The administrative system of the city of Mumbai, which feeds 1.5 crore people, is extremely complex. Everyone living in the city should understand that.
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The administrative system of the city of Mumbai, which feeds a large population of one and a half crore households, is extremely complex. The administration of this small coastal area is not in the hands of the Municipal Corporation alone. At least a dozen administrative bodies, including the Municipal Corporation, MMRDA, MSRDC, Railways, Port Trust, have the formula for this. Understanding how these all work together is essential for everyone living in the city.
The city of Mumbai is full of people who come here to fill their stomachs. This load of population is similar to the concept of 'melting pot' of this city. So even though the administration here is intertwined, it is different from each other. In this, everyone is working with each other even while maintaining their existence. It may be inaccessible to look at it from the outside, but it will not forget that the city is running today.
To give an example, it can be started from the Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation which looks after the civic system of Mumbai. The mayor is the head of the corporation's representative assembly elected by the people every five years. These mayors are the first citizens of the city. They have a place of honor in government programs. In Mumbai, various social and religious festivals are celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor throughout the year. The mayor has a special significance as the representative of Mumbai in such events. In that sense, the mayor is leading the whole of Mumbai. In Mumbai Municipal Corporation, more than 200 councilors are elected democratically. He is involved in various committees of the corporation. The main purpose behind it is to get the canosa of public opinion through them while making administrative decisions.
In fact, the Municipal Commissioner is the main caretaker of BMC. But he is faceless. Each member of the elected body is trying to make an impression on the affairs of the Municipal Corporation and on various issues related to the city. As a result Municipal Commissioners are thrown out of the publicity contest. Therefore, there is a strange situation in the city of Mumbai where the important decision makers are invisible and not related to the decisions of the corporation. While this may seem inconsistent and ridiculous to many, it does serve the purpose of making Mumbai more inclusive.
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As urban development is a subject under the jurisdiction of the state government, it has come to light that the government will play an important role in this. Therefore, the government reserves the right to make final decisions on many important issues. The State Government voluntarily appoints or transfers the Municipal Commissioner and six to seven other officers. The powers and financial provisions imposed by the State Government are final for the Municipal Corporation. The police, housing and transport departments, which play an important role in the Mumbai system, are also under the jurisdiction of the state. The development plan of the corporation is reviewed and the final decision is taken within the four walls of the ministry. As the elder brother, the state government has complete control over the corporation. It is better to be like that than to help a younger brother. More importantly, it serves the purpose of inclusiveness.
Mumbai ranks first among the important cities in the country. Therefore, naturally, the central government also plays an important role in the development of Mumbai. The cantonment area is owned by the security forces and maintained by the Central Government Security Department. Mumbai Port Trust manages the Mumbai Port and its surroundings. All the places owned by the railways and their facilities are taken care of by the railway administration. Similarly, the Civil Aviation Department manages the airports and premises in Mumbai through the Airports Authority.
The pace of population collapse in Mumbai is such that the infrastructure provided in the current decade will be inadequate in the next decade. The old facilities look dilapidated and dilapidated. They need repair or replacement. The state and central government need more and more institutions to selflessly help the suffocating city due to the growing lack of infrastructure. That is why Mumbai has MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority), MSRDC (Maharashtra Road Development Corporation) and PWD (Public Works Department) for the construction and maintenance of roads, flyovers, pedestrian bridges and sidewalks. There are also Mumbai Port Trust, Railways and Cantonment Boards. It is important to have all these coordination.
That is why if a system fails in its duty, it easily gets lost in the noise of various systems. Cricket, football, hockey, kabaddi, tennis, badminton, hockey are some of the favorite sports of Mumbaikars.
The joke is that in this game of blame, there are not only two competitors and neither is the umpire. All of this makes it difficult to determine responsibility. But where is the place for responsibility and finding fault in a partnership? One of the purposes is to come together and work, to accommodate everyone.
Mumbai's future planning is even more comprehensive. Municipal Corporation plans the area under its jurisdiction. MMRDA oversees the work of the Bandra-Kurla Complex and its surroundings. The area of Seepz and Marol comes under the jurisdiction of MIDC. The Slum Rehabilitation Authority plans the slum area and the Dharavi project. The cantonment area is completely under the control of the army. Mumbai Port Trust has been striving for independent port development for a long time. In 2018, they were officially recognized as such. MHADA and MSARDC are also planning some parts of Mumbai independently.
Recently some of the plots required for the metro project were handed over to MMRDA as the special planning authority. While the crowd of special planning authorities complicates administrative coordination, it only serves the main purpose of inclusiveness.
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There are many other committees in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Maharashtra Coastal Management Authority work on various environmental issues. Mumbai Antiquities Conservation Committee is also working hard to preserve the city's ancient heritage. The Heritage Committee has done the job of putting the owners of these buildings to sleep by putting more than a thousand buildings in Mumbai on the heritage list. No owner may make any alterations to their premises without the permission of this committee. After realizing that there were not enough antiquities in the city of Mumbai, the Heritage Committee recommended to add one thousand more structures to the list. The proposal is now under consideration for final decision before the Antiquities Review Committee.
Apart from this, there is a hierarchical committee, inspection committee for textile mills, technical advisory committee for roads, cold mix committee for potholes to decide the policy regarding skyscrapers in the city. Recently, a commission has been set up for the purpose of promotion of music, arts and culture. It will be too early to draw conclusions about how much scope this commission will get in the development of Mumbai.
Apart from the above mentioned committees, experts from various fields, NGOs, social organizations are also involved in solid waste management, education, environment and social work in Mumbai. Therefore, more and more citizens can express their views while looking for answers to the city's problems.
This shows that the administrative system that manages a maritime city like Mumbai is as vast as the sea. These include central government accounts, state government departments, various social organizations, social groups, planning authorities and NGOs. All these systems together carry the burden of the huge Mumbai administrative system. Some knowledgeable Mumbaikars are worried that this complicated system has been deliberately created to create chaos and shirk responsibility. However, it is forgotten that the purpose behind this is to give good governance to the city with the participation of all parties. While acknowledging that this is an administrative circle, it takes time to work out how to make it more perfect.
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