Urban Local Self-Government : Administration and Management in the 21st Century

Contents: Preface. I. Traditional Municipal Structure and Functions: 1. Evolution and development of urban institution. 2. Urban local government: 74th amendment Act, 1992. 3. Urban Governance. 4. Challenges of Urban Local Bodies. 5. Municipal committee. 6. Municipal Corporation. 7. Cantonment Board. 8. Personnel Administration in urban local bodies. 9. Municipal functions. 10. Municipal finance. 11. Municipal-State relations. 12. Community Mobilisation: People’s Participation. 13. Administration of environmental Urban programmes. II. Urban Infrastructure and Development: 14. Urban infrastructure. 15. Water Supply. 16. Sanitation. 17. Solid Waste Management. 18. Transport. 19. Urban Housing. III. Urban Reforms: Need and Techniques: 20. Reforms in Urban local bodies. 21. Organizational Analysis for Urban improvements. 22. Organizational Development (OD). 23. Conflict Management in Urban Local bodies. 24. Organizational change to improve efficiency of Urban Local Bodies. 25. Management of Inter-Personal Relations through Transactional Analysis in Urban Local Bodies. 26. Management Techniques for Solving Municipal Problems. IV. Slums Improvement and Development: 27. Urban Slums: Living Disasters. 28. Improvement of Slums through Participatory development. 29. Capacity Building: Education and training to resident community volunteers. 30. Assessment and Impact of training to RCVs: A Case Study of Punjab. 31. Urban Poverty. 32. Urban Poverty alleviation Programme. V. Thrust Areas and New Trends: 33. Urban Safety. 34. Capacity Building for Urban Governance. 35. Planning Urban Development. 36. Public-Private Partnership. 37. Professional Standards: City Managers Association for Urban Development- a Case Study of Karnataka. 38. Urban Geography and Urban Planning. 39. Disaster Management. 40. Beautiful Cities: Aesthetic Values. 41. Co-ordination and Co-operation among urban local government and other offices/institutions of State and Union Government. 42. Public Relations in Urban Local Bodies. 43. Urban Health: Healthy cities. 44. Performance Appraisal in Municipal Administration. 45. Records Management. 46. Corrupt Practices: Need of Administrative Ethics. 47. Role of Residents and Institutions of Urban Areas in Promoting Cities Development. 48. Urban Local Government and Right to information. Appendices. Bibliography. Index.

Local Government is essential to establish democracy at local, state and Union level since Local Government is very near to the people who can participate in governance. In addition, Local Government if entrusted with functions as mentioned in 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, can discharge these functions efficiently and lighten the burden of state and Union Government and make the governance efficient and economical.

Indian Urban Local Government has vast potential to improve quality of life of citizens in urban areas provided these Urban Local Governments are empowered in practice and entrusted with authority and responsibility. Time has come for universities and colleges to start MA and advanced courses in Local Governance as this is most important but vastly neglected area. (Jacket)