The importance of efficient urban governance needs no elaboration in an increasingly urbanising world. Cities with high population densities throw significant challenges of transportation, safety, urban revitalisation, social inclusion and cohesion, environmental protection, water, air, energy, sanitation and climate changes which will magnify in the near future if not properly addressed now. These socio-economic changes necessitate augmentation of urban finances for investment in well-planned urban development and to bring about reforms in governance to enforce efficient urban governance at all levels to cater to the needs of urbanites and to make cities inclusive, congestion-free, safe, resilient and sustainable in which all people have access to basic services, housing and mobility. The urban local governance structures, mechanism and arrangements should aim at facilitating the adoption and implementation of successful policies to meet the challenges of sustainable, safe and equitable urbanisation. This book discusses measures to stimulate revitalisation and foster better economic and social development through developing cooperation mechanism between local and national governments so that the challenges of urbanisation can be best utilised as opportunities of innovation, economic growth and employment.

Table of Contents:
Acknowledgement 11 Preface 13 Abbreviations 17 Introduction 21 Importance of Urban Governance; The Complexities of Urban Local Governance; Reforms in Urban Governance-Legislative, Administrative, Financial; Objectives of the Study; Limitations of the Study; Methodology. The Concept of Urbanisation 41 Basic Features and Pattern of India’s Urbanisation; Problems and Challenges of Urbanisation; Need-Based vs. Right-based Approach to Urban Development; The Emerging Urban Issues; Campaign for Housing and Secure Tenure; Water, Sanitation and Other Infrastructure. Good Urban Governance: Issues and Reforms 61 Indicators of Good Governance; Salient Features of Good Urban Governance-Decentralisation, Integration of the Poor and the Marginalised, Environmental Sustainability, Municipal Finance & Resource mobilisation, Transparency and Civic Engagement, Better Municipal Management and Capacity building; Measures for Improvement of Urban Governance-Political Trust, Effective Public Service Delivery, Reforms in Urban Local Government; Reforms in Rules and Procedures, Municipal level reform under JNNURM, State level reforms under JNNURM. Organisation of Urban Local Governments 81 ULGs in India-Nagar Panchayats, Municipalities, Municipal Corporations; Structural Organisation of ULG-The Functions of Each Section Establishment Section, (ii) Accounts Section, (iii) Revenue Section, (iv) Engineering Section, (v) Town Planning Section, (vi) Health Section; Devolution of Powers and Finances to ULGs; Decentralisation of Powers. Deliberative Wing vs. the Executive Wing of the Urban Local Governments 97 Deliberative or elected wing; Executive or Performance Wing; Meetings of the council; Election of the Civic Chief The Civic Chief); conclusions. Urban Finance and Resource Mobilisation 111 Urban Finance; Municipal Own Revenues; Urban Finance and Infrastucture needs; Financial Resources of ULGs; State of Local Finance; Resource Sharing; Tax Collection efficiency; Internal Sources of Revenue to ULGs-Taxes, Non-Taxes, Assigned Revenues, Plan Grants and Nonplan Grants; Resource Mobilisation; Suggested Reforms in levy and assessment of property tax; Property tax Administration in Various States; Property Tax system in Andhra Pradesh; Measures for improvement of Finances under Non-Taxes, Water Charges, Drainage Cess, Market Fees and Shop Room Rents, Encroachment Fee, Advertisement Tax, Building Licence Fees, Trade Licence Fees, Building Regular Wation Penalisation Scheme, Parking Fees; Tax vs. Service charges; Market borrowing; Economic Self Sufficiency of ULGs; Measures for Improvement of Local Revenue Generation; Devolution of Funds. Urban Infrastructure 151 Maintenance of Urban Infrastructure; Financing of Urban Infrastructure; Policy Alternatives and Organisational Choices; Suggested Policies for Consideration; Urban Innovation; Urban Development Authorities; The Management of Urban Development-Imbortant Issues in Urban Development; Intrinsically Inefficient Public Sector, External Obstacles, Organisational Competence and Effectiveness, Growth with Redistribution, Access to Service; Major Issues of Concern for Urban Management-Keeping Pace with Urbanisation, Project Formulation, State Intervention, Relaxation of Regulations, Institutional Framework for Integrated Urban Development, Decentralisation, Responsiveness to Citizen Satisfaction, Management Discretion, Asset Management and Service Delivery, Community Participation. Accountability, Transparency, Grievance Redressal and Service Delivery 197 Salient Features of Accountability-Constitution and Government, Financial Management, Municipal Revenue Generation, Urban Environmental Infrastructure and Services; Accountability Mechanism; Citizen Charter; Financial Accountability; Accountability in respect of Defects in Service Delivery-Water Supply, Sewerage, Solid Waste Management, Urban Transport and Roads; Measures to improve Urban Service Delivery; Performance Evaluation. Urban Poverty Alleviation 217 Planning; The reasons for high success rate in certain urban areas; Reasons for failure of the scheme in certain urban areas; Urban Poverty Alleviation Initiatives; Poverty Alleviation under SJSRY; Social and Economic Empowerment of the Urban Poor; Poverty Alleviation Initiatives in Andhra Pradesh; Building Organisations of the Poor; Formation and Strengthening of Self-Help Groups and Gederation; Bank Linkage; Total Financial Inclusion; Skill Development Training Programme through National Academy of Construction; Empowerment of the Physically Challenged People in Urban Areas; Education for the Urban Poor; Poverty Elimination in APUSP project towns of A.P. Strengthening of Civil Society, Formation of Self-help Groups, Financial Assistance, (UPADHI), Target, Achievement, Poverty Eradication in Kerala; Kudumbashree Scheme in Kerala; Activities of Kudumbashree, Aashraya, Health Insurance, Reasons for High Success Rate in Kerala. Training for Capacity Building 241 Need for Capacity Enhancement, Need for Training, Types of Training, Capacity Enhancement Need Assesment Role of Training Institutions; Areas of Training in Urban Governance; Training Institute for Capacity Building; Training Methods for Urban Managers for Skill Upgradation. Summary and Conclusion 257 Bibliography 265 Index 269