Page 34 - Shelter - April 2023

POLICY REVIEW

For reasons many, they have needs to be divested from modal Public Transport
been neglected or poorly done. Development Authorities System;
Vested interests have thwarted (DA) and restored back to
th
the full implementation of 74 LSG. They, in turn, need to 10) Dispute Resolution;
Amendment. It is important be strengthened in terms 11) Research; and
to rejuvenate the Local Self of resources, capacity, and
Governments (LSG) to play technology Development 12) Advocacy
their role effectively. function may be vested with The CPMA should include full
Special Sectorial Agencies/
DMP-1981 (1962) introduced authorities in case of time professional members.
the concept of City metropolitan cities. In all The professional members
Development Authority for other urban centres, it needs represent the profession and
planning and development of to be vested with the LSG. not any organisation. They
the city. Delhi Development need to take care of the interest
Authority was constituted, The City Development they represent: Planning,
supported by seed capital and Authorities need to be Economics, Technologies,
extensive land, and backed reformed and restructured Legal and Human resources.
by a statute. While there into City Planning and Resources: Carry out
was an initial euphoria, over Management Authorities Monetary Reforms–Establish
time, DDA has tended to be (CPMA) whose functions Urban Development Funds
bureaucratic, regulatory and would include: at City, State and Central
project implementer. Only Levels
the formality of revising the 1) Policy (inter and intra
Master Plan, once every two sectorial); Urban development is costly
decades to legalise things 2) Planning (City level: and has long gestation. Large
that have happened, has Long range and short sums of moneys are required
remained. term). (Zonal Plans at the right time and place.

DDA in turn, had become and LAPS to be the The gestation period of
investments is long. Returns
the model for other cities responsibility of LSGs); are uncertain and risks high.
to emulate. Now almost 3) Resource Mobilisation; But the show must go on. It is
all major metropolitan imperative to mobilise capital
cities have a Development 4) Facilitation; from all potential sources.
Authority. The experience 5) Traditional dependence
is mixed. With regulatory Co-ordination; on government budget is
and project implementation 6) Information system inadequate and uncertain.
functions predominating, Management; Borrowing is pleasant but is
policy, planning, facilitation, an albatross around the neck.
coordination, and such 7) Management of City Self-reliance is the best and
other functions have been Development Fund; safe means. The city itself is a
relegated to the back. The 8) Management of Land source of capital.
result is urban chaos and Bank;
disharmony. It is time to take Historically, the local bodies
are look. Regulatory function 9) Fare Policy on City Multi- are supposed to raise

32 HUDCO-HSMI Publication