Mayor Saurabh Joshi signs MoUs with Mayors of Guwahati, Kolhapur and Gangtok to boost exchange of municipal best practices

Chandigarh, October 6:- Chandigarh Mayor Sh. Saurabh Joshi signed expressions of intent with the Mayors of Guwahati, Kolhapur and Gangtok to promote inter-city cooperation and exchange of innovative municipal best practices.

The Expressions of Intent were signed with Mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation Sh. Mrigen Sarania, Mayor of Kolhapur Smt. Ruparani Sangramsinh and Mayor of Gangtok Municipal Corporation Sh. Tshering Palden Bhutia on October 6, 2026, in Chandigarh, on the occasion of the 118th All India Mayors Conference.

The initiative aims to establish a platform for mutual learning, knowledge sharing and exchange of innovative municipal practices among the participating cities. It will facilitate interaction between elected representatives, municipal officers, technical personnel and other functionaries to understand successful civic initiatives and explore their adaptation to local requirements.

As part of the exchange programme, participating cities will share experiences and best practices in areas including urban cleanliness, solid waste management, environmental sustainability, public spaces, citizen-centric services, digital governance and innovative approaches to urban development.

During their visit to Chandigarh, the participating Mayors and delegates gained insights into various municipal initiatives and civic facilities, including the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), Pink Material Recovery Facility (MRF), public parks and gardens, Sukhna Lake, Rose Garden, Capitol Complex and other important public spaces and civic facilities.

The visiting Mayors appreciated Chandigarh’s initiatives and expressed interest in learning from the city’s experience in technology-enabled governance, waste management, environmental sustainability, cleanliness and citizen-oriented municipal services.

The Expression of Intent also provides for professional interaction and exposure visits, enabling municipal officials and technical teams to study innovative practices on the ground and exchange practical solutions to common urban challenges.

Mayor Saurabh Joshi said that regular virtual discussions and online knowledge-sharing programmes would also be organised under the exchange initiative, providing participating Municipal Corporations an opportunity to share updates, experiences and innovative solutions without waiting for physical visits. He said that such continuous engagement would help cities learn from each other and facilitate the adoption of successful municipal practices according to local requirements.

The Mayor further said that Chandigarh would continue to share its successful municipal practices with other cities while also learning from innovative initiatives being undertaken by Municipal Corporations across the country.

The participating Municipal Corporations expressed their shared intent to maintain continued institutional engagement and cooperation for mutual learning and improvement in urban governance and municipal service delivery.

The Expressions of Intent are intended to facilitate mutual learning, professional cooperation and exchange of municipal best practices and do not create legally binding obligations on the participating Municipal Corporations.

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‘Chandigarh Sankalp’ Calls for Empowered Mayors, Stronger Cities and Viksit Bharat @2047

Two-Day All India Mayors Conference Concludes in Chandigarh with Call for greater powers, five-year tenure and financially strong urban local bodies

Chandigarh, October 6:- The two-day 118th All India Mayors Conference and National Executive Meeting of the All India Mayors Council concluded in Chandigarh today with Mayors from across the country unanimously adopting the ‘Chandigarh Sankalp’ – “Sashakt Mahapaur • Sashakt Shehar • Viksit Bharat”, giving a renewed call for empowered Urban Local Bodies and a stronger role for elected Mayors in shaping the future of Indian cities.

The conference witnessed detailed deliberations on strengthening urban governance, enhancing the administrative, functional and financial powers of Urban Local Bodies and ensuring an effective and meaningful role for elected representatives in municipal administration.

The participating Mayors called for a uniform five-year tenure for Mayors, greater financial autonomy for Urban Local Bodies and adequate powers and resources to enable cities to respond effectively to emerging urban challenges. The need for technology-driven governance, clean and sustainable urban development, inclusive growth, citizen participation and efficient delivery of civic services also figured prominently during the deliberations.

The conference also emphasised the importance of making cities financially self-reliant through innovative revenue-generation models, better resource management and stronger institutional capacity. The Mayors stressed that empowered cities are essential for achieving the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

A key outcome of the conference was the commitment to strengthen inter-city cooperation through regular knowledge-sharing, virtual discussions, professional interaction and exchange of innovative municipal best practices. The initiative will enable cities to learn from successful models and adapt them to their local requirements.

The participating Mayors resolved to work collectively with the Government of India, State Governments and UT Administrations to strengthen urban governance and create clean, green, smart, sustainable and citizen-centric cities.

The conference concluded with a collective resolve that stronger Mayors, empowered Urban Local Bodies and active citizen participation will be the foundation for stronger cities and a stronger Viksit Bharat.

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