KOCHI: In the backdrop of reports about the potential dissolution of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), there are increasing calls to upgrade its status to a Metropolitan Development Authority (MDA). The proposal aims to strengthen the organisation’s role in urban development rather than dissolving it.
Recently, GCDA raised the demand at the meeting of the seventh State Finance Commission.
During the meeting, GCDA chairman K Chandran Pillai explained the major projects undertaken by the agency, past achievements, significant changes in the authority’s operations due to constitutional amendments, major ongoing projects, progress of operations and the need to sustain and empower the authority for future development. The commission chairman KN Harilal responded that the demands of GCDA would be considered and discussions would be held in this regard.
There was also a demand to grant GCDA the authority to issue municipal bonds for implementing various projects for local bodies. Other demands presented to the Finance Commission included providing govt grants for implementing and maintaining public infrastructure projects, granting funds for implementing modern planning tools like land pooling and transit-oriented development (TOD), streamlining provisions for receiving centage charges from local bodies within GCDA’s jurisdiction, thereby assisting in feasibility studies and preparing detailed project reports for local body projects.
Additionally, there were requests for exempting GCDA from local fund audit fees, building tax, and land tax, appointing a finance officer to improve financial discipline and manage financial matters effectively, and including the Kerala Town and Country Planning Act 2016 and Kerala Development Authority Rule 2015 within the consideration scope of the Kerala Finance Commission.
