The Smart Cities Mission, launched in 2015, aimed to transform urban India into efficient, sustainable, and citizen-friendly hubs. However, seven years later, the initiative has failed to deliver, leaving cities grappling with chaos and disarray.

At the root of this failure lies the collapse of grassroots democracy. The 74th Constitutional Amendment, intended to empower local self-governance, has been rendered ineffective due to limited autonomy and flexibility. Panchayati Raj institutions meant to be the bedrock of decentralized governance, remain weak and marginalized.

City governments lack the autonomy to make decisions, crippled by inadequate resources and capacity mobilization. Multiple decision-making bodies, overlapping jurisdictions, and unclear devolution of power have created a bureaucratic quagmire. Zero accountability and lack of fiscal autonomy have reduced local bodies to mere puppets of state governments, treated as fiefdoms or vassals.

Rapid urbanization has outpaced resource mobilization and capacity building, despite urban India generating two-thirds of the country's GDP and 90 per cent of government revenue. This disconnect has resulted in inadequate infrastructure, poor public services, and unchecked sprawl.

The time has come to address this great urban predicament. India needs to rethink its approach to urban governance, empowering local bodies with autonomy, resources, and capacity to drive change. Only then can our cities become the engines of growth and prosperity they were meant to be.