Isher Judge Ahluwalia: Infrastructure
Chairperson, ICRIER
As an ardent advocate of transforming the way cities are run, Isher Judge Ahluwalia has been on the forefront of arguing for strengthening urban governance. Her reports and writings have insisted for a unified mission for urban renewal and an urban utility regulator. She has prepared a framework for governance and financing for corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats. As an ardent advocate of transforming the way cities are run, Isher Judge Ahluwalia has been on the forefront of arguing for strengthening urban governance. Her reports and writings have insisted for a unified mission for urban renewal and an urban utility regulator. She has prepared a framework for governance and financing for corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats.
She favours rural-urban synergy and has suggested a participatory programmatic approach towards urban development. Her report on Indian Urban Infrastructure and Services seeks a comprehensive framework of urban policy and planning in addition to the introduction of a local bodies finance list in the Constitution.
Inter-municipal cooperation, corporatisation and levying of user charges like water and sewerage separately are few of her suggestions that are being pursued by some of the local bodies. She believes that it is important to shift the focus from bridging the deficit in infrastructure investment to ensure service delivery on a sustainable basis.