BENGALURU: Though some experts have reservations about the low ranking received by Bengaluru in the Annual Survey of India's City-Systems, they feel the city administration could learn from the complaints raised to improve its status among other cities in India. While a few have accepted the observations made, others have questioned the methodology employed for the survey. Some experts have found it unfair to compare mega cities with smaller cities — each with its own set of problems.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, urban expert V Ravichander said that the survey was not about infrastructure of the city, but governance in general. "It is correct for three-four reasons. In Bengaluru, we have multiplicity of agencies without a central controlling authority, ward committees have not been empowered, auditing of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) finances is behind schedule etc," he said. The survey, according to him, provided a fair assessment of challenges in governance and administration.
Kala S Sridhar, professor at Centre for Research in Urban Affairs, Institute for Social and Economic Change, said the survey appears to have ignored some of the innovative practices employed by BBMP in easing administration. "However, considering the difficulties in getting basic data from BBMP, the findings of the report could be true," she said, adding that Janaagraha did not reveal the methodology of the annual surveys conducted by them.
SIZE MATTERS
Kala S Sridhar said that it was necessary to consider the size of cities, when such surveys are conducted. “We cannot compare a mega city to cities like Thiruvanathapuram or Pune. Bengaluru, due to its size, has its own problems. However, it is surprising that a city like Thiruvananthapuram, which has not been able to collect a lot of taxes that are due, has been ranked higher in the survey,” she added.
Another expert, Ashwin Mahesh, said that any survey had its own shortcomings and difficulties. “Surveys are based on measurements, and can only assess measurable commodities. Things that cannot be measured in a survey, such as citizen inclusion and others, cannot be measured,” he said. He said that Bengaluru should move towards better processes of governance and data-based decision-making tools for administration. “Comparisons can be a wishful exercise.”