Rajiv Gauba Calls for ‘Mayor-in-Council’ System to Strengthen Urban Governance

Rajiv Gauba, former Cabinet Secretary to the Union Government and a member of NITI Aayog, has urged states to introduce the ‘Mayor-in-Council’ system to improve the administration of cities. Drawing a parallel with the cabinet system in parliamentary democracy, he said a similar approach could strengthen urban governance. Gauba noted that India’s population is projected to grow to around 1.65 billion and stabilise by 2060. By 2050, nearly 50 per cent of the population is expected to live in urban areas, with the urban population increasing from approximately 500 million to 850 million. He stressed that meeting the growing demand for housing, infrastructure and essential services would require fundamental reforms in urban planning, city management and resource mobilisation.

Gauba said cities must be empowered with greater decision-making authority, improved service delivery and stronger public participation in development. He recommended directly electing mayors for five-year terms and transferring the 18 functions listed under the 74th Constitutional Amendment to urban local bodies. Responsibilities such as master planning, water supply, fire services and traffic management should be entrusted to city governments, he said. Since state capitals cannot effectively manage every city’s local needs, urban administrations must have the authority and institutional capacity to respond to local challenges. He also called for reforms in building regulations, the removal of restrictive Floor Area Ratio (FAR) norms and the promotion of land pooling to improve land availability.