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Fiscal Health of Selected Indian Cities

Author

Listed:
  • Simanti Bandyopadhyay

    (NIPFP)

  • M. Govinda Rao

Abstract

The paper aims to assess the fiscal health of five urban agglomerations (UAs) in India viz. Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, and Pune. Our sample consists of five corporations and sixty three smaller Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) dispersed in thirteen districts of five major states. The main objective of the paper is twofold. First, to review the status of revenue generation and expenditure responsibilities of the constituent ULBs. Second, to assess the magnitudes of their fiscal gaps by estimating the expenditure needs and revenue capacities and give some useful recommendations to reduce these gaps. Data on ULB finances for the financial year 2004-05 collected through surveys are used for the analysis. For estimation of expenditure needs the updated financial norms on the selected services specified by Zakaria Committee are used as benchmarks. For revenue capacity estimations Gross City Products (GCPs) are estimated from non-agricultural components of the District Domestic Products (DDPs). Revenue capacities are estimated by applying a tax-to-GCP ratio, which is higher than that existing in a ULB by a politically feasible margin, on the estimated GCPs. The main findings suggest that excepting five small ULBs in Hyderabad, the others are not in a position to cover their expenditure needs by their present revenue collections. All the UAs have unutilised potentials for revenue generations but with the exception of one UA i.e, Hyderabad, all the others would fail to cover their expenditure needs, even if they realise their revenue potentials. In all the UAs, except Chennai, bigger corporations are more constrained than the smaller ULBs. Besides, concrete evidence in support of the efficiency of parastatal agencies in sharing the burden of responsibilities cannot be established. The paper recommends better utilisation of own revenue handles of the cities, by improved administration of the property taxes, implementation of other taxes, and collection of user charges. The option of state governments to allow the local bodies piggybacking a small proportion on their VAT collections can also be explored. Another way to reduce the fiscal gap would be to earmark a portion of the sales proceeds from land and housing by state governments sold through their development agencies for improvement in the infrastructure of the cities. The paper also recommends that the State Finance Commissions (SFCs) should develop appropriate norms for estimating expenditure needs based on which transfers from the state to local governments can be decided.

Suggested Citation

  • Simanti Bandyopadhyay & M. Govinda Rao, 2009. "Fiscal Health of Selected Indian Cities," Development Economics Working Papers 22970, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
  • Handle: RePEc:eab:develo:22970
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Roy Bahl, 1999. "Implementation Rules For Fiscal Decentralization," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper9803, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    2. Peter Mieszkowski & Edwin S. Mills, 1993. "The Causes of Metropolitan Suburbanization," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 7(3), pages 135-147, Summer.
    3. Mills, Edwin S. & Price, Richard, 1984. "Metropolitan suburbanization and central city problems," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Roy Bahl, 2017. "Metropolitan city finances in Asia and the Pacific region: issues, problems and reform options," MPDD Working Paper Series WP/17/04, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
    2. Simanti Bandyopadhyay, 2013. "Estimating Fiscal Health of Cities: A Methodological Framework for Developing Countries," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1319, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    3. Roy Bahl, 2012. "Metropolitan City Finances in India: Options for A New Fiscal Architecture," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1233, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    4. M. Govinda Rao & Richard M. Bird, 2011. "Coping with Change: The Need to Restructure Urban Governance and Finance in India," IMFG Papers 04, University of Toronto, Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance.
    5. Richard.M. Bird & M. Govinda Rao, 2010. "Urban Governance and Finance in India," Working Papers id:2495, eSocialSciences.
    6. Andrew Feltenstein & Nour Abdul-Razzak & Jeffrey Condon & Biplab Kumar Datta, 2015. "Tax Evasion, the Provision of Public Infrastructure and Growth: A General Equilibrium Approach to Two Very Different Countries, Egypt and Mauritius," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 24(suppl_2), pages 43-72.
    7. Simanti Bandyopadhyay, 2014. "Municipal Finance in India: Some Critical Issues," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1421, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    8. Soumyadip Chattopadhyay, 2015. "Financing India’s Urban Infrastructure," Journal of Infrastructure Development, India Development Foundation, vol. 7(1), pages 55-75, June.
    9. Simanti Bandyopadhyay, 2014. "Some New Thoughts on Performance Evaluation of Governments: An Application to Indian Cities," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1430, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    10. Simanti Bandyopadhyay, 2012. "Performance Evaluation of Urban Local Governments: A Case for Indian Cities," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1232, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    11. Simanti Bandyopadhyay, 2013. "Property Tax Reforms in India: A Comparison of Delhi and Bangalore," International Center for Public Policy Working Paper Series, at AYSPS, GSU paper1321, International Center for Public Policy, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University.
    12. Simanti Bandyopadhyay, 2015. "Financial management and service delivery: a nonparametric analysis for Indian cities," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(3), pages 721-751, May.
    13. Shah, Anwar, 2012. "Grant financing of metropolitan areas : a review of principles and worldwide practices," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6002, The World Bank.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Expenditure Needs; Revenue Capacity; Fiscal Gap;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H72 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Budget and Expenditures
    • H73 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Interjurisdictional Differentials and Their Effects
    • H76 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Other Expenditure Categories
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism
    • R51 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Finance in Urban and Rural Economies
    • R58 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Regional Government Analysis - - - Regional Development Planning and Policy

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