Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Metropolitan governance and local decentralisation in India: case of Chennai and Kolkata metropolitan regions

  • Article
  • Published:
Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

India is one of the very few countries which have metropolitan administration in place to administer its metropolis. ‘Metropolitanisation’ of existing big cities is growing cause of concern for India. Very soon, India needs to dwell upon development of its newly growing metropolitan region along with the existing ones. Yet a comprehensive framework has not emerged to address administrative and governance complexity of metropolitan region and local government. This paper examines India’s metropolitan governance, its functioning under the decentralisation of 74th Constitutional amendment act of 1992; its variation in implementation by different states; and critique on the opportunity of having a metropolitan governance mechanism with decentralised local government. Irrespective of the central legislative foundation, state governments are unable to establish a functioning module with decentralised local government and independent metropolitan government. Finally, the paper shall record the findings and discuss the possible policy recommendations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. The act outlines (Ministry of Law & Justice 1991) (1) establishment of a Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) in every Metropolitan area/region to prepare draft development plan for the Metropolitan area; (2) two-thirds of the members of such committee are elected from amongst, the elected members of the Municipalities and Chairpersons of the Panchayats (local Government of village) in the Metropolitan area in proportion to the ratio between the population of the Municipalities and of the Panchayats in that area; (3) Government function of MPC is to plan and coordinate development in Metropolitan area.

  2. The Governor is the Constitutional head of state in India. The Governor is appointed by the President of India on the suggestion of the union council of ministers.

  3. IAS or the Indian administrative service is the Indian civil service structure that forms the executive branch of the Government of India. IAS officers are positioned in key strategic positions in the Union Government, State Governments, and public-sector undertakings.

  4. Accounts of Government of India are kept under three heads; Consolidated Fund of India, Contingency Fund of India and Public Account. Tax and non-tax revenues received by the Government, internal and external debt rose by the Government are also credited into Consolidated Fund. Government expenditures including release of central assistance to States are debited against Consolidated Fund. Contingency Fund is kept aside as a safety to meet the unforeseen expenditure purpose like natural calamities or to implement some expenditure yet to be approved by the Parliament. General public money such as savings certificate, provident fund, security deposit or earnest deposit received by the Government is credited in Public Account. Transaction of Public Account is out of the power of the Parliament.

References

  • Arnstein SR (1969) A ladder of citizen participation. J Ame Inst Plann 35(4):216–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biswas A, Kidokoro T (2011) The role of urban governance for sustainable development in India APSA Congress 2011. APSA, Tokyo

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswas A, Maurya KK (2018) Governance and institutional framework for smart cities in India. In: Mugambwa J, Katusiimeh MW (eds) Handbook of research on urban governance and management in the developing world. IGI Global, Hershey, pp 50–83

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Biswas A, Kidokoro T, Onishi T (2012) An insight of the metropolitan planning and governance in India under the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act 1992. In: 10th Conference of Asian City Planning. ACP, Tokyo, pp 1–9

  • CMDA (2008) second master plan for Chennai metropolitan area 2026. CMDA, Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai

  • Coleman J (2018) India’s urbanisation challenge. Oxford Policy Management. https://www.opml.co.uk/blog/india-urbanisation-challenge. Accessed 11 Jan 2019

  • Dhanalakshmi R, Baud I (2007) Governance in urban environmental management: comparing accountability and performance in multi-stakeholder arrangements in south India. Cities 24(2):133–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dias C, Sudarshan R (2007) Towards inclusive governance: promoting the participation of disadvantaged groups in Asia-Pacific. United Nations Development Programme, Bangkok

    Google Scholar 

  • Dupont V (2007) Conflicting stakes and governance in the peripheries of large indian metropolises—an introduction. Cities 24(2):89–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freire M, Stern R (eds) (2001) The challenge of urban government: policies and practices. The World Bank, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Gnaneshwar V (1995) Urban policies in India—paradoxes and predicaments. Habitat Int 19(3):293–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gwyn WB (1965) The meaning of the separation of powers: an analysis of the doctrine from its origin to the adoption of the United States Constitution, vol IX. Tulane Studies in Political Science, New Orleans

    Google Scholar 

  • Healey P (1997) Collaborative planning: shaping places in fragmented socities. University of British Columbia Press, Vancouver

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Howlett M, Lindquist E (2004) Policy analysis and governance: analytical and policy styles in canada. J Comp Policy Anal Res Pract 6(3):225–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jans MT (2007) A framework for public policy analysis and policy evaluation. IES research Colloquium, Vrije Universiteit Brussel

  • KMDA (2006) City development plan. KMDA, Kolkata

    Google Scholar 

  • Koliba C, Meek JW, Zia A (2011) Governance networks in public administration and public policy. Taylor and Francis Group, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar A (2006) Trends of planning and governance in metropolitan India. ITPI J 3(2):10–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Kundu A (2011) Trends and processes of urbanisation in India. Human Settlements Group, IIED, UNFPA, London. ISBN 978-1-84369-820-3

    Google Scholar 

  • Leautier F (ed) (2006) Cities in a globalizing world: governance, performance & sustainability. The World Bank, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Leman CK (2002) Direct Government. In: Salamon LM (ed) The tools of government: a guide to the new government. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 48–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Lukes S (2005) Power: a radical view, 2nd edn. Palgrave Macmillan, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Law & Justice (1991) The Constitution (Seventy-Fourth Amendment Act) 1992. Government of India, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Nallathiga R (2008) Metropolitan urban governance approaches and models: some implication for Indian cities. In: 3rd international conference on public policy and management on urban governance and public private partnership. IIM Bangalore, Bangalore

  • Ostrom E (1990) Governing the commons: the evolution of institutions for collective actions. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ostrom E (2010) The future of the commons: beyond markets and states—polycentric governance of complex economic system. Am Econ Rev 100:1–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rajasekarapandian S (2007) Municipal governance and urban planning interface in Tamil Nadu. Anna University, Chennai

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramachandran R (1989) Urbanization and urban systems in India. Oxford University Press, Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Rocondo D (2008) Local participatory democracy in Latin America: lessons from Mexico and Columbia. In: Dani AA, Haan AD (eds) Inclusive states: social policies and structural inequalities. The World Bank, Washington DC, pp 175–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Routray JK (1993) Urban and regional planning practice in India. Habitat Int 17(3):55–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salamon LM (2002) The new governance and the tools of public action: an introduction. In: Salamon LM, Elliott OV (eds) The tools of government: a guide to new governance. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 1–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Sellers J, Hoffmann-Martinot V (2009) Metropolitan governance. United cities and local governments. World Bank and United Cities and Local Goverments, Barcelona

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw A, Satish MK (2007) Metropolitan restructuring in post-liberalized India: separating the global and the local. Cities 24(2):148–163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sivaramakrishnan KC, Maiti A (2009) Metropolitan governance in India: an overview of selected cities. Centre for Policy Research, Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • State Planning Commission (2018) Tamil Nadu State Human Development Report-2017. Government of Tamil Nadu, Chennai

    Google Scholar 

  • The Mckinsey Global Institute (2010) India’s urban awakening: building inclusive cities. Sustaining Economic Growth, The McKinsey Global Institute

    Google Scholar 

  • Zerah M-H, Dupont V, Lama-Rewal ST (eds) (2011) Urban policies and the right to city in India. UNESCO New Delhi Office, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Architecture and Planning, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, 247667, India

    Arindam Biswas

  2. International Development and Regional Planning Unit, Department of Urban Engineering, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8656, Japan

    Tetsuo Kidokoro & Fumihiko Seta

Authors
  1. Arindam Biswas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tetsuo Kidokoro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fumihiko Seta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arindam Biswas.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Biswas, A., Kidokoro, T. & Seta, F. Metropolitan governance and local decentralisation in India: case of Chennai and Kolkata metropolitan regions. Asia-Pac J Reg Sci 3, 675–696 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41685-019-00115-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41685-019-00115-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation