Noida Dialogue
An initiative of Democratic Outreach for Social Transformation, DOST
Ashok Pradhan | Shri Ashok Pradhan in addition to his role of a political leader is also a deep rooted social worker. By virtue of his vast experience in public life and close engagement with cross-section of society, his vision about Noida is quite pragmatic. To set the context, Mr.Pradhan highlights that, Industrial Development Act of 1976 states that every city should have its own municipal corporation but Noida is still without a municipal corporation. He draws attention to the fact that NOIDA authority was originally envisaged to support industrialization. However, with passage of time, Noida has organically grown into a metropolitan with significant growth of human population and obvious commercial as well as residential properties. Thus, in his Vision 2013 for Noida, he strongly advocates need of institutionalization of ‘Civic body for Noida’ viz. Noida Municipal Corporation .He further elaborates that this civic body should fulfill new demand of Noida with relatively less involvement of bureaucracy and more active engagement between Noida residents & their elected public representatives (councilors, corporators ). Mr. Pradhan stresses that Noida Municipal Corporation should handle essential functions like sanitation, fogging, horticulture etc. and let Noida authority focus on development work. Additionally, Mr. Pradhan suggests that there is crucial lack of measures in terms of solid waste management, owing to which garbage is spotted on the roads of the city. Mr. Pradhan acknowledges that Noida has unique advantage in terms of urban & regional planning and it will grow further in terms of people and essential infrastructure. Accordingly, by the year 2030 ,Noida requires a good traffic order which is possible with a more closely engaged ecosystem of Government Authorities and residents of the city.