National Consultation Workshop on Urban Development held in New Delhi

The National Consultation Workshop on Urban Development was held on 28 February 2017 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

The workshop was organised by the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

Highlights of the workshop

• The workshop discussed strategies to promote social and urban infrastructure in urban areas of the country.

• The workshop was held with the theme – Transforming Cities Transforming Lives.

• During the workshop, participating States and Union Territories (UTs) endorsed the following five transformational urban reforms.

1. Moving to a trust and verify approach: Instead of the present practice of verifying first and approving later, the States agreed to invert the model by reposing trust in citizens.
This ‘Trust and Verify’ approach has been recommended in respect of permissions for building construction, change of title in municipal records (mutation) and birth and death registration.

2. Formulating land titling laws: This measure was approved as over 90 per cent of the land records in the country are unclear. Land market distortions and unclear land titles are costing the country 1.30 per cent of GDP per year.

3. Credit rating of urban local bodies

4. Value capture financing: Noting that the total revenues of the municipal sector accounts for only 0.75 per cent of the country’s GDP as against 6 per cent in South Africa, 5 per cent in Brazil and 4.50 per cent in Poland, the participating States agreed to leverage value capture finance tools for meeting the capital expenditure needs of cities.

5. Improving professionalism of ULBs: The States agreed for the induction of professionals in city governments by encouraging lateral induction and filling top positions in cities through open competition.

Besides, the participating States also supported six new policies and schemes proposed by the Union Government. The new policies and schemes are-

i. Transit Oriented Development Policy

ii. Green Urban Mobility Scheme

iii. Metro Policy

iv. Value Capture Financing Policy Framework

v. City Liveability Index

vi. Fecal Sludge and Septage Management Policy.

The reforms are aimed at promoting resource mobilization required for meeting the urban infrastructure demand.