Prominent business houses in the city, who have partnered with the state for a decade now to make Mumbai’s multi-million dollar makeover initiative, Bombay First, a reality, said the lack of accountability in governance has hampered the project.
Unhappy with the pace of the city’s makeover project, the organisation has written to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan lobbying for a special adviser, who will be at the rank of a minister, exclusively for Mumbai.
In a letter dated July 14, supported by eminent corporate and industrial names including Deepak Parekh, Jamshyd Godrej, Keshub Mahindra, Noel Tata, the organisation’s chairman Narinder Nayar has said the ‘governance’ of the city poses the biggest hurdle to its transformation.
Pointing to the existence of 17 different agencies, including the BMC, MMRDA, Mhada, Indian Railways and PWD, among others, which run the city, the letter states that different agencies don’t have a single authority to co-ordinate. “While we appreciate that to make any major changes in our present governance system would be a formidable task ... in our view, it would help if a special adviser for Mumbai is appointed and works out of CM office,’’ stated the letter.
The letter has also suggested the setting up of a post equivalent to minister of state as special adviser on Mumbai, who will have the nodal authority to co-ordinate with the 17 agencies on the city’s transformation efforts pertaining to urban planning. They have suggested that the adviser should have the powers to be a member of the Cabinet subcommittee on Mumbai, attend Cabinet meetings, convene meetings with various stakeholders and work as adviser to CM on all administrative and policy-related issues on the city.
Mumbai Inc feels that an opportunity to project the city as an economic powerhouse and plan its metropolitan region effectively has been lost because of lack of political will.
Sources said that Bombay First along with representatives from city business groups had sought an appointment with the chief minister on the issue.
However, it never materialised. With three months to go for the elections, the organisation decided to write a letter and express their concern.
Unhappy with the pace of the city’s makeover project, the organisation has written to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan lobbying for a special adviser, who will be at the rank of a minister, exclusively for Mumbai.
In a letter dated July 14, supported by eminent corporate and industrial names including Deepak Parekh, Jamshyd Godrej, Keshub Mahindra, Noel Tata, the organisation’s chairman Narinder Nayar has said the ‘governance’ of the city poses the biggest hurdle to its transformation.
Pointing to the existence of 17 different agencies, including the BMC, MMRDA, Mhada, Indian Railways and PWD, among others, which run the city, the letter states that different agencies don’t have a single authority to co-ordinate. “While we appreciate that to make any major changes in our present governance system would be a formidable task ... in our view, it would help if a special adviser for Mumbai is appointed and works out of CM office,’’ stated the letter.
The letter has also suggested the setting up of a post equivalent to minister of state as special adviser on Mumbai, who will have the nodal authority to co-ordinate with the 17 agencies on the city’s transformation efforts pertaining to urban planning. They have suggested that the adviser should have the powers to be a member of the Cabinet subcommittee on Mumbai, attend Cabinet meetings, convene meetings with various stakeholders and work as adviser to CM on all administrative and policy-related issues on the city.
Mumbai Inc feels that an opportunity to project the city as an economic powerhouse and plan its metropolitan region effectively has been lost because of lack of political will.
Sources said that Bombay First along with representatives from city business groups had sought an appointment with the chief minister on the issue.
However, it never materialised. With three months to go for the elections, the organisation decided to write a letter and express their concern.
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