Urban20 event: Mayors seek uniformity of tenure, more power

In some states, the mayoral tenure is one year while it is two-and-half years in some places, and there is need for uniformity, All India Council of Mayors president Madhuri Patel said.Patel, who is mayor of Burhanpur city in Madhya Pradesh, was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Urban20 or U20, a one-day event held here on the theme Redesigning Urban Governance for Indian Cities, which was attended by 300 representatives from 25 states.

The All India Council of Mayors on Thursday demanded uniformity in the tenure of first persons of cities and more power to run civic bodies. In some states, the mayoral tenure is one year while it is two-and-half years in some places, and there is need for uniformity, All India Council of Mayors president Madhuri Patel said.

Patel, who is mayor of Burhanpur city in Madhya Pradesh, was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of Urban20 or U20, a one-day event held here on the theme 'Redesigning Urban Governance for Indian Cities', which was attended by 300 representatives from 25 states. ''We are people's representatives and we will pass a resolution seeking more powers for mayors,'' Patel said.

Ahmedabad mayor Kirit Parmar, who will be the president of the next U20 meet, said discussions will be held on challenges over the next 50 years of potable water, effluents, and migration to cities from rural areas.

Urban 20 or U20 is a diplomacy initiative comprising cities from G20 countries and strives to establish a lasting practice of engagement to develop a collective message that emphasizes the role of cities in taking forward the sustainable development agenda.