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Empower Local Bodies To Fight Covid: Finance Commission – Free PDF Download

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The News

  • A recent audit report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) on the audit of implementation of the 74th CAA in Karnataka has lessons for India.
  • The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us an important lesson – decentralisation is key to successful prevention, detection and management of diseases in urban areas.
  • Lets look at the status of implementation of ULBs in Karnataka.

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The Details

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The Details

1. The decentralization of functions in cities is more formal than real.

  1. In Karnataka, 17 out of the 18 functions supposed to be handled by ULBs have been devolved under state municipal acts, but ULBs have full authority only over 3.

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2. Elections to ULBs are seldom timely

  1. Elections due in 23 ULBs, were not held.
  2. 210 out of 280 ULBs did not have a functioning council.
  3. The State has continuously delayed delimitation process, which in turn delayed council elections.

3. The Constitution of India envisaged the establishment of Ward Committees as a means to enhance the role of citizens in urban governance.

  1. None of the 10 city corporations except the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had constituted them at the time of the audit.

4. Ineffective MPCs (Metropolitan planning committee)

  1. The Metropolitan Planning Committee whose role is to prepare a draft development plan for the metropolitan region as a whole should be constituted and made effective.

5. The State Finance Commissions need to be constituted on time

  1. Constitution of SFC has been delayed and there has been a nine-year delay so far in implementing SFC recommendations.

6. There is a need to involve ULBs fully in the planning, regulation, slum development, water supply and sanitation functions.

  1. State parastatals such as urban development authorities, town planning authorities, Karnataka Slum Development Board, Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board, and Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation have in several instances not met their obligations to ULBs and have undermined the status of ULBs as democratically-elected local self-governments.

7. Limitations on the ability of ULBs to raise revenues need to be removed urgently.

  1. Arrears in water charges more than doubled to over Rs 200 crore by 2018-19, 51 per cent vacancies were observed in the revenue department, and over 50 per cent of 10,000+ rental agreements for properties were not revised.

8. The ULBs need to present realistic budgets

  1. There was a significant variance in the range of 23-98 per cent between budgets and actuals.

9. The ULBs need greater authority to approve works

  1. City councils can approve projects that costup to a paltry Rs 2 crore, whereas the Director of Municipal Administration, an unelected executive officer at the state level, has powers to approve projects up to Rs 10 crore.
  2. Any work higher than Rs 10 crore needs state government approval.

10. ULBs need full power over their human resources

  1. Of the 56,000 sanctioned staff strength, there is 31 per cent vacancy, of which 53 per cent are in Grades A to C.

Just Imagine

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What’s needed?

  • The 15th Finance Commission, even before the second wave of Covid-19, had called out the need for decentralised primary healthcare to be handled by local bodies, with the engagement of elected councillors, communities and resident welfare associations.
    1. It has set aside Rs 26,000 crore for municipalities over the period 2022-2026.
  • The biggest challenge has been the reluctance of state governments to implement the 74th CAA in letter and spirit.

 

 

 

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