Urban Governance and Challenges in Chennai: A Case Study on the Establishment & Evolution of the Madras Corporation

The Facts of the Case

The formation of the Corporation in Madras (now Chennai) marks a significant point in the city’s urban governance history. It was only with the amendment of the Indian Municipalities Act of 1884, that the Madras Corporation became further institutionalized. As the processes of urbanization began to increase and so did the need for more organized administration, the Madras Corporation took a strong stance in providing an enormous amount of service and infrastructure in terms of urban services, public health, and various types of municipal facilities. Its structure changed and was developed more after independence according to the city’s changing needs, especially those of the urban population.

Statement of the Problem

The problem in itself is the issue of the governance structure implemented by the Madras Corporation. Although the Corporation was instituted to ensure more efficient provision of service in cities, the inefficiency in this framework concerning infrastructure deficiency, governance inefficiency, and financial constraint still lingered. Second is the question on the amalgamation of the local bodies into the Greater Chennai Corporation, where questions arise with respect to resource allocation and its impact on public service delivery.

Scope & Objectives of the Study

This paper is an attempt at evaluating the establishment of the Corporation in Madras, especially in relation to urban governance, financial management, and service delivery. There are objectives for exploring how the formation of the Corporation helped shape the city’s development and emerging challenges with the structure that was adopted. The paper analyzes both advantages and disadvantages associated with functioning over time.

This study is relevant because it shows how urban local governance works, something very critical for cities in rapid growth and urbanization. By understanding the establishment and evolution of the Corporation in Madras, other Indian cities that wish to be developing or improving their governance systems can gain insights from this. And, above all, the study is relevant for policy makers, urban planners, and administrators involved in urban development.

ANALYSIS

The establishment of the Madras Corporation, as known today in the Greater Chennai Corporation, assumes an integral space in the Indian annals of urban governance history. The very first municipal corporation in the country, its formation and subsequent growth over the years since its enactment do offer a very important case study in terms of success and challenges involved with urban administration, resource management, and public service delivery. Analysis of Corporation’s Performance The working of the Corporation has not only its plus points but also minus points. An analysis of both advantages and disadvantages will be a proper analysis regarding the need or survival of the Corporation in the governance mechanism of the city. Further, judicial reasoning and judgments relevant to the working of the Corporation throw light upon the legal and administrative principles that govern the body.

Plus Points of Madras Corporation:

Perhaps the greatest good that the Corporation had in store for Madras was the improvement in urban administration. The city had no central body to which it could relate the increase in its population or urbanization without the Corporation. In contrast, a formalized system of administration was possible only with the Corporation, making it possible to deal with issues systematically. The body was tasked with the management and supervision of urban services, infrastructure, and health. This provision happened to enable the coordination of a number of public services such as waste disposal, supply of water, sanitation, and public health. Now, these services were delivered in more efficiency than had been practiced before due to instituted structure.

Urban Governance
[Image Sources: Shutterstock]

This was one of the most important advantages that occurred during the corporation’s establishment: it contributed to the urban development. In Madras, which was mushrooming during the late 19th and early 20th century, there was a call for an agency that would shepherd the mushrooming through a smooth developmental process. The Corporation, in place by undertaking infrastructural projects in tandem with directing planning over the city and its public utilities, played a role in the shaping of the city’s development. Its most critical contributions to the growth of the city were roads, bridges, markets, hospitals, and schools. This urban infrastructure improved the quality of the lives of city-dwellers of Madras and boosted economies as well because it created a much healthier environment for businesses to and people to enjoy.

The other vital role played by the Corporation was that of public health developments, particularly after Indian independence. With the population density increasing and problems with sanitation multiplying manyfold within the rapidly urbanising zones, it was the Corporation’s task to ensure public health. This included measures of disease prevention and sanitation of public places apart from providing the population with safe drinking water. The laying down of hospitals and health centers further advanced the Corporation’s efforts to serve the public. It went on to help limit the epidemics and generally improve the general public health of a city of the size and importance of Madras.

Disadvantages of the Madras Corporation

Despite having many strengths, the Madras Corporation had some strong weaknesses that led to some areas where the effectiveness was slightly not there. One of its most significant disadvantages is a chronic financial crisis. Tax revenues, on which the Corporation relied so heavily, generally proved insufficient to meet the rising demands of a rapidly growing city. Urban development projects were becoming increasingly costly and needed much more than just funds for new construction-they also required large amounts of money for maintenance and improvement of already existing infrastructure. The Corporation was often compelled to depend on loans and grants from external sources to finance its projects, and it still failed several times to complete it on time or within budget. Such financial instability hardly gave the Corporation any chance to even plan and delayed solving urgent problems in cities.

Author: Abhishek Singh, in case of any queries please contact/write back to us via email to chhavi@khuranaandkhurana.com or at Khurana & Khurana, Advocates and IP Attorney.

REFERENCES

  1. Madras Corporation Act of 1919.
  2. Indian Municipalities Act, 1884 (as amended).
  3. Madras City Municipal Corporation, 1919, IN Code ch. II §3.
  4. Greater Chennai Corporation: Urban Governance and Service Delivery. Urban Gov’t Review, Madras Urban Gov’t Stud. (2015).
  5. Government of India, Report on Municipal Finance and Governance Reforms (2010).
  6. Municipal Governance in India: Issues and Challenges. J. Urban Mgmt. Pol’y, 12(2): 104-119 (2012).

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