Institute for Social and Economic Change |
Working Paper: 467
Urban Financing and Accountability Structures - Case Study of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
Shankari Murali
S Manasi
Abstract
This paper examines the different financing arrangements of city governments and how they influence the accountability structures in Indian cities. The research focusses on the trends in financing of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the single-largest urban local body in India. The paper reveals a pattern of financialisation of urban government in India, mirroring the global trends. It explores the requirement for different sources of finance and the conditionalities they impose on the city government. It also reveals the effects of the financialisation of urban government funding on the delivery of services provided to the residents, who are increasingly treated as customers rather than politically-empowered citizens.