Political parties show scant concern for poll manifestoes, says report -Governance Now

Political parties show scant concern for poll manifestoes, says report

Data reveals that from 2011 to 2013, the number of complaints dramatically increased from 1,538 to 38,279 in Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai.

GN Bureau | April 12, 2017

#Mumbai #civic complaints #municipal councillors #election manifesto #Praja foundation #pot holes

Political parties have failed to keep the promises that were made in the election manifestoes, noted a Praja Foundation report.

The report has pointed towards scant concern of political parties on issues taken up during elections. An analysis has also been carried out about the party manifestoes and comparing them with the questions asked by the parties on the same issues over n the last five years.

The analysis shows that although the BJP highlighted and emphasised on the issues of potholes on roads, its corporators asked only 18 questions about potholes. Similarly the Shiv Sena had asked only three questions on road tendering, indicating lack of intention to deliver on their promises.

Naming and renaming of roads and squares appeared by far to be the biggest concern of Mumbai’s councillors. In 2016, out of 351 questions that were asked, 263 questions were on naming/renaming of roads or squares.

Findings show that approximately 1 out of every 6 questions asked by councillors from March 2012 to December 2016 were on naming/renaming of roads, leaving little room for many issues of public importance. As many as 88 Councillors asked up to 5 questions and less every year from March 2012 to December 2016 in the ward committees.

Councillors Ujjwala Modak and Jyotsna Parmar had asked no questions in five years in the ward committees.

Contrary to the grouse of lack of citizen participation, Praja’s analysis also highlights that in 2011 when Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) launched its ‘Voice of Citizens’ mobile application, complaints related to roads and potholes shot up.

Data reveals that from 2011 to 2013, the number of complaints dramatically increased from 1,538 to 38,279. The application was later discontinued and this number dropped. As many as 39% complaints were pending at the end of 2016.

“It can be seen that when citizens were given an opportunity to air their grievances, they did so in large numbers,” said the ‘Report on Civic Issues Registered by Citizens and Deliberations Done by Municipal Councillors in Mumbai’.

“One heartening statistic is that in 61% of cases where complaints were actually filed, the MCGM responded by providing a ‘service’. Citizens need to take the initiative to consistently engage with the municipal corporation on issues which affect their daily lives” said Nitai Mehta, founder and managing trustee, Praja Foundation.

Read: Praja’s white paper

Comments

Other News

Dharmendra Pradhan tenders resignation

Dharmendra Pradhan, education minister at the centre of the storm of the NEET paper leak, offered his resignation to the prime minister on Saturday. He posted a two-page letter on X, saying he was pained by the events of the last ten days. "This is not a matter of personal

Cabinet approves scheme of chemical parks

The union cabinet chaired by the PM has approved Bharat Audyogik Vikas Yojana Rasayan or BHAVYA - Rasayan Scheme for establishing three dedicated Chemical Parks in the country. The Scheme was announced in the Union Budget of FY 2026–27. The Scheme will have a total financ

Anurag Jain, IAS appointed as Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog

Anurag Jain, a 1989-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITI Aayog for a two-year term after serving as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh. A distinguished administrator with extensive experience in infrastructure, industrial de

Shri Ashok Barnwal, IAS has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh

Ashok Barnwal, a 1991-batch IAS officer of the Madhya Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, succeeding Anurag Jain following his appointment as CEO of NITI Aayog. Prior to assuming the state`s top bureaucratic position, Barnwal served as Additional Chief Secretar

PM announces fast-track courts for paper leak cases

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stated that the government has decided to set up fast-track courts to ensure swift and stringent punishment for those involved in paper leaks. Emphasising that nothing is more important than the welfare and future of the youth, he noted that h

Making India’s textile & apparel sector sustainable

India’s textile and apparel sector sits at the heart of the economy but is constrained by traditional manufacturing approach. It contributes close to 2% of GDP and around 11% of manufacturing gross value added, with GDP share expected to reach 5% by the end of the decade. The sector employs around 45