PATNA: Patna has a long way to go in managing its civic governance, be it transparency in citizen delivery systems or sanitation plan, among other fronts. The fact was re-established in the fifth Annual Survey of India’s City-Systems (ASICS) in which Patna, which scored 3.3, slipped from 11th rank in 2016 to 20th rank in 2017 among 23 cities in the country.
The survey was conducted by Bengaluru-based advocacy group Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy and its sister concern Jana Urban Space Foundation. Pune has topped the chart, followed by Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram, Bhubaneshwar and Surat. These top five cities scored between 5.1 and 4.5.
Patna, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Dehradun and Chennai constituted the
bottom five cities with scores in the range of 3 to 3.3. The overall ranking was determined on four basic parameters – urban planning and design (UPD), urban capacities and resources (UCR), transparency, accountability and participation (TAP) and empowered and legitimate political representation (ELPR). Out of 10, Patna scored 2.6 in first parameter, 3.3 in UCR, 2.4 in TAP and 4.8 in ELPR.
The cities assessed were found to be generating only 39% of the funds they spend on an average, with Patna raising just 17% on its own. Only Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad and Pune generate over 50% of the amount they spend from their own revenue. The study found that own revenues of several cities did not even cover staff salaries. “Lack of adequate revenue sources severely constrains the ability of cities to invest in infrastructure and service delivery,” the report said.
Patna deputy mayor Vinay Kumar Pappu attributed the poor ranking to the failure of the state government to appoint adequate officers, staff and engineers in Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC). “We have raised the issue of lack of manpower with the CM, ministers and officials concerned several times, but to no avail. Staff crunch is the only reason why we are slipping time and again in ASICS ranking,” Pappu added.
The civic body in Patna handles only six functions as opposed to the 18 listed in the 74th Constitution Amendment Act (CAA).
The ASICS report also stated that Patna did not perform well in several schemes envisaged under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), including double-entry accounting system, providing internship opportunities, credit rating and publishing e-newsletters and demand collection book.
While referring to Patna, the report stated, “City sanitation plan and comprehensive mobility plan are not available online. Action taken report on state Finance Commission recommendations are also not made available online.”
However, the report showed improvement in Patna in the total per capita capex (capital expenditure) with an average of Rs 345.80 in the last three years. However, it is much lower compared to Thiruvananthapuram (Rs 4,094.24) and Pune (Rs 4,357.23).
ASICS evaluates India’s city-systems – the complex, mostly-invisible factors (such as laws, policies, institutions, processes and accountability mechanisms) – that underpin urban governance and strongly influence the quality of life in Indian cities.
