Local Governance

Indian democracy experienced key changes with the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms of 1919, which established local government institutions, and further evolved with the 74th Amendment in 1993, which gave municipalities constitutional status. This amendment placed certain functions under the 12th schedule but left the implementation to respective state governments. Following the amendment, each state in India has taken different approaches in empowering city councils. In some states, city councils are empowered to make decisions on a variety of city level services and strategies whereas some states have allocated healthy budgets for city councils and still others keep a large amount of control over the city governments. Strengthening local governance is crucial to close the current gaps:

1. Outdated or Ineffective Procedures: Many local governments, including GCMC, operate with outdated Corporation Procedure Rules that do not meet current needs or standards, leading to inefficiencies and lack of transparency.

2. Lack of Training for Representatives: Elected representatives often lack the training and resources needed to effectively serve their constituents. Capacity building is crucial to ensure that officials are better equipped to address local issues and respond to community needs.

3. Inadequate E-Governance Systems: Many municipalities do not have robust e-governance systems, which limits their ability to streamline services, manage grievances, and engage with citizens effectively.

4. Fragmented Implementation of Powers: The devolution of powers from state governments to municipal corporations has been uneven, leading to discrepancies in governance and service delivery across different regions.

In Tamil Nadu, the state government has delegated powers to the Chennai council for 10 of the 18 functions listed under the 12th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. These functions are managed by various departments, each with different decision-makers, such as the City Revenue Officer for economic matters, the City Education Officer for educational needs, and the City Health Officer for health services. However, the effective functioning of the city council will depend on easy participation of the residents, clear instructions for the elected representatives to follow, and a standardized operating procedure for the city council. 

ECTE is addressing these needs by appointing a full-time Local Government Liaison to assess the current state of the Chennai council and develop a 10-year roadmap. This roadmap will incorporate best practices from both national and international regions.

Key Actions Include:

1. Corporation Procedure Rules (CPR):

   1. Research: Investigate the current CPR/by-laws and their implementation in Chennai.

   2. Reporting: Prepare a report on the status and recommendations for improving CPR implementation.

2. E-Governance:

   1. Study and Analysis: Examine the current status of the Open Data Portal and Grievance Redressal Mechanism.

   2. Reporting: Produce a report with recommendations for new e-governance initiatives.

3. Capacity Building of Elected Representatives: 

   1. Understanding Current Practices: Review existing capacity-building practices in Chennai and collaborate with the GCC to design training sessions.

   2. Need Assessment: Assess the needs for capacity building of elected representatives.

   3. Designing Modules: Develop training modules with expert input.

   4. Conducting Sessions: Organize and conduct capacity-building sessions.

   5. Advocacy for Training: Propose amendments to the municipal corporation act for regular, mandatory training sessions and explore ongoing training programs every three or six months.