Revisiting Functional Autonomy of Urban Local Governance in Kerala (original) (raw)

Urban Governance and Local Democracy in Tamil Nadu and Kerala--Final Study Report

Final Study Report, 2022

Abstract Urbanisation is a historical process which entails fundamental structural transformation. Urbanisation is also one of the key indicators of modernisation. The transformation of rural societies into urban societies, from agrarian to industrial societies has been the transformation that is aimed at by both capitalist and socialist countries. This entails structural transformation of sectors of economy, movements of population and change in the built environment. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are two contiguous states of South India with rapid urbanisation, according to 2011 census the percentage of urbanisation in Tamil Nadu is 48.45 and in Kerala about 48. These two are rapidly growing states of India. The percentage of urbanisation in both the states is above the national average of 31.2. This is sufficient raison d’être for studying the nature of urban governance and urban local democracy in these two states. The main research questions of the study are: 1. What is the nature of urbanisation processes in Tamil Nadu and Kerala? Is this spatially concentrated, with ‘primate’ cities emerging; or is this a dispersed pattern of urbanisation? Is this process related to broader industrialisation and development process? 2. What is the nature of the implementation of 74th CAA (Constitutional Amendment Act) in these states? Is the 74th CAA at all implemented? If so are the funds, functionaries and functions devolved to ULBs (Urban Local Bodies) in these states? What is the status of urban decentralisation? 3. What is the status of urban planning practices in these states? Is this in consonance with the 74th CAA. Are District Planning Committees (DPC) existing in Tamil Nadu and Kerala? If so do they undertake urban planning too, which is mandated by the Constitution? 4. Are there specific urban governance issues emerging out of urbanisation pattern in these two states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala? Such as particularly related to urban sanitation and drinking water? Methodology This is a comparative study. We compare Tamil Nadu and Kerala with respect to their urbanisation process and urban governance. The study is based on both primary and secondary research. Primary research is based in interviews with key stakeholders in governance. Secondary research involved review of literature. One district from Tamil Nadu, namely Salem, and one district from Kerala namely Kozhikode was chosen for study. Main findings of the study: While in Tamil Nadu the urbanisation process appears balanced in terms of the size-class of the cities as of now, in Kerala it is obviously thin urban spread. The causative factors for such development are the state-level public policies. The state-level governments played a significant role in leading to distributed industrialisation-urbanisation in Tamil Nadu; whereas in Kerala it was in terms of reclassification of urban localities, by which the newly emerging urban localities were recognised as such. Considering the patterns of urbanisation alone in Tamil Nadu the urbanisation-industrialisation is taking place along the district tier cities, which are growing into manufacturing hubs. Whereas in Kerala urbanisation is in terms of the growth of smaller urban localities of class-III, IV and V size, without industrialization being accompanied simultaneously. In Kerala the economy, including urban economy is dominated by service sector growth. This is the major contrast in the urbanization process in both the states. While in Tamil Nadu the urbanisation process appears balanced in terms of the size-class of the cities as of now, in Kerala it is obviously thin urban spread. The causative factors for such development are the state-level public policies. The state-level governments played a significant role in leading to distributed industrialisation-urbanisation in Tamil Nadu; whereas in Kerala it was in terms of reclassification of urban localities, by which the newly emerging urban localities were recognised as such. We have taken two sample cities from the two respective states for study of urban governance, Salem from Tamil Nadu (with urbanization of 51 percent) and Kozhikode (with urbanization of 67.5 percent) from Kerala. Both these cities are comparable in the sense that Salem has a population of 9 lakhs whereas Kozhikode had a population of 7 lakhs at the time of the study and both are municipal corporations. Clearly the case studies show that Salem is more industrialized than Kozhikode. While manufacturing industry, both small and big, plays major role in Salem, Kozhikode is dependent on service sector industries such as tourism, hotels, food servicing etc. Salem city’s urban-industrial activity shows the similar pattern that we described for Tamil Nadu as a state.

Defending Decentralisation in Kerala Probing the Autonomy of Kerala's Urban Local Bodies

Kerala is one of the few states in the country considered to have taken serious efforts in transferring powers to Local Self Government (LSG) institutions for strengthening the decentralisation process. The high rate of urbanisation in the state calls for powerful LSG institutions in urban areas. More than 47 per cent of the state’s population live in urban areas. In such a scenario, institutions such as municipalities and corporations have an important role to play, as most of the urban issues can be best handled at the local level. Even though the Kerala Municipality Act, 1994 entrusts the municipalities and corporations in the state with a list of functions, the institutions are not able to execute them efficiently. The Act, while laying down the provisions, gives the State Government overriding powers over LSG institutions. The operations of para-statal agencies in the domains of work parallel to LSG institutions lead to overlapping of powers, weakening the decentralisation process in the state. The financial position of the municipalities and corporations in the state is very weak; they are highly reliant on grants from the Central and State Governments. The own revenue has only a meagre share in the total receipts of these institutions. While there is a large scope to increase the own revenue, the provisions in the Kerala Municipality Act giving excessive power to the State Government hinder its growth. The municipalities and corporations in Kerala are functioning in a restrictive setting. The result is that they are unable to exercise the powers that are transferred to them. The paper aims at analysing the above issues and suggests measures to strengthen the process of decentralisation in Kerala. This study was conducted by Deepthi Mary Mathew (Research Associate, CPPR) and D Dhanuraj (Chairman, CPPR)

Urban Governance and Local Democracy in South India

Urban Governance and Local Democracy in South India, 2020

'Spatially speaking, India's social science research has been predominantly focused on the countryside. Urban India, as an object of inquiry, has remained on the fringes. This was understandable for India was overwhelmingly rural for the first six decades of its independence. By 2011, however, India was 32 per cent urban and by 2031, not less than 40 per cent of the nation's population will be in the cities. Therefore, it is highly important to start studying urban governance carefully. Those studies that have already emerged have focused on one city or two. This book is the first to compare urban governance across states, covering all of South India, a region which has experienced among the highest rates of urbanization, especially in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Scholars and practitioners of urban governance will greatly benefit from the insights and learning presented in this book.'

Urban Local Government In India

Democratization and decentralization are the interdependent processes. Dissemination of power from one centre helps in empowering the people and can also held the government accountable for exercising political power. In India, as the democratic institutions started maturing, the tendency towards centralization of power is being increasingly questioned and the efforts of decentralization and participation of the citizen in the management of their local area, is being encouraged. Paucity of funds, lack of planning, excessive state control, etc. are some of the intriguing problems which resulted in inefficient and substandard governance. The newly recognized local self-government (henceforth, the term 'local government' would be used) is still in the transitional phase which is expected to acquire a new shape in the face of technological facilitation and the democratic change.

Urbanisation and Governance in Tamil Nadu and Kerala: Aspects of Service Delivery

Institute for Social and Economic Change Working Paper-568, 2023

Abstract This exploratory paper examines the issue of urbanisation and urban governance with reference to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The paper is a comparative study of these two states with case studies drawn from one district of each state. Urbanisation is a historical process which entails a fundamental structural transformation. Tamil Nadu and Kerala are two contiguous states with South India undergoing rapid urbanisation. According to the 2011 census, the percentage of urbanisation in the case of Tamil Nadu amounts to 48.45 and in respect of Kerala about 48, much above the national average of 31.2. This is sufficient raison d’être for examining the nature and pattern of urbanisation and urban governance in these two states. This paper addresses the following questions:a) What is the nature of urbanisation process taking place in Tamil Nadu and Kerala?; b) What is the status of urban decentralisation?; c )Are there specific urban governance issues emerging out of the urbanisation pattern in these two states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, related to urban sanitation and drinking water? Key words: Urbanisation, urban governance, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, 74th Amendment, District governance

Urban Governance in the Context of Urban 'Primacy': A Comparison of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh

ISEC WORKING PAPER 466, 2019

Abstract This article posits that studies dealing with the contemporary urbanization phenomenon in respect of the developing countries need to pay as much attention to ‘governance’ as to their ‘political economy’. The paper contrasts the overemphasis on the political economy of cities with a comparison of the urbanization process and governance with respect to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh as a case in point. The paper finds that the two states continue to remain characterized by ‘urban primacy’ and the absence of a required focus onbconstitutional governance despite the presence of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. The paper emphasises that there is need for concerted efforts on the part of the state towards a genuine urban decentralization in the context of a growing urban centralization and ‘primacy’ in order to ensure that governance at the district and taluk-level cities is not neglected completely. Key words: Urban Governance; urbanization; urban primacy; Constitutional governance; Karnataka; Andhra Pradesh