The ‘Urban Governance and Development Unit’ in CRRID is headed by a senior practicing expert in the field of Urban Governance. He held the constitutional position of Chairman of State Finance Commission, which assigned funds & functions to the local self government institutions in Punjab. The unit has on its role experienced and competent staff. The unit has also the distinction of having been awarded a Chair by Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) comprising a Professor and Assistant Professor.
The objective of this Chair is to establish capacity for undertaking training of the functionaries, elected representatives and community representatives (including NGOs) who are responsible for housing development and urban development management in the State of Punjab. Other related aims are to support and undertake capacity building activities of urban local bodies for infrastructure development and management, and to promote research, particularly action research in the field of housing, urban development and related areas in the State of Punjab. It also seeks to undertake other activities that promote housing, urban Development and effective management of urban areas in the State of Punjab.
Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) a‘centre of excellence’for capacity building of local self government institutions is imparting training to Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Commissioners of Municipal Corporations and Executive Officers, Accounting and Engineering Officials of Municipal Councils of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and UT Chandigarh. The curriculum includes Municipal Financial Resource Mobilization and Accounting, Financing of Urban Infrastructure, Fiscal Decentralization, Resource Mobilization through streamlining of urban taxes, Cost Recovery of the Urban Services, Empowerment of City Governments, Importance of E-governance, Double Entry System of Accounting for transparency including Urban Management for Strengthening Municipal Governments in the context of 74thamendment of Indian Constitution. It is periodically updated to meet the growing requirements of the institutions.
These training programmes are continuing for the last 10 years supported by Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and also by USAID,New Delhi. The training programmes being important are regularly organized to upgrade the managerial skills of the elected representatives as well as officials of local self government institutions.
Based on the achievements of CRRID in the field of training of officials of local self government to upgrade their managerial skills and building their capacity, CRRID was awarded a project titled as ‘CapacityBuildingof Local Self Government Institutions in Punjab’by European Commission in October 2005.
The Aim and Objective of the project is to strengthen the local self-government institutions in the state of Punjab through induction of best management practices in local governance in selected progressive Indian states and Member states of European Union. The project provided opportunity to study the functioning of local governments in the European countries of Finland, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, Netherlands and Belgium and also in the progressive Indian States of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. The working of local self government institutions was studied in six European Union countries and five progressive Indian states as above.
9 experts from India studied the working of local self government institutions in six European Union countries and 10 experts from European Union countries visited CRRID to participate in National Seminars and National Conference held to develop curriculum for the capacity building of local self government institutions inPunjab. About 50 experts visited 5 progressive Indian states to study the working of local self government institutions. The extensive interaction in European Union countries and in progressive Indian states enabled CRRID to document best management practices based on the success stories in the working of local self government institutions inEurope and India.
The urban management practices in European Union countries promote extensive participation of citizens and promote public-private-partnerships. The local self governments inEuropeoperate largely as facilitators for ensuring delivery of civic services like water supply, sewerage, garbage disposals, roads, etc. by offloading these activities to the private sector companies. The extensive involvement of local bodies in welfare measures is a unique feature of working of local self government inEurope. The local self government institutions raise adequate resources through their own taxes and levies which are appropriately matched by grants from higher levels of governments to cope with the development needs and functioning of local bodies efficiently.
In progressive Indian state of Kerala, there is adequate democratic decentralization enabling the participation of representatives and members of all sections of society in execution of local development plans. The complete information and database, transparency, accountability and enhanced participation, involvement of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), civil society groups are other features of the working of democratic institutions of Kerala.
Madhya Pradesh has unique system of Geographic Information System (GIS) to collect information about physical location of properties, roads and lanes and also of drinking water distribution system. Property Index Numbers (PINs) have been allotted to owners of properties for easy identification.
Maharashtra has taken wide ranging issues of slum management, traffic management, pollution control, solid/liquid waste management, administration and governance at local level. E-Governance in Maharashtra has improved the functioning of local self government institutions by providing speed and efficiency for effective delivery of services.
Gujarat has taken a number of innovative measures to ensure people’s participation. The area-based property tax assessment system has resulted in easy calculations and a higher yield from property tax. The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation raised funds through market borrowings which have resulted in improved civic services.
In Karnataka, urban local bodies are promoting and adopting modern urban management practices including double entry system of accounting to obtain credit rating for raising funds from capital market.
The best management practices in local self government institutions in European Union countries and progressive Indian states have been documented which can be replicated in Local Self Government Institutions in India.
Based on the success stories of innovative urban management practices, CRRID has brought out a ‘Manual for Capacity Building of Local Self Government Institutions’, which has been acclaimed as an outstanding publication inIndia and abroad for the training of practicing Managers of Local Self Government Institutions.
CRRID has also brought out the following documents as a part of EU-India Project:
In Addition, CRRID has carried out a number of studies related to urban governance.These include:
1. Mobilization of Financial Resources and Upgradation of Environment Infrastructure (A study of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation)
2. Resource Mobilization and Privatization in Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (a million plus Municipal Corporation)
3. Urban Development Strategy Paper for the State of Himachal Pradesh
4. A paper on ‘Urban Development’ ofPunjabfor the State Development Report of Punjabsponsored by Planning Commission ofIndia.
5. A paper on ‘Urban Development’ of Himachal Pradesh for the State Development Report of Himachal Pradesh sponsored by Planning Commission of India.
CRRID’s pioneering and outstanding contribution in the field of urban governance has visibly resulted in streamlining of urban governance after passing of 74th Amendment of the Constitution in 1992. The major emphasis should be to reform tax administration particularly levies and recovery of user charges and specifically through a time bound programme to reform the property tax administration. The emphasis should be to recover 100% operation & maintenance expenses and bringing at least 85% of privately held residential property in urban areas under the property tax net.
The ‘Urban Governance and Development Unit’ in CRRID is headed by a senior practicing expert in the field of Urban Governance. He held the constitutional position of Chairman of State Finance Commission, which assigned funds & functions to the local self government institutions in Punjab. The unit has on its role experienced and competent staff. The unit has also the distinction of having been awarded a Chair by Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) comprising a Professor and Assistant Professor. The objective of this Chair is toestablish capacity for undertaking training of the functionaries, elected representatives and community representatives (including NGOs) who are responsible for housing development and urban development management in the State of Punjab. Other related aims are to support and undertake capacity building activities of urban local bodies for infrastructure development and management, and to promote research, particularly action research in the field of housing, urban development and related areas in the State of Punjab. It also seeks to undertake other activities that promote housing, urban Development and effective management of urban areas in the State of Punjab.
In the light of its extensive expertise in the field of ‘Urban Governance, Management and Development’, CRRID is a competent organization with adequate database for training and research in local self governance. CRRID seek to cooperate with national and international organizations & agencies involved in the urban management practices and governance for specific studies, research and partnership for the implementation of national & international projects in this field.
Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development
Plot 2-A, Sector 19-A, Madhya Marg,
Chandigarh-160019
(India)
Telephones:
0172-2725406, 2725059
Fax No:
0172-2725215
Email ID:
director@crrid.res.in