Mumbai Stampede - Multiplicity of Agencies and Accountability | Current Affairs

What is the issue?

Mumbai’s Elphinstone Road railway bridge recently witnessed a horrific stampede killing and injuring many.
Notably, the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Mumbai city police argued over each other's jurisdiction, instead of coordinating.

What is the larger governance concern?

This jurisdictional confusion is indicative of the larger governance flaw in relation with Mumbai’s infrastructure.
There are too many agencies and no one is willing to take responsibility when a tragedy takes place.
This accountability and jurisdictional anomaly is plaguing much of Mumbai's development discourse.
Ex: There are at least five agencies that handle roads in Mumbai.

In most cities around the world, the city's ultimate control is with the mayor.
But in Mumbai, the mayor has been reduced to a figurehead.
The real powers lie with the municipal commissioner, who is appointed by the State government.
The powerful standing committee, comprising elected representatives, can frame policies, draft bye-laws, and sanction the city’s budget.
But the person to oversee and implement everything is the commissioner.
Besides, a large majority of the State’s elected legislators have no stake in the city’s progress.

What is to be done?

Notably this is not the case only with Mumbai but is an issue hampering development in many cities in India.
There is thus a dire need for ruling out the jurisdictional ambiguity as a result of multiplicity of agencies.
Mumbai and other cities of India need a single coordinating agency with adequate autonomy and power to make decisions.
This is essential to ensure accountability as well as to take forward the implementation of many drafted developmental plans.
Political will is also very important to materialise all these.

Source: The Hindu

Mumbai Stampede - Multiplicity of Agencies and Accountability