Chandigarh mayor proposes national urban parliament at Rishikesh conference

The proposed parliament would serve as a permanent national forum comprising mayors of municipal corporations, representatives of municipal councils and nagar palikas

City mayor Saurabh Joshi on Thursday moved a resolution seeking the establishment of a “National Urban Parliament of India (NUPI)” during the all India mayors council meeting held in Rishikesh. The move aimed at strengthening urban governance and empowering cities across the country.

The resolution proposes that the national urban parliament meet annually to deliberate on pressing issues such as urban infrastructure, municipal finance, water supply, sanitation among others. (HT File)

Presenting the resolution before mayors and urban leaders from across the nation, Joshi said that India is witnessing rapid urbanisation, with cities emerging as the principal drivers of economic growth, innovation, employment generation and public service delivery. He highlighted the need for a robust national platform where elected urban representatives can collectively deliberate on critical urban challenges and contribute meaningfully to policy formulation.

The proposed parliament would serve as a permanent national forum comprising mayors of municipal corporations, representatives of municipal councils and nagar palikas, along with special invitees from the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs.

Speaking on the occasion, Joshi said that while urban local bodies constitute the third tier of governance under the 74th Constitutional Amendment, there is currently no formal institutional mechanism through which elected mayors can jointly articulate the concerns and aspirations of India’s cities at the national level.

Joshi advocated for the full implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment, transfer of all functions listed under the twelfth schedule to urban local bodies, greater fiscal autonomy for municipal corporations and the strengthening of democratic, transparent and accountable urban governance systems.