CHENNAI'S GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE

1. THIRD ASSIGNMENT
URBAN GOVERNANCE
CHENNAI
MICHELLE
2140400010
Submitted by

2. Q1. Draw a flowchart/diagram/figure to describe the structure and
functioning of the urban local body of any one of the following cities
Answer: CHENNAI
The spread of the region:
1687
Municipal
finance first
introduced when
corporation
levied direct
taxes
1726
Corporation
substituted by a
mayor’s council
for providing
local amenities
1882
The provincial
government and
local government
functions were
divided to raise
the funds of local
bodies by
themselves.
1919
Madras
municipality act-
elections and local
bodies were
empowered to
form their own
budgets.
1884
Madras village
panchayat act-
a three tier
system
(panchayat,talu
k and district
boards)
1972
Madras
Metropolitan
Development
Authority
Constituted as
an ad-hoc body
1974
Madras
Metropolitan
Development
Authority
History of Chennai municipal
corporation:

3. CHENNAI POLITICS
Number
of MLAs
30 (235)
% of MLAs
in State
13%
Number
of MPs
6 (39)
% of MPs
in state
14%
% of state
electorate
14%
City Wards
200
EXECUTIVE
Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Standing
Committee
(Taxation
and
Finance)
Standing
Committee
(Appointment
s)
Standing
Committee
(Town
Planning)
Standing
Committee
(Health)
Standing
Committee
(Works)
Standing
Committee
(Accounts
and Audit)
CMDA is giving grant assistance to Local Bodies within Chennai Metropolitan
Area (CMA), in order to improve infrastructure facilities like roads, streetlights, improvement of
burial ground, and purchase of vehicles for water supply, sewage disposal and solid waste
management. CMDA allots about Rs. 2 crores average per year for assistance under this
programme.
Core city:In 2010 , Chennai MC expanded by merging 9 municipalities, 8 TPs and 25 Panchayats;
area expanded from 174 sqkm to 430 sqkm
Region:Expansion proposal from the current 1189 sq km, to include substantialparts
ofThiruvallore and Kancheepuram districts, up to an area of 8000 sq km.
Chennai passed the draft rules in August 2005. Metropolitan Planning Committee
not constituted till date(demand s unified framework for decentralisation ).
CHENNAI ADMINISTRATION
Urban RuralDistrict Others
Municipal Corp.
Municipality
Town Panchayat
Census Town
Village
SEZs3
1
16
20
11
214
22• Chennai District
• Part of Thiruvallur
District
• Part of Kancheepuram
District
CMDA

4. Hon’ble Minister for Housing and Urban
Development
Vice- Chairman, CMDA
Member-Secretary, CMDA
Secretary to Government H&UD
Secretary to Government, Finance Dept.
Secretary to Government, Industries Dept.
Secretary to Government, Transport Dept.
Commissioner, Corporation of Chennai
Managing Director CMWSS Board
Director , Town & Country Planning
Chief Urban Planner , CMDA
Chief Engineer, Highways & Rural Works
Department
Chief Architect to Government
Joint Director, Town & Country Planning
Chairman, Tamilnadu Housing Board
Chairman Tamilnadu Slum Clearance Board
Member of the State Legislative Assembly
Representatives of Local Bodies in CMA
Member-Secretary Tamil nadu Pollution
Control Board
MEMBERS
SPECIAL INVITEE
2 Members
4 Members
Local bodies covered under the CMA are
chennai corporation,
16 municipalities
20 town panchayats and
214 villages covered in 10 panchayats unions

6. C
O
R
P
O
R
A
TI
O
N
O
F
C
H
E
N
N
A
I
Parks
Roads
Health
Bridges
Building
Revenue
Electrical
Education
Town Planning
Land & Estates
Small Savings
Storm Water Drain
Mechanical Engineering
Soild Waste Management
• Development of
Open Spaces
• Canal banks
• Traffic Islands
• Central Medians
• Avenue Trees
• Watering
• Play Fields
Bus route
roads
Footpaths
Traffic Centre
Medians
Proposed
Traffic
Improvements
• Birth & Death
• Communicable
Diseases
• District Family
Welfare Bureau
Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage
Board(CMWSSB), Tamil nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board
(TWAD)
• One of the municipalities, Pallavaramwas designated as the
nodal ULB for planning, construction, O&M
• ULBs to undertake source segregation, collection and
transportation
• Regional SWM facility in Chennai –Alandur, Pallavaramand
Tambarammunicipalities have come together for solid waste
management
• ULBs acquired a 50 acre site from State Revenue Department
• Involvement of Private operator for developing and operating
regional facility
(MTC, Southern Railway, CMRL, STA,
CPT, AAI )
TNEB
TNSCB, Tamil Nadu Housing Board
TIDCO,SIPCOT
DEPARTMENTS

7. Chennai district consists of five
Taluks with no revenue divisions. Therefore few
Deputy Collectors have been designated as Sub
Divisional Magistrate for the their jurisdictions
CHENNAI DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION
District Revenue Officer
Deputy Commissioner (Excise) in the
cadre of District Revenue Officer
District Revenue Officer( Stamps).
Personal Assistant (General) to the
Collector of Chennai
Additional Personal Assistant to the
Collector of Chennai
Personal Assistant (ULT) to the
Collector of Chennai
Personal Assistant (Accounts) to the
Collector of Chennai
Special Deputy Collector (Social
Security Schemes
Special Deputy Collector(Colour TV
Schemes)
Special Deputy Collector (Relief and
Rehabilitation)
District Inspection Cell Officer
Manager TAHDCO in the cadre of
Deputy Collector
District Adi Dravida & Tribal Welfare
Officer
District Backward Classes &
Minorities Welfare Officer
Personal Assistant (Survey) to the
Collector of Chennai
Personal Assistant(Legal) to the
Collector of Chennai
Tondiarpet Taluk and
Purasawalkam Taluk
Perambur Taluk and
Ayanavaram Taluk
Egmore Taluk and
Aminjikarai Taluk
Mylapore Taluk and
Velachery Taluk
Mambalam Taluk and
Guindy Taluk
District magistrate
Additional
District
Magistrate
Collector
District
revenue
officer
as
as
Commissioner of Police
Maintenance of law and
order
Assistant Commissioners
The Civil Supplies and
essential commodities
Commissioner Corporation
Developmental activities
Collector has no voice

8. DISTRICT COLLECTOR -
CHAIRPERSON
Moneagre Choultry
District Soldiers, Sailors and
Airmen's Board
Sales Tax Advisory Committee
House Building Advance Committee
Hindu Kust Nivaran Sangh
District Co-ordination Committee on
Vocational Guidance &
Employment Counseling meeting
Operation Polio Programme
Natioinal Youth Award - Selection.
Leprosy Eradication Committees.
Paymaster - Carnatic Stipend.
District Child Labour Rehabilitation
cum Welfare Society
Committee to examine fairness of
submission made by Employment
Exchange.
DISTRICT COLLECTOR -
PRESIDENT
Muslim Women Aids Society
Chennai District Red Cross
Society
DISTRICT COLLECTOR -MEMBER
The Voluntary Health
Services
Legal Advisory Committee
Fishing Harbour Constitution
Committee Governing
Council of the Victoria
Technical Institute
Legal Aid Council
St. John Ambulance
Anti T.B. Association
Tamil Nadu Science &
Technology (Planetarium)
Southern Railway
Consultative Committee
Crimes Against Women-
Advisory Committee
District Examination
Committee ( formation of
vigilance squad )
Q3. Metropolitan cities in India suffer from ‘good governance deficits’.
Discuss any one of the following metropolitan cities and provide
supporting flowchart, diagram/map or figures where ever necessary.
Elaborate upon any one best practice in your city.
Answer: CHENNAI
Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), introduction of e-governance at ULB levels
for fast addressing and reduction of time proved to be failed in the project audit
Non-reduction in time
taken in processing
Planning Permission
Applications
Non-integration of
Automated Planning
Permission Application
Software with e-
Governance System
Non-achievement
of planned
objectives

9. Failure to
revise the property tax
assessment resulted in loss
of revenue of ` 61 lakh.
• Defective planning of
flood control works led
to delay and increased
cost thereby defeating
objective of the scheme
to avoid flooding in
Chennai.
• Original capacity of tanks
was not restored due to
ineffective enforcement
of Act for eviction of
encroachments.
• Water Resources
Management remains
unachieved even after
lapse of three years since
establishment of
SWaRMA, an agency
constituted for this
purpose.
Application of incorrect rate of tax
Collection of tax at ` 80 per seat
per quarter in respect of stage
carriage buses operated by MTC
beyond the contiguous areas of
Chennai Metropolitan area,
instead of at ` 400 per seat per
quarter resulted in short
collection of motor vehicle tax of `
36.58 lakh.
Water Supply Department Short assessment of Property Tax
Water Supply Department Road and transport Department
CASE STUDY:1 Transparent Chennai, an action research project on urban governance, surveyed
and mapped 49 public toilets in Zone 4 in the northern part of Chennai.
slum colonies
Toilet
FAILURE OF GOVERNANCE IN CHENNAI METROPOLITAN WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE
BOARD (CMWSSB)

10. STUDY RESULTS
• Despite the apparent need for sanitation in the city, more than half of the toilets in the zone
were barely used by women and children
Alarming lack of data on
toilets at the agencies
Responsibility for
toilet construction
and maintenance
Failures
of public
toilet
provision
REASONS
FOR
FAILURE
Toilets away from areas of greatest need
Found in areas with very little foot-traffic, away
from bus stops, market areas, and informal
sector workplaces
Clustered in the southeast corner of the Zone,
there were no toilets in the northwest corner
despite the presence of many slums, informal
sector workplaces and market areas.
Buildings Department
(primary body)
Responsible for the
toilet structures
Lacked details of
centralized record of
toilets in the city
Zonal office
Directed
TOILET GOVERNANCE DEFICIT MAPPING
Engineering
department
572 toilets
RTI listed 714 toilets
Chennai Metropolitan
Water Supply and
Sewerage Board
Provides
water and
sewer lines
Chennai Slum
Clearance Board
Provides
hygienic
conditions
for slum-
dwellers
Slum Clearance Board does not share its data about declared
and undeclared slums with the Corporation, which means that
toilets are often built with no relationship to existing
settlements of the poor.
• Poor quality of existing city level
data
• The unwillingness of city
agencies to share this limited
data with one another
• Improving equity, efficiency and
accountability in service
provision, a prerequisite is rich
public

11. BEST PRACTICE
CMDA'S GRANT ASSISTANCE TO THE LOCAL BODIES
Local Bodies Assistance Programme (LAP) &
Community Based Environment Development Programme (CBED)
CMDA's grant assistance under LAP is given for the following projects / Schemes:
(a) Road improvements (not involving land acquisition).
(b) Provision of Street lights
(c) Water Supply (Purchase of water tanker lorries / digging of open wells / bore wells
/Construction of Over Head Tank /Laying of Water pipe lines)
(d) Sewage disposal (purchase of sewage tanker lorries / tractors with sewage tankers)
(e) Construction of Storm water drains / culverts and
(f) Solid Waste Management (Purchase of lorries / tractors / power tillers with trailers)
Environmental projects funded under CBED Programme are,
(a) Improvement to the existing parks / playfield
(b) Improvement to the existing burial / burning grounds
(c) Desilting of lakes / ponds / tanks to augment water supply and improve the ground water
table
(d) Rain water harvesting and tree planting
(e) Construction / renovation of toilets and other environmental improvements in the
government schools
(f) Solid Waste Management
(g) Construction of storm water drains
(h) Construction of common utility buildings and
(i) Any other projects with an objective to improve the local environment
CBED Projects implemented within the Chennai Metropolitan Area are with CMDA grant and
community contribution
Enable the participation of the
community
Ensure full stakeholder participation
Common platform for the community to
work together
Help in capacity building at the local level
Ensure better maintenance and utilization
of the assets created
OBJECTIVES OF CBED
Headed by the Vice-Chairperson, CMDA
accords sanction to the
project proposals sent by the local bodies
within the CMA, and the cost sharing for
the projects are as
follows:
CMDA Grant … 80% (maximum)
Local Body Contribution … 10% (minimum)
Community Contribution … 10% (minimum)