• UGI USER
  • Jul 27, 2023
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Q. Identifying the different capacity gaps that exist in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), highlight the need for capacity building of these bodies. What steps have been taken by the government of India in this regard?

Approach:

  • Give a brief introduction about ULBs in India.
  • Highlighting the need to build the capacity of ULBs, enumerate the existing capacity gaps in
  • Mention the steps taken by the government of India in this regard.
  • Conclude on the basis of above points.

Answer:

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are mandated by the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (1992) to  ensure the governance of an urban area by people through their representatives.

With UN projections suggesting that India’s urban population will increase from 461 million in  2018 to 877 million in 2050, it is critical that this rapid urbanization be managed effectively for it  to be sustainable as well as inclusive. It assumes importance in the context of rapid improvements in information and communication technology. All of this can be realized only with capacity  building of all the stakeholders involved, especially the ULBs, so as to enable them to respond to  the myriad challenges. The need for capacity building of ULBs is also highlighted by various  studies and reports, which point to the existence of specific capacity gaps, which can be grouped  under three heads, as follows:

  • Limited availability of personnel with adequate skill sets: This impedes the capacity of ULBs to execute projects in a sustainable manner due to over-utilization of existing competent  staff and inability for staff to spare time to undertake further training/capacity building.
  • Inadequate skills and capacity of the present personnel at all levels: The functionaries, especially in smaller ULBs, lack exposure to cross learning and to best practices in innovative technologies in areas such as urban planning, citizen participation, municipal service delivery
  • Absence of suitable institutional framework for capacity building: Training is more project centric and limited to the staff working on the project and requirements of the project. A major reason behind these ad-hoc capacity building efforts is the lack of local training institutes to  cater the needs of the ULB personnel within the state.

Given these capacity gaps and the dire need for capacity building of ULBs, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has incorporated, under the AMRUT program, a  Comprehensive Capacity Building Program (CCBP) to support ULBs.

Capacity development of ULBs for strengthened urban management, with focus on the  following:

  • Strengthening financial and economic viability of ULBs.
  • Capacity building support for preparation of Integrated City Plans for the city and the Peri-urban area.
  • Preparation of plans for projects for asset management and value creation and putting in place fiscal tools for revenue enhancement.
  • Training program for staff and elected representatives.
  • Support for purchase of office equipment for ULBs.
  • Creation of supporting structures and mechanisms at State and Central level to facilitate capacity building of ULBs, with following components:
  • Establishment of National Urban Resource Network (NURN) to facilitate international, national, state and local level networking, cooperation and exchange of tools, approaches,  methodologies, and knowledge that can be applied to urban capacity development at city
  • Establishment of State Reforms and Performance Management Cell (RPMC) in States/UTs.
  • Strengthening of Administrative Training Institutes (ATIs) to support the training needs of States and ULBs Preparation of State capacity building strategy and plan.
  • Research Studies, case studies, training modules, documentation of best practices and evaluation studies.

A concentrated effort is needed from the government to put together a modern municipal  capacity building management system that will envision what cities need for the next few  decades and will pave the way for enhancing service delivery and effective local governance.