In August/September this year, Chennai resident Rajiv attempted to update his name in the property tax records of his flat in Chromepet. The Tambaram City Municipal Corporation (TCMC) rejected his online application and asked him to file the papers offline. He was also told to pay Rs10,000 towards the charges for a name change. Finding this amount excessive, he brought the issue to the attention of the press. A local reporter investigated the matter and contacted the TCMC Commissioner, who allegedly disputed the high fees at first. However, after consulting officials, he later confirmed that such a fee is mandatory, per…

Praja, the NGO which works to ensure government accountability, has released a target based manifesto for reforms in Maharashtra for the upcoming assembly elections. The manifesto is designed to empower local governments as they are best placed  to understand and resolve local urban issues. It outlines four major urban governance reforms, each with clearly identified goals, issues and targets which are in alignment with the sustainable development goals. Urban governance reforms Empowered City Elected Representatives and Legislative Structure: Empowered governance leads to effective governance. This requires urgent measures like timely and regular municipal elections and training for councillors. Service delivery: Devolution…