Our cities need real mayors with real job

In 'If Mayors Ruled the World: Dysfunctional Nations, Rising Cities', political theorist Benjamin R Barber argues that nation-states, bogged down by ideological disputes and sovereign rivalries, are failing to address global challenges such as climate change, terrorism and poverty. In contrast, cities and their mayors are performing better, leveraging their knowledge of local issues, public participation, and a democratic inclination for creativity, innovation and collaboration. Former NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg, for instance, made significant strides in public health, while Buenos Aires mayor H R Larreta has created green jobs.

In India, however, de facto mayors are a rarity, despite the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) of 1992, which aimed to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of urban local bodies (ULBs). CAA sought to transfer specific responsibilities from state governments to ULBs, encouraging public participation and improving local administrative capacities. Yet, while states pay lip service to devolution, mayors in India are largely powerless. There is no uniformity in tenure or elections, and their roles have been reduced to ceremonial positions with minimal control over funds and responsibilities. ULBs, including prominent ones like MCD, operate below par. Delayed elections, such as the MCD polls that finally took place on Thursday after a delay of seven months, underscore fragility of these structures.

With states reluctant to transfer real power and resources to ULBs, local governments lack planning capabilities, transparency and accountability, and are under-resourced. In practice, cities are often managed by district magistrates and municipal commissioners - officials whose focus may not align with long-term needs of urban planning. India's mayors need to be empowered. Then they can tackle pressing local - real - issues, ranging from public health to climate resilience. To be truly viksit, transform the mayor's job from ceremonial to substantive. The buck starts here.