“We can’t run cities from state capitals”: Shri Rajiv Gauba, Member, NITI Aayog at 2nd National Urban Conclave, calls for empowered city governments to Unlock India’s Growth Potential
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India projects its urban population to reach 85 crore by 2050, requiring significant changes in infrastructure, housing, and basic services. Empowering city governments is presented as essential to unlock economic growth and improve service delivery.
During the concluding session of the second national urban conference, a senior representative from the planning organization addressed the audience regarding local administration. He emphasized that municipal authorities cannot effectively manage metropolitan areas when directives are issued solely from regional state capitals. He strongly advocated for granting substantial administrative powers to local municipal governments in order to fully unlock the economic growth potential of urban centers across the entire nation.
NITI Aayog is the apex public policy think tank of the Government of India, providing both directional and policy inputs. National urban conclaves bring together policymakers and experts to address challenges in urban governance, planning, and financing.
- •Implementation and utilization of the Urban Challenge Fund announced in the budget.
- •Progress of the allocations for city economic regions over the five-year period.
- •Further policy developments regarding the empowerment of city governments.