In this exclusive interaction with virat bahri of B&E, Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia discusses her views on the potential & challenges of the Indian economy
B&E: What are our most critical challenges with respect to urbanization?
IJA: We are much less urbanized as compared to many countries across the world. We are going to see a very rapid pace of urbanization in the coming decades. Are we preparing our cities? What should we be doing in order to plan for better functioning cities, larger cities, more cities? It is not just about building mega cities, but also about connecting villages to small cities and middle cities to big cities. We should ask ourselves, “What is the government’s principal responsibility? And which level of government is going to fulfill that?” If it is the municipal corporation’s responsibility to give us clean drinking water, do we have a secure revenue base for the municipality to deliver that? Does the municipal corporation have the systems which allow it to deliver that? Does the municipal corporation have accountability? For example, one of the major revenue sources for urban local bodies is property tax. Who levies the property tax? The state government. At one stroke before an election, the Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana governments abolished property tax. Out goes the major revenue base of the municipalities there. How can we see to it that we protect their revenue base and make our federal polity work? These are the real challenges. You need institutions in place. The 13th Finance Commission has just given its report on how fiscal transfers should be made to urban local bodies.
B&E: Urbanisation in India reveals a critical planning problem. For instance, cities saw a boom in personal transportation much before the roads were ready. What is the right way ahead?
IJA: Public-private partnership is an instrumentality. It can deliver results if it is structured in a manner where both partners clearly define their commitments and rewards, where risks to the project are accounted for and assigned clearly, and the contract is transparent and awarded through competitive bidding. The 24x7 water project in three cities of Karnataka has been a successful case of PPP. The Gorai project in Mumbai which has recently scientifically closed a landfill and earned carbon credits worth Rs.70 crore is another case of a successful PPP. My colleague, Ranesh Nair and I have written about these projects in our monthly column in the Indian Express. But no project or no model can be taken lock stock and barrel. It needs to be adapted to the specific case. As far as public transport is concerned, I agree with you. In New York, people have cars but they take them out only on weekends. On week days, they travel by metros, which are simply much more efficient. For that, the metro has to be of a certain quality and so well connected that people can efficiently move within the city. We have to do this; I agree with you.
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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B&E: What are our most critical challenges with respect to urbanization?
IJA: We are much less urbanized as compared to many countries across the world. We are going to see a very rapid pace of urbanization in the coming decades. Are we preparing our cities? What should we be doing in order to plan for better functioning cities, larger cities, more cities? It is not just about building mega cities, but also about connecting villages to small cities and middle cities to big cities. We should ask ourselves, “What is the government’s principal responsibility? And which level of government is going to fulfill that?” If it is the municipal corporation’s responsibility to give us clean drinking water, do we have a secure revenue base for the municipality to deliver that? Does the municipal corporation have the systems which allow it to deliver that? Does the municipal corporation have accountability? For example, one of the major revenue sources for urban local bodies is property tax. Who levies the property tax? The state government. At one stroke before an election, the Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana governments abolished property tax. Out goes the major revenue base of the municipalities there. How can we see to it that we protect their revenue base and make our federal polity work? These are the real challenges. You need institutions in place. The 13th Finance Commission has just given its report on how fiscal transfers should be made to urban local bodies.
B&E: Urbanisation in India reveals a critical planning problem. For instance, cities saw a boom in personal transportation much before the roads were ready. What is the right way ahead?
IJA: Public-private partnership is an instrumentality. It can deliver results if it is structured in a manner where both partners clearly define their commitments and rewards, where risks to the project are accounted for and assigned clearly, and the contract is transparent and awarded through competitive bidding. The 24x7 water project in three cities of Karnataka has been a successful case of PPP. The Gorai project in Mumbai which has recently scientifically closed a landfill and earned carbon credits worth Rs.70 crore is another case of a successful PPP. My colleague, Ranesh Nair and I have written about these projects in our monthly column in the Indian Express. But no project or no model can be taken lock stock and barrel. It needs to be adapted to the specific case. As far as public transport is concerned, I agree with you. In New York, people have cars but they take them out only on weekends. On week days, they travel by metros, which are simply much more efficient. For that, the metro has to be of a certain quality and so well connected that people can efficiently move within the city. We have to do this; I agree with you.
For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here
Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN
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