The debate over the need for a powerful elected official to administer Mumbai and resolve its problems was reignited on Sunday as Municipal Commissioner Subodh Kumar said effective city governance led by a chief executive officer or a truly empowered mayor will be a model worth exploring again. Speaking on urbanisation and Mumbais specific challenges at the India Economic Summit organised by the World Economic Forum and the Confederation of Indian Industry,Kumar said a democratically and directly elected city government,that is accountable to the people,could be a solution to governance bottlenecks. The debate was sparked off by chairman and managing director of Hindustan Construction Company (HCC),Ajit Gulabchand,when he said that the fact that Indian cities dont govern themselves is a fundamental problem. Not just Mumbai,but all cities and towns need a strong mayor and a proper council, Gulabchand said. Even in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC),that has elected representatives,substantive power vests in the hands of the municipal commissioner who is ultimately appointed by the state government. He pointed out that this,alongside the multiplicity of agencies governing infrastructure-building in Mumbai,is at the root of the financial capitals poor pace of capacity building. Kumar responded by stating that he supports the idea,despite the fact that an earlier attempt by the Shiv Sena in the BMC in the early 1990s was withdrawn after being termed a complete failure. The mayor-in-council system was withdrawn by the same party that initiated it,but I dont think we need to shy away from trying again. An elected authority,which is accountable to the people,is a good thing, Kumar said. Another private developer in the infrastructure sector in Mumbai,Shah Hakim Zain,CEO of the Scomi group that is building Indias first Monorail in Mumbai,pointed out various bottlenecks in the smooth implementation of projects in the city. The Monorail was delayed by 14 months because we couldnt get permission to build across the Mahul Creek, Zain said. Im sorry,but have you seen the state of the creek? Theres nothing we could do that will damage the creek any further. Kumar also spoke of other challenges in Mumbai making Mumbai the city of choice by providing amenities,including better water,24X7 water supply,new transport infrastructure in the city to unleash better productivity and a coastal ring road around the city,which he said could be built in four to five years once permissions come through. We are working closely with the MoEF on the proposal for a coastal ring road, he said.
