Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 4 Jun: The SETU Aayog today submitted a comprehensive report to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the Secretariat, focusing on the empowerment of urban local bodies (ULBs). SETU Aayog Vice Chairman Raj Shekhar Joshi presented the report, stating that it offers suggestions aimed at making municipal corporations and local bodies self-reliant and stronger, and at improving urban development and addressing urban issues in the state. Key recommendations in the report include enhancing financial autonomy and revenue generation capabilities for local bodies to make them self-sufficient and transferring 18 functions listed in the 12th Schedule of the Indian Constitution (such as water supply, public health, urban planning) to these bodies.
The report also advocates promotion of smart governance, GIS mapping, and data-driven decision-making for technological innovation. It has suggested organising training programmes for employees and elected representatives of local bodies. The report further provides detailed information on reforms undertaken in this direction in states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha. Suggestions have also been made for effectively adapting successful urban local body models from across the country to suit Uttarakhand’s specific needs. The report additionally emphasises prioritising public input in disaster-resilient planning and landslide management planning.
Present on the occasion were Cabinet Minister Dr Dhan Singh Rawat, Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, SETU Aayog CEO Shatrughan Singh, Urban Development Secretary Nitesh Jha, Secretaries Radhika Jha and Chandresh Yadav, along with Dr Bhavana Sindhe, Dr Priya Bhardwaj, Ankit Kumar, and Shehzad Ahmed Malik from SETU Aayog.
