‘Process of setting up single planning authority for Mumbai underway’

Aaditya Thackeray

Maharashtra Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said the process of setting up a single planning authority for Mumbai is underway.

Speaking at an international conference "Climate crisis 2.0: Mobilizing Finance for Coastal Cities", the state minister for environment and tourism said a single planning agency for the city will provide ease of administration for the state government and ease of living for citizens.

"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 Thackeray, who was a chief guest at the conference.

At present, there are 16 different agencies in the city that handle 42 utilities, making things difficult, he said.

"Even for constructing a footpath in Mumbai, we need to work with 16 agencies, planning and permission authorities," Thackeray said, adding that it is tough while coordinating with all these agencies.

He further 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.

Mumbai First founder Narinder Nayar in his welcome address had proposed a CEO or administrator for Mumbai.
Highlighting the need for climate action, the minister said the biggest problem or challenge at present is climate change and the biggest hope is climate action.

"I firmly believe that climate action is no longer just the job for environmentalists. It's not just the work of the forest ministry. It is the work of the urban development ministry. All these are actually needed for climate action," Thackeray said. The extreme weather patterns witnessed recently should be seen as "a kind of crisis", he said.

"If we don't accept this as a climate emergency, we will definitely keep your eyes closed and move into the future without going into proper audits," the minister said.

A proposal for a national council of climate change has been sent to the Union government, he added.

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