Message of Director General

'I have great pleasure in presenting the 'MCGM Centre for Municipal Capacity Building and Research' (MCMCR) to the urban world, which is established by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In the rapidly urbanizing state of Maharashtra that houses the largest urban population of the country, has more than a dozen metropolitan cities and a growing number of towns with more than 100,000 population, there was an acutely felt need for a capacity-building centre entirely devoted to urban local bodies (ULBs), regional development authorities, urban parastatals, private sector organizations, NGOs, citizen organizations and other urban stakeholders.

These organizations work on multiple facets of urbanization and its multiple challenges – Economic, Social, Environmental, Spatial, and issues related to urban poverty, slums, gender, children, the old and differently abled. ULBs are entrusted with a huge list of responsibilities that include providing services such as water and waste water, management of waste, construction and maintenance of roads, bridges and storm water drains, installation and maintenance of street lights, traffic lights, signage and other traffic related services, city's public transportation system, primary and secondary education, primary health care, hospitals, slum improvement, fire services, promotion of art, music and culture and heritage conservation. ULBs are also the planning authority for their city. Through their Development Plan (DP), they acquire land for the construction of fresh amenities for the rising population, including gardens, schools, health facilities, women's' hostels, skill centres, adhar kendras, care centres, hostels for boys and girls, old-age homes, shelters for the homeless, veterinarian facilities and a host of other amenities and developmental functions.

On the regulatory side, ULBs register births, deaths and marriages, give building permissions, pull down unauthorized structures, regulate street hawking and register shops and businesses and make provisions for parking.

The urban arena is dynamic, constantly impacted by technological, demographic, environmental and societal changes. Increasingly, issues of climate change, sustainability and urban resilience are coming to the fore, challenging the very foundations of cities. Urban stakeholders must be prepared to face these challenges, equipped with the knowledge and skills that would allow them to contribute to the resilience and quality of life in the cities.

Since the task is enormously large and complex, we welcome partnerships with other organizations. These could be in specific fields of urbanization or sharing of human and infrastructural resources as well as training material and modules that organisations have developed. Let us all join hands in the crafting of an urban Maharashtra that can set an example to the rest of the country.'