ABSTRACT

Exigencies of urbanisation warrant a reconsideration of the issues of urban finance in India de novo. India has a large urban population — approximately 300 million — increasing at double the rate of the population of rural India, with more than a quarter residing in cities with over a million population. The hiatus between the required and the actual provision of services and infrastructure is quite apparent across the urban space. In this context the nature and dimension of urban governance assumes significance.