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Issued jointly with the Press Information Bureau of the Government of IndiaURBAN GOVERNANCE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED IN NEW DELHI New slum policy to be brought out soon Nairobi/New Delhi, 4 September 2001: Minister for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation Shri. Ananth Kumar disclosed today that a comprehensive policy on slums' improvement would be brought out soon. Inaugurating the India Launch of the Good Urban Governance Campaign, here today, Shri. Kumar said that the new slum policy would be formulated after consulting all stake-holders including state governments, NGOs', central organizations, associations and representatives of local authorities. Emphasizing the need for enabling local government and other stake holders to practice good urban governance, Shri. Kumar stressed that cities should be made productive, healthy and safe places where residents can enjoy better opportunities and a better life. "Urban Poverty can only be eradicated through improved urban governance. We must enable every citizen to participate productively and positively in the opportunities cities have to offer. We must give priority to the needs of the excluded urban poor and respond to their demands for a better life", the Minister said, while adding that by the year 2025, 40% of India's populations would live in urban centres. Stating that out of 285,000,000 people living in urban areas, 70,000,000 are living below the poverty line, Shri. Ananth Kumar said, "the high rate of population growth in our cities has resulted in increased demand for basic services and infrastructure, including reliable and quality water supply, sewerage systems, sanitation and roads. The city administration has to recognize the importance of providing reliable and high quality infrastructure and services for sustainable growth," he added. Pointing out the enormous challenge in providing basic infrastructure services, Shri. Kumar stated that about US $ 5 billion is required for providing clean drinking water and sanitation to all its citizens, whereas central and state governments can mobilize just over US $ 1.5 billion per annum for these two basic services. This left a gap of over US $ 3 billion per year. Shri. Kumar further announced that the central government would hold meetings with all state governments to help organise state level launches of the good urban governance campaign. The meetings would try to resolve the outstanding issues about urban governance and poverty alleviation between the centre and the states in order to enable everyone to practice good urban governance. Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UNCHS (Habitat), pointed out in her address that the campaign being launched in India today had the overall objective of supporting Government and civil society. In the process, it would enrich and deepen local democracy and good governance, besides promoting the implementation of the Habitat Agenda with its twin goals of Adequate Shelter for All and Sustainable Human Settlements Development in an urbanizing world. She said the Government of India was one of the UN's and Habitat's "most valued partners". India's prominence in the region and status as the world's largest democracy with a "vibrant and vocal press" supported by civil society organizations prompted Habitat to make the country the "launching pad" for the Campaign for Urban Governance in Asia. The Habitat Executive Director said that India's decentralization programme "which is one of the most advanced in the world" provided considerable potential for the adoption and application of good governance principles in order to promise a better life for all. "Our experience from around the world is that decentralized decision making and participatory processes are the best means for ensuring the effective use of scarce resources for the benefit of all, but particularly the poor. In other words, inclusive democratic processes produce inclusive cities," Mrs. Tibaijuka added. In his address, Chief Minister of Madhya
Pradesh Shri. Digvijay Singh, emphasised the need for
training in good governance to help local elected representatives;
he added that the administration should be brought to
the door of the people for effective delivery of services.
The Governor of Karnataka Smt. V. S. Ramadevi, highlighted
the need for ensuring greater coordination and accountability
between civic organisations. She pointed out that Karnataka
had recently introduced self-assessment of property tax
to ensure transparency and peoples' participation, two
things crucial for good urban governance. Minister of
State for Urban Development and Poverty Alleviation, Shri.
Bandaru Dattatreya, advocated involvement of women in
decision making at all levels in urban governance, while
adding that women are one of the biggest levers for positive
change in society. The three-day launch of Good Urban Governance Campaign in India, the first sub-regional launch of the global campaign, is part of the Global Campaign for Urban Governance spearheaded by UNCHS (Habitat) of the United Nations. The inauguration was attended by Mayors, representatives of local authorities and non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations who went onto participate in a three day 'Sharing Workshop'. For further information visit the website http://pib.nic.in/urban_governance/ or please contact: Shipra Narang, Network Coordinator
Mr. Sharad Shankardass, Spokesperson |
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