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Mumbai has historically been India's commercial capital contributing
significant tax revenues to both the state of Maharashtra and the central
government. However, at present Mumbai is in reverse gear - lagging behind
in economic growth and quality of life.
With the objective of transforming Mumbai into a world class city, we
conducted a study with Bombay First - an organisation that works to improve the
social and economic infrastructure of the city - and government institutions
like the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Mumbai Metropolitan
Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Government of Maharashtra
(GoM).
In the course of the study the team conducted interviews with key leaders in
Mumbai, held brainstorming workshops with major government institutions,
businesses and NGOs, and researched and developed case studies on five
international and five domestic city transformations.
The study suggested that
Mumbai needed $40 billion in investments over the next 10 years for its transformation. More
importantly, it laid out a blueprint that comprised of an eight-pronged program to
transform Mumbai into a world-class
city. These are:
- Boost economic growth to 8 - 10 percent per annum by
focusing on services ( high- and low-end), developing countryside-based
manufacturing, and making Mumbai a consumption center.
- Improve and expand mass and private transport
infrastructure, including linkages to the countryside.
- Dramatically increase low-income housing availability
and affordability, and improve housing stock.
- Upgrade safety, air and water pollution control,
sanitation, education, and health care.
- Create a dedicated "Mumbai Infrastructure Fund" with
an annual funding of around US $ 300 million and attract debt and private
financing.
- Make governance more effective, efficient, and
responsive by making key departments operate like corporations and
streamlining important processes such as building approvals.
- Generate momentum through quick wins: focus on some
quick "on the ground" implementation that will be visible in a period of 1-2
years.
- Enable implementation through committed public-private resources and make
key government organisations accountable for results.
The report, Vision Mumbai,
played an important role in influencing policy makers both at the central and
state levels to recognize and address the immediate need for urban renewal in
the city. Taking off from the recommendations, the government of Maharashtra has
established an Empowered Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary and Citizen
Action Group to drive key projects like the Mumbai Metro and the Mumbai Trans
Harbor Link. The recommendations made by Vision Mumbai also served as a useful
basis to seek funding of over US $1 billion from the government of India for the
transformation of Mumbai under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal
Mission.
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