dna conversations: Mumbai, like New York, needs a dedicated mayor, says Milind Deora

During his visit to the dna office on Thursday, Milind Deora, MP from South Mumbai, reiterated his demand for an elected and empowered mayor to tackle the problems of Mumbai. The Union minister of state for IT, communication and shipping emphasised that this could be done even as Mumbai continued to remain the capital of Maharashtra. “Indeed, Mumbai should continue to remain in Maharashtra,” he said.

Deora explained in detail why a dedicated mayor for Mumbai was necessary. “At present, the mayor has little or no powers. All the MPs, MLAs and municipal councillors elected from Mumbai are capable, but are hostage to an inefficient governance model. There’s no one person in charge of the city,” he said.

“Today, we have several agencies like the municipal commissioner’s office, the police commissionerate, the MMRDA, etc. Multiple agencies are posing a major hurdle to the efficient management of the metropolis. We need to be run by Mumbaikars who understand the intricacies of governing the metropolis.”

He said the directly elected mayor will be accountable to Mumbai’s voters. “The directly elected mayor may seek powers from the urban development, home, housing departments, etc for better coordination. Devolution of power like New York, is the answer to our problems,” he said.