Urban governance, monitoring models need re-look, says National Institute of Urban Affairs director

National Institute of Urban Affairs director Hitesh Vaidya. Photo: Special Arrangement (Source: Vijay Kutty)

In an interview with The Hindu’s Damini Nath, director of the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Hitesh Vaidya, discusses the importance of reviewing the approach towards urban planning, as mentioned in Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget speech. He says the governance of urban local bodies, as under the 74th Constitutional Amendment, also needs a re-look.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a high-level committee, five centres of excellence and a rethinking of urban planning in her Budget 2022-2023 speech. How do you see these announcements?