Gurgaon: GMDA was established to emulate the Noida Authority model as a centralised body that would steer the city’s development, Union minister and Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh said at TOI’s #WeMakeGurgaon Townhall on Saturday. “Despite the intention of creating a one-window powerhouse, the existence of both the municipal corporation and GMDA, according to Singh, resulted in a lack of clarity regarding their respective areas of influence and administration.Conceived as a Noida Authority-like body, GMDA doesn’t function as one. Formed in 2018, the development authority is now seven years old, so there’s been enough time to steer it in the direction of its purpose. But the state govt has not quite been able to take it there. One of the main criticisms of GMDA is that its execution is slow and its contributions to the city’s infrastructure improvements not very apparent. Singh said when GMDA was formed, its CEO was allowed to sanction only projects up to Rs 50 lakh. Only recently, it was enhanced to Rs 2.5 crore. “The power of the MCG house (to sanction projects) was earlier Rs 2 crore only and now it has become Rs 10 crore. If you have a project which is over Rs 10 crore, it has to go to the minister, and if it is over Rs 25 crore, to the high-powered purchase committee sitting in Chandigarh. Now, this is a remote-controlled administrative setup with which I am not really very happy,” said Singh, referring to the slowness of project execution in Gurgaon. In Noida, he added, Noida Authority operates through a single-window system. But Gurgaon is hobbled by multiple agencies, creating a complex administrative structure. Noida manages licences for residential colonies and plotted areas, while in Gurgaon, developers independently acquire land from farmers, aggregate it and then seek licences from the town and country planning department, said the minister, pointing out structural flaws in Gurgaon’s governance.“Persistent flooding in Gurgaon stems from developers incorporating perennial waterways into their projects and constructing buildings upon them. With these natural water channels obstructed, water seeks alternative paths, resulting in widespread flooding throughout the city,” he said.“Steps are being taken to establish a unified authority for issuing licences. There are concerns that the next developing city might face similar challenges as Gurgaon. It is crucial to avoid replicating the mistakes made in Gurgaon’s development process in future urban expansion projects,” he added.Singh also pointed out that GMDA has a meeting once a year or perhaps twice a year, which is not enough. “I mean, Gurgaon is generating so many problems every day. This is something that I’m trying to ask the chief minister to do. The GMDA meeting should not be held six-monthly. It should at least be held once a month. Even if the chief minister, who is the head of GMDA, cannot come, at least the officers should all convene once a month here in Gurgaon,” said Singh.
