Major reforms in the area of urban governance, planning and finance are being flagged at a national workshop on urban development in the national capital on Tuesday. The ministry of urban development has set goals that aim at implementing the reforms by 2020.
Based on the recommendations of a group of secretaries, these reforms will include a shift in matters of granting approvals to citizens.
These approvals will include permissions for construction, change-in-title in municipal records — mutation, birth and death registration and other areas of interaction between government and citizens. Technology will be a major driver of the reforms.
The government will also enact Land Titling laws and implement them in a time-bound manner. According to the group of secretaries, over 90 per cent of land records in the country are unclear. Land market distortions and unclear land titles cost the country 1.30 per cent of its annual GDP.
The group recommended municipal bonds, credit rating of urban local bodies and value capture financing to meet capital expenditure needs of cities.
The group noted the shortage of qualified technical staff and managerial supervisors, that resulted in preventing innovation, and recommended induction of professionals in city governments.
The government has stepped up the reform incentive fund from Rs 500 crores during 2017-18, to over Rs 3000 crore per year over the next three years, in order to incentivise the implementation of these reforms.
