Gurugram meet calls for shift to transparent, citizen-led urban governance

Former bureaucrats and RWA leaders at the Mission 7374 conference sought reforms in finance, functions, and citizen participation for stronger local governance.

Amid significant urban expansion outpacing Gurugram civic systems, policymakers, bureaucrats, and citizen representatives on Sunday gathered to discuss how the city can shift from ad-hoc management to transparent, accountable, and citizen-driven governance, the event’s organisers said. The discussions were part of a day-long conference held at John Hall, Civil Lines, which examined reforms inspired by the 74th Constitutional Amendment aimed at empowering urban local bodies, they added. 

Speakers at a Mission 7374 forum flagged the need for clear roles between MCG, GMDA, and HSVP to end the city’s parastatal governance puzzle. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The event, described as one of the largest dialogues on urban reform in Haryana, was organised by the Mission 7374 Foundation and attended by eight sitting municipal councillors, RWA representatives from DLF, New Gurugram, Dwarka Expressway, Palam Vihar, and the Old City. Over 13 thematic sessions led by former IAS officers, policy experts, and civic reformers addressed issues such as fiscal decentralisation, infrastructure coordination, ward-level empowerment, and political funding reforms, organisers added. 

Urban governance expert professor Mukesh Mathur said India already possesses the frameworks required for decentralised administration, but lacks the will to implement them. “India already has a well-drafted Model Municipal Act developed under the Indo-US FIRE programme, which captures the true intent of the 74th Constitutional Amendment. If states adopt and implement it sincerely, it can transform urban governance — ensuring accountability, financial autonomy, and citizen participation at every level,” he added. 

Meanwhile, Speakers including former bureaucrats Raghvendra Rao, Prashanta Mahapatra, and S.K. Singh (IAS Retd.) emphasised that genuine decentralisation requires transferring the “three Fs” — Finance, Functions, and Functionaries — to local governments. Participants also discussed Gurugram’s “parastatal puzzle” involving multiple agencies such as GMDA, HSIIDC, and HSVP, which often overlap in jurisdiction and delay civic delivery. 

On the financial front, Alok Shiromany, a municipal finance expert, called for modern accounting practices. “For a city managing thousands of crores in assets and expenditure, a traditional cash-based system is no longer viable. The MCG must adopt accrual-based accounting where every asset, liability, and service cost is transparently recorded. This is critical for performance-driven governance,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Gaurav Malik, president of Mission 7374 Foundation, said civic participation and transparent political funding were central to meaningful reform. “Gurugram’s future depends on reform capital — not rent capital. Political funding in Haryana has long been dominated by real estate and liquor interests. If professionals and entrepreneurs begin supporting reform-oriented politics transparently, this city can become a model of citizen-led governance,” he said. 

Foundation spokesperson Sunny Singh Daultabad said 150 citizen meetings would be held across Gurugram in the coming months to build public consensus on reforms, while R.C. Bidhan, Divisional Commissioner, Gurugram, lauded the event as “a rare example of collective civic introspection.” The foundation also announced plans to publish a Gurugram Governance Declaration for submission to the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and Urban Local Bodies Department.