In the run up to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation elections, Tourism and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said the government has initiated a process of setting up a single planning authority for Mumbai. The proposed authority will be headed by the empowered mayor of the city and it will be in place in a year.
Speaking at an international conference "Climate crisis 2.0: Mobilizing Finance for Coastal Cities", Aaditya said that instead of appointing a CEO for the city, the government is thinking of giving more power to mayors for the effective implementation of the plan. He noted that a single planning agency for the city will provide ease of administration for the state government and ease of living for citizens. It will boost the long-term sustainable development and curtail delays in the execution of projects.
"In a city like Mumbai, 16 agencies should come together with a single authority. Implementing agencies can be different, but if there is a single planning authority there will be less trouble," said Aaditya.
At present, there are 16 different agencies in the city that handle 42 utilities, making things difficult, he said.
On state government’s slew of initiatives to tackle climate change, Aaditya took to Twitter saying that ‘’Honoured to deliver my inaugural address at the Climate Crisis 2.0 conference in Mumbai, where we discussed Maharashtra’s goals as India’s leader in ‘Race to Zero’ and collective responsibility as Government, urban local bodies and Industry leadership toward climate resilience.’’ He emphasised the need for the creation of a National Council of Climate Action to mitigate climate change on a subnational level.
‘’There is also a need for streamlining green financing and green energies in line with long-term sustainable development,’’ he opined.
Aaditya’s announcement came days after the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) introduced the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) which can be used for BEST bus services. Later, the same card can be used for travelling in metro services, suburban trains, buses, cabs, auto-rickshaws and other utilities. BEST will also introduce a premium service, wherein people can book bus seats through a mobile application.
