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Urban development and housing and poverty alleviation minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said an accountability clause should be incorporated in all state municipal laws to hold concerned officials responsible for accidents such as building collapse.
"You can't hold the official responsible for something which has happened earlier. Let us make a beginning. Let us incorporate in our municipal laws that there will be an accountability factor, this is very much required," the minister said. However, no official should be held responsible if any such incident happens after his tenure ends, but stressed that accountability should be fixed.
Naidu's comments came in the backdrop of recent incidents of building collapse in Chennai and Delhi, where over 60 people lost their lives. While addressing a conclave of state ministers in the capital, Naidu suggested a charter of actions such as making towns and cities slum free, exploiting economic potential of cities with respect to tourism, health, education, promoting cycling through dedicated cycling tracks, capacity building of municipalities amongst others. There will be a shortage of about 300 lakh houses in urban areas by 2002.
The government is exploring various options including channeling tax revenues generated through enhanced economic activity on account of massive housing scheme back into housing through an escrow account, interest subvention and PPP model in the sector, he said.
He also said that the government would soon firm up its policy on development of 100 'Smart Cities', which has generated significant interest in this scheme from various developed countries."We have to make our urban local bodies viable and sustainable by participation of people. But if you increase tax and do not use that money for that purposethere is a reaction. So you have to guarantee services," Naidu said.
Populism isnot sustainable in the long run and if the municipal bodies are providing good services, people will not hesitate to pay more taxes as evident in Gujarat. If services are assured, people will pay taxes. "That is the lesson of Gujarat Model. Taxes, when compared to other states, to my knowledge are a little high inGujarat. But still there is no protest because services are assured," Naidu said.
