Planning city’s development: The problem of plenty agencies
BMC’S demand to make it the single planning body seems political, but is the need as the city grapples with six agencies, no coordination, say experts
MUMBAI : The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) request to the state to make it the single planning authority for the city, although looked at as a political plan of the Uddhav Thackeray-led state government, is more of an administrative requirement, amid Mumbai’s worsening urban gridlock, when more than six planning agencies are handling different patches, with no co-ordination, say experts.
The confusion
The city’s past is replete with many examples of change in authorities handling land use, causing not only delays and confusion in planning and execution of infrastructure projects, but also inconvenience to citizens, who are forced to first identify the right authority for their issues, which may range from drainage problems to building permissions.
A few examples: In 2017, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) prepared a separate development plan (DP) for three land parcels measuring 114 hectares. These included land parcels in Oshiwara District Centre, A block in Bandra-kurla Complex (BKC), and Kurla. The land parcels were handed over to the BMC from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) late in 2016, after the corporation repeated the exercise of looking at the existing land-use and released the DP 2034.
In 2018, the state carved out 966 hectares in south Mumbai, stretching from Colaba to Wadala. The Mumbai Port Trust (MBPT) was made the special planning authority (SPA) and the BMC’S role was minimised in these areas. The MBPT released a blueprint for these 966 hectares with no mention of the DP. The same year, the Devendra Fadnavis-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government granted the status of a planning authority to the state-run Maharashtra Housing Development Authority (Mhada) for 14,904 cessed properties, despite the BMC’S objections. Before MBPT and Mhada were granted the status of planning authorities, the BMC had already stated that 9% of the city’s 476 sqkm area is now under SPAS.
Mahesh Vijapurkar, a journalist, said, “No other Indian city has so many state-run agencies, except Delhi, which has multiple municipalities. Planning in urban cities is not just about providing facilities, it is about landuse and equitable benefits to citizens. A city’s municipality has the best understanding of its footprint. But to be the lone planner, it has to learn to be an efficient executor of plans.”
Political game
The issue of multiple agencies is related to the city’s status as India’s commercial capital. As the city grew, both state and Centre felt the need to govern it better and plan its development. During the late Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure as the prime minister, there was a proposal to create a separate department for Mumbai in the state government, be led by a minister. However, state Congress leaders were not keen. Several industry leaders were also of the opinion that Mumbai should be made a union territory. However, it was strongly countered by the Shiv Sena. The Samyukta Maharashtra movement had forced the Centre to change its plan to include Mumbai in Gujarat or keep it as a union territory.
In 1975, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) was formed to expand Mumbai in the adjoining areas and develop the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The MMRDA gained prominence after 1999 as the Congress-ncp government started assigning key infrastructure projects. With the Shiv Sena ruling the BMC and Congressncp the state, the local government did not want any interference. The MMRDA Act, therefore, allowed the state to control projects outside the BMC’S jurisdiction, much to the annoyance of the Sena. “The Sena was averse to projects being transferred to other agencies. When Manohar Joshi was the chief minister, Sena also tried to increase the mayor’s powers, but the mayor till date remains a ceremonial post,” said Hemant Desai, a political observer.
Today, the MMRDA is executing most premium projects. Besides a 337-km Metro network in and around Mumbai, it is also building the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) connecting Sewri and Nhava Sheva. The agency is also looked at as the go-to agency for new mobility and urban planning initiatives. Besides, the MMRDA is also an SPA for BKC, Wadala, Oshiwara, and Backbay reclamation. MMRDA, in its presentation to Thackeray in 2019, had estimated the development potential of BKC alone at ₹580 billion.
Another agency that has risen to prominence is the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC). Formed in 1996, the agency started with a bang under then public works department minister Nitin Gadkari. Its projects included the Mumbai-pune Expressway, much-touted 50 flyovers in Mumbai and the Worli-bandra sea link. Through the years, MSRDC has remained with the Sena, even when it was an ally with the BJP in the state. The agency, which is now constructing the most ambitious Mumbainagpur Samruddhi corridor, is executing works worth ₹1,,860 billion.
The state also formed the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and Mhada to improve housing infrastructure. However, the agencies failed to live up to the expectations.
Dr Sanhita Joshi, assistant professor, department of civics and politics, University of Mumbai, said, “These agencies [MMRDA and MSRDC] were probably created to secure more political control over governance. They stand in the way of decentralisation of powers, functions, and functionaries to the local self-governing bodies as per the 74th constitutional amendment act of 1991.”
Why a single agency?
The Sena has been ruling the BMC for more than 25 years. The rise of other agencies over the years has resulted in downsizing the BMC and reducing the Sena’s clout. If the BMC is now made a single planning authority, it can take control of all development activities just ahead of the 2022 elections.
“The Sena knows the BMC will remain its power centre, but it may or may not return to power in the state after five years. So, it is strengthening the BMC while it has the power,” Desai said.
Political observer Surendra Jondhale said, “Apart from administrative control, if all development activities come under one authority, it means more funds, which is definitely an advantage for the ruling party.”
Administratively, urban experts are also keen on Mumbai being handled by a single authority. Milind Mhaske, project co-ordinator at Praja, which works with city corporators to enhance governance, said, “When there are multiple heads involved and when the work is not done, the agencies start the blame-game.”
However, there are also doubts on the BMC’S potential. A former municipal commissioner said, “It is theoretically right. But the BMC has not displayed the capacity or potential over the years, particularly during the monsoon. If urban local bodies like the BMC have to become more powerful, effective, and efficient, all external control must go. A single planning authority will be one more step closer in the direction to realise a constitutional dream.”