Centre drafts model civic laws

The Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation has drawn up a model municipal law that envisages reforms to help fund-raising and...

The Ministry of Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation has drawn up a model municipal law that envisages reforms to help fund-raising and the accounting process.

It includes levy of user charges on drinking water, entry of private players in distribution and management of civic amenities among other things. Representatives from various states recently attended a 8216;8216;sensitisation8217;8217; workshop in the Capital to help push this reform agenda that would give the urban local bodies more power and autonomy.

8216;8216;If we do not change the situation, the quality of urban life is going to deteriorate further,8217;8217; secretary of Urban Development N.N. Khanna said. He also warned the state governments that soon disbursal of funds for Centre-sponsored schemes will be linked to area-wise performance, like fast-paced urban reform, accelerated urban water supply scheme and development of medium and small townships.

Taking a close look at the working of the municipal corporations in terms of the 74th amendment of the Constitution, Khanna said: 8216;8216;The model law will assist the local bodies bring reforms in their accounting system, fund-raising system and at the same time enable it to open the delivery system to private sectors.8217;8217;

The model law would also help the local bodies raise public funds for development of the urban sector and create an environment in which they can play a more effective role in the delivery of services, he added.

Though the urban local bodies have been delegated more responsibilities and functions, Khanna said, they have not been supplemented with adequate financial resources. 8216;8216;As a result, urban local bodies depend heavily on grants from higher levels of government,8217;8217; he added.

The Ministry has been trying to push an integrated Urban Reform Package through schemes which would require the state to amend the existing land ceiling laws and open the urban areas to largescale housing and infrastructural activity.