic 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.

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 need to be addressed to make urban local bodies stronger.

Learning for ULBs, State Governments

The Pandemic has taught us that cities and local government institutions need to be strengthened. If they have responsibilities, they should have authority and resources too. The role of local bodies in emergency response has to be worked on. Their capacity must be strengthened because globally it was seen in many cases how cities came forward with innovative solutions. The cities were not merely executing the directions but making policies on a day-to-day basis. Cities were changing their policies, action plans as the virus was mutating. There is no doubt that medical protocols cannot be developed in each city, but the strategy to handle things locally can be decided at the local level. The ULBs could manage medical facilities and resources including the oxygen gas cylinders, provided that they are well trained and equipped with resources. Health is a state subject, but the 12th Schedule indicated that ‘public health sanitation, conservancy and solid waste management’ and ‘safeguarding the interests of the weaker sections of society, including the physically handicapped and mentally unsound’ are among the 18 functions of the urban local bodies. The latter function is a big responsibility, not just during the Pandemic but otherwise too. The nations with deep and big purses have failed to ensure that. Cities need to get a reasonable allocation of resources. State Finance Commissions should be generous to ULBs, and must not act as an arm of the government.
COVID-19 was a new challenge, and the cities worldwide, irrespective of their might, failed on many fronts while handling the side effects of the Pandemic and unfolding health disaster. Citizens and social groups rose to the occasion and helped people around them. They arranged medicines, medical and ration supplies. Social groups even helped people get dignified burial or cremation for their deceased family members. The power of people is tremendous. It helped speed the healing process. The cases of COVID-19 are now on the decline, and the number of people vaccinated is going up. This is an opportune time that the ULBs can use to create data of the people, maybe, digitally to understand their profile. They can list out the people who can provide assistance in certain sphere. Of course, keeping the privacy of the data intact like an ethical doctor and a lawyer would be their responsibility. ULBs must develop an ecosystem to have data of their people so when in need, they can reach out to them or connect with those who can help in emergencies. If the passionate youngsters on social media can formalize a Help Desk, cities can do so too. The job for them would be far easier than for any
other institution.
Certainly, municipalities helped people during the Pandemic. Still, cities have an immense scope of improving how they function. For this, they have to think over how they can transform, what we can learn from others, and what they need. They should be vocal about their demands, and it will help write a new chapter of good governance at the grassroots level.

The power of people is tremendous. It helped speed the healing process. The cases of COVID-19 are now on the decline, and the number of people vaccinated is going up. This is an opportune time the ULBs can use to create data of the people, maybe, digitally to understand their profile. They can list out the people who can provide assistance in certain sphere