Key Problems:

• Car/Vehicle parking – All buildings should have at least as many car park spaces as the number of bedrooms in that building plus ten percent for visitors. Commercial buildings 2 spaces for the first up to 300 sft and at least one additional space for every 300 sft thereafter. This will greatly reduce, if not entirely eliminate, the habit of parking along roadways. Of course, tax/ rent should be compulsorily collected from any defaulters who still use the road ways for parking. All commercial buildings should necessarily have separate entrances and exits. Transit Residential buildings e.g.: Hotels, Hostels and Hospitals may be required to have only 50 percent of the parking otherwise required plus parking for staff and Ambulances etc. Similarly, for parking for Schools and Colleges. Parking for Convention Halls, Stadiums etc. must also, be clearly specified.
• Slums – Open spaces even if meant for public parks etc. or for future buildings will be occupied by building labour and rural migrants and it will be politically difficult if not impossible to remove them once they are in possession, therefore all construction infrastructure contractors/ builders must be tasked to build suitable and adequate accommodation for their labourers in areas specifically ear-marked for that purpose and clear and vacant possession in proper condition thereof must be made to the city on completion of the project. Even residential builders must contribute to the cost of such unit/units proportionate to the area of their construction. These buildings should be so designed as to be easily convertible into Economically Weaker Section housing. Such EWS housing can then be allotted through a lottery to all applicants at a subsidized loan payable over at least 15 years though 25 years may be better, with no further transfer of title till at least 10 years even if the loan is repaid. This will prevent misuse and exploitation.
• Cost of construction and infrastructure – that for all Government building and related infrastructure to be the responsibility of the State Government. All other costs to be transferred to the Municipality and treated as a loan to be repaid over a maximum of 30 years at a nominal interest. The land and other facilities, other than that already allotted to any group, say the earlier land owners as per the pooling agreement, must be the asset of the Municipality. No land should be allotted to any group such as any association of IAS/ IPS/Judges/Legislators/Government Employees / Media persons etc. for any reason. Suitable loans may be allowed to them to buy and build. This avoids repetitive political favouritism. If this principle is announced in advance, it will be better accepted. Appointment housing for key personnel, for the duration of the appointment, can be provided for, in security zones as deemed necessary.
Municipal / Government schools should compete with any Private schools and it must be made compulsory that all children of the Teachers therein and of all Government or Public Sector employees join such schools.
• Schools and Colleges – Each locality must have adequate number of Municipality run Pre-School and School facilities, including playgrounds adequate for the final expected populations of the location and space for at least equal number of private Pre-Schools and Schools. Such Municipal / Government schools should compete with any Private schools and it must be made compulsory that all children of the Teachers therein and of all Government or Public Sector employees join such schools. Mid-day meals must be compulsorily Mid-day meals must be compulsorily provided at the schools vide a proper catering contractor, supervised by the School administration and representatives of the Parents/Teacher Association.
• School vouchers equivalent to fees at Municipal / Public facilities should be given to all children and local property taxes should be adequate to cover all the costs of properly running/operating such facilities. The private schools should receive no subsidy or concessions and can charge fees as they deem fit. All this will encourage proper competition and the monitoring can be left to the Parent-Teacher body at each school. The Education department should be empowered only to set the standards for various levels of education and ensure that the Teachers appointed are properly qualified Teachers and who undergo regular refresher and upgradation training. The education department must also, work with the Municipal Authorities to ensure that all infrastructures for such pre-schools/schools must meet laid down standards for physical infrastructure, security, safety and fire regulation etc., including buses, playgrounds and auditorium etc. This will greatly reduce corruption and political interference.
• Scholarships: The State Government should encourage and suitably incentivizeadditional scholarships for the economically weaker students by recognizing those that fund such scholarships and allow them to name them after their loved ones etc. So also, for Junior Colleges and Post Graduate Institutions and Universities.
• Property taxes and infrastructural charges – collected from the private schools and institutions should be 10 percent more than that for the Municipal schools and institutions and this should be used to subsidize the costs at the Municipal schools/institutions.
• Public Parking: – All Tourist/Public areas (Government offices, markets etc) must have adequate parking area for buses and vehicles and toilets and eateries and sitting areas etc., if possible, some such parking areas can be underground.
• Clinics, Health Centre’s and Hospitals (Secondary and Tertiary) – These too should be set up on similar lines as given above for schools and colleges. Public private partnerships should be encouraged and set up for ‘e-Vaidya’ type clinics and first responders as under the 104/108 programmes. Garbage collection and disposal charges should be about 10 percent more than necessary to cover costs and cater for further improvements. Private Clinics/ Nursing Homes/Hospitals should again be paying the same 10 percent extra that will go to subsidize the Municipal / Public facilities and also cater for improvements. Here also, donations should be incentivized by according recognition and allowing buildings / facilities to be named by the Donors after their loved ones.
• Donations: – The concept of incentivizing donations by according recognition and allowing items/facilities being named after loved ones or Corporates can be also, encouraged in the providing of Parks, Public toilets, drinking water fountains and such facilities. The operation and maintenance thereof thereafter can be sponsored or even tasked as part of the CSR requirement of Companies that are located in the city.
• Community facilities: Locality colonies must have community facilities as deemed appropriate and these must be properly operated and maintained by the Residents Welfare Association that should also, be duly registered. Common / Public facilities in a locality should be supervised by the ward member / representative of the local RWA’s etc.
• Layout: – The layout of the city should be in local clusters to meet the needs of various income groups, but these should be close enough to each other to react appropriately amongst themselves. They should be self-contained for Schools, Hospitals, Shopping and entertainment facilities etc. (walking distance). Especially in these times of Additive Manufacturing (3-D printing etc.) there is no need for industrial zones as in the old days.
• Special Zone: – Automotive repair centres and showrooms, and warehouses and building material yards can be isolated in specific separate areas on the outskirts of the city with easy transport / metro connectivity especially to the outer-ring road. Airport, Seaport, Railway and Road connectivity must be facilitated to all such areas.
• Waterfronts: – Should be properly developed and safe use thereof ensured. Private facilities on the waterfront should be taxed extra as appropriate and thus again subsidize the public/municipal facilities. Proper registration and identification of all water crafts and proper rules for operating them with laid down qualifications and skills and licensing for operators must be ensured. It must be ensured that the facilities on the opposite bank must also, be regulated the same way by that other Municipality (on the opposite bank) to avoid confusion. The laws made therefore should be applicable to all sea and waterfront areas all across the State and allow for the construction and operation of Marinas, jetties and water transport including warehouses. All again sited appropriately with special consideration for movement of watercraft, people and land transport.

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