Phillip and goanetters,
This concept of cities within a city is and has been in Australia,. America and Europe too with some difference, of course; for ages! The system makes/allows for decentralised control, action, budgetting, taxing/rates payable and responsibilities too, for each of the cities within the Greater City!
For instance if we compare say, Bombay and Melbourne; just for administrative systems' purposes only; In Bombay, there is one mayor and a council of councillors for the whole of Greater Bombay, and three Commissioners as chief executives, city, western and eastern suburbs. Sanitation, water, roads and footpaths, and municipal schools, street lighting etc are all under the purview of the Bombay Municipal Corporation. And this centralisation combined with politics , infighting and ignorance on the part of councillors, has led to the mess that Bombay is today.
Above all, it is the "civic sense and civic culture of the residents of a city, is what makes for the greatness of a city, in all aspects. Civic sense and decent life culture is sadly lacking with Indians as a whole; the exceptions are fewer then the norm.
In Melbourne, and in all Aussie Cities; there is a mayor and a council of councillors for each city (within a big city,) Greater Melbourne. Each city within is more or less the size of say Bombays districts; like Bandra, Dadar, Parel, Byculla, Sion, Mahim, Matunga etc. each of these has elected councillors and a mayor at its head with a CEO and various departments required for civic work etc.
The central city area which is the CBD (central business district) or the CAD (central activities district) as we Aussies like to call it! is mostly the Melbourne City district that is referred to as Melbourne, and within this central district there are about five to six 'post codes' areas. All other cities within Greater Melbourne are not referred to, or addressed to, as Melbourne but as per their individual (suburb) city name. The City of Melbourne (proper) has its own council headed by the 'Lord Mayor' and all councils work/ do their bit in conjunction with the minister for Local Govt. in the State Govt.
Everything is streamlined from collection of rates / taxes, to disposal of garbage, managing waste and recycling, maintenance of roads and footpaths, street lighting, parks and gardens. floral road dividers, trees alongside roads, sanitation, flood prevention, planning, construction licensing, etc. Councils also give organised help to the elderly, the disabled and school kids and school amenities; adequate access etc near and in and out of public and private spaces is adhered to at all costs. This is the way of life; a community working together for the common good; and each one doing his/her job towards the goals set. Provision of car parks and parking amenities, public and private is also manged and or owned by the councils.
In all areas, there are council roads and parks, as well as state roads and parks, and where applicable National Roads and Highways and Freeways or Motorways as they are called in the UK.; respectively funded and maintained to a very high standard. Each Council/ city area has a 'Sports and Recreation Centre' complete with Olympic size pools and tennis Courts and Gyms and Indoor Badminton courts etc. Kids playgrounds and parks are everywhere. All primary and secondary schools and Colleges public and private, have their own recreational facilities, including courts.
In Greater Melbourne and or Surrounding Cities, there is however one or two bodies (for competition) respectively for Electric Power Supply, water Supply, Gas supply, domestic and Industrial and Commercial etc. the costs and responsibilities in these cases is common.
Mayors and even State Premiers (Ch. Ministers) do not get official house etc; they use their own as should be. Only the State Governors and the Governor General and the Prime Minister get official Residences during their term in office. No housing is provided nor necessary by employers or by Govt for their employees; all housing is either owned and or leased privately and or publicly. (No Quarters!)
All in all, the system makes for very good sense and accountability and easy deliverability!
I do think the decentralised system should come into vogue, everywhere in India. Instead of Cities like Bombay asking the World Bank for loans to fund 'Footpaths' etc; they should tax the residents of Bombay; the civic taxes are far too low for the rich people and businesses in Bombay.
In Goa too the whole of Goa should be considerd a City State, with each village being its own civic entity drectly under the minister for local self govt. I think, you do not even need so many Mamlatdars and Collectors and others; and certainly not Zilla Parishads etc. This is too much of 'Beaurocracy' on the one hand and too many 'politicians' on the other;. One high powered executive and panchayat for each village and various state wide agencies public and or private for services; is the need of the hour. the smatters can be discussed and streamlined procedures and actions be put in place. Or is the Indian Genious so lacking in innovation that they have to get stuck to what the British introduced two/ three hundred years ago???
Utt Goenkar! Utt Bharati!!
Nasci Caldeira Melbourne Down Under.
From: "Philip Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [Goanet]Cities --(or Villages)-- within a City Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 15:25:41 +0530
http://www.epw.org.in/showArticles.php?root=2005&leaf=04&filename=8512&filet ype=html
EPW Discussion April 9, 2005
A Tale of Two Cities
Each of Mumbai's suburbs constitutes, to borrow from Sharada Dwivedi and
Rahul Mehrotra (Bombay: The Cities Within), an individual city. One solution
to ensure that even-handed development accrues to every city within Mumbai
would be to decentralise administration further. With each ward or a few
adjoining wards having their own governing committees constituted not merely
of the elected councillor, but with representatives from all sections of
civil society - heritage workers, representatives from education
institutions, housing societies, etc. The mayor too needs more autonomy
especially with regard to project sanctions and for granting authorisation
within certain limits, a la the mayor of New York
Some conceptual support (perhaps) for my idea of Goa as a "city" of around 400 villages. Any comments?
