CHENNAI: "Reduce push factor from villages, reduce pull factor for cities." This was one of the messages at a workshop on public expenditure and delivery of services in the urban sector.

M. Anandakrishnan, chairman of the Madras Institute of Development Studies, said 20 mega cities had been created "at the cost of rural development." This triggered migration from rural to urban areas for livelihood.

To reverse the trend, urban-like conditions should be created in villages.

This would also ease pressure on the limited resources in the urban areas.

Contending there was a correlation between the degree of urbanisation and the indices on socio, economic, human and educational development, Dr. Anandakrishnan said urbanisation was an irreversible process. There was a link between urbanisation and incidence of violence, conflict and discrimination.

A.N. Sachithanandan, president, Institute of Town Planners, said urbanisation was not possible without urban growth. Tirupur town had three lakh jobs, for which two lakh persons came from outside. This was possible due to a well-developed transport network.

To decongest Mount Road during peak hours, he suggested levying a tax on the lines of the congestion tax in central London.

G. Dattatri, trustee, SUSTAIN (Citizens' Alliance for Sustainable Living), suggested establishment of measurement indicators for development and service delivery.

He sought people's participation in planning, development and monitoring. There had to be incentives and opportunities for the development of housing and other urban services for low-income groups.

T.S. Kannan, former chairman of the National Small Industries Corporation, asked why all research organisations in the fields of economics and science should be located in mega cities. Adequate investment had not been made in the application of new technologies in the construction industry.

Unregulated water market

S. Janakarajan, professor, MIDS, said even after investing hundreds of crores in Chennai water supply schemes, the per capita supply was among the lowest in the country — 76 litres a day. Groundwater in the fringe areas was being heavily drawn and an unregulated water market had emerged.

The city water courses — Cooum, Adyar and Buckingham Canal — still had numerous sewage inlet points.

K. Venkataraman, chairman, Public Expenditure Roundtable, said his organisation would organise a workshop at Madras University on August 29 on rethinking the approaches to the delivery of public services.

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