Delegation from Bihar visits GMDA, MCG to observe urban governance

Officials from the delegation said that their state government is working towards planned urban expansion in 11 cities, and Gurugram’s model could offer valuable guidance in this direction.

A delegation from the urban development and housing department (UD&HD) from Bihar visited the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) office and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to gain insights into the structure, functioning and institutional framework of both the bodies, said officials aware of the matter.

The delegation will also be visiting key project sites of GMDA such as Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sheetla Mata Hospital & College, WTP Basai and STP Behrampur, said a GMDA official.

During the delegation’s visit to the GMDA office on Friday, CEO PC Meena interacted with the officials and discussed key urban development priorities, governance reforms and technology-enabled interventions aimed at strengthening citizen-centric service delivery, said officials.

A GMDA spokesperson said that the delegation was also provided a detailed tour of the integrated command and control centre (ICCC). The delegation was apprised of the ICCC’s role in integrated monitoring and management of key civic services, including real-time surveillance, traffic and mobility management, emergency response coordination, among others.

A meeting was further chaired by Vishwajeet Chaudhary, additional CEO, GMDA during which the visiting team was given an in-depth understanding of GMDA’s working model, structure and the various initiatives being implemented towards developing Gurugram, said officials.

Senior officers from UD&HD, Bihar government, who were part of the visit included Rajiv Kumar Shrivastava, special secretary, Vijay Prakash Meena additional secretary, Manoj Kumar, additional secretary, Abhishek Palasia, municipal commissioner, Gaya and other officials from the state government departments.

The delegation will also be visiting key project sites of GMDA such as Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Sheetla Mata Hospital & College, WTP Basai and STP Behrampur, said a GMDA official.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, the delegation visited the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to study the city’s administrative framework and functioning, with a focus on adopting successful urban management practices in Bihar’s cities. The visit aimed to understand systems related to civic services, sanitation management and planning mechanisms that have contributed to Gurugram’s rapid urban development, said officials.

The delegation was formally received by joint commissioner Ravindra Malik, who briefed the officials on the corporation’s administrative structure, departmental responsibilities and coordination mechanisms. During the interaction, officials highlighted that Gurugram places strong emphasis on digital monitoring, field-level supervision and inter-departmental coordination to improve efficiency in urban service delivery, said officials.

According to officials, members of the delegation showed interest in Gurugram’s developer licensing system. Officials elaborated on how technical, legal and planning standards are examined before issuing licences to ensure structured and sustainable development.

Officials from the delegation said that their state government is working towards planned urban expansion in 11 cities, and Gurugram’s model could offer valuable guidance in this direction.

Both sides agreed that such inter-state study visits help strengthen transparency, technology adoption and efficiency in urban administration, said officials.