Road renaming, not civic issues, top priority for corporators: NGO

The administration also failed to answer 34 per cent of issues raised through ‘point of order’ questions, which are crucial issues that might have suddenly cropped up.

Despite the BMC having recorded maximum civic complaints on roads, drainage, and solid waste management (SWM) in every ward last year, renaming roads and chowks still tops the list of questions raised by corporators in the civic body.

NGO Praja Foundation’s report on the working of ward committees in the city, data of most frequent civic complaints vis-a-vis questions asked by municipal councillors shows that while 42,287 questions (the highest recorded) are recorded for bad quality roads, maximum questions at 147, are raised for renaming roads Road renaming requests have increased by 15 per cent compared to 2012.

Last year, 19 of 227 corporators in the BMC did not raise a single question in any of the ward committee meetings throughout the year. According to Praja’s data, seven councillors have not raised a single question since their election to the corporation in 2012. Only 12 corporators raised more than 12 questions on several issues.
Meanwhile, the corporation has managed to close barely 44 per cent of the total 65,913 registered civic complaints in the year 2013, with two per cent complaints now in the process of redressal. The administration also failed to answer 34 per cent of issues raised through ‘point of order’ questions, which are crucial issues that might have suddenly cropped up.

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“Representatives are elected to communicate the grievances of their constituents to the civic administration and ensure that the complaints are addressed. Yet, year after year, renaming of roads seem to be the top agenda to tackle civic problems,” said Nitai Mehta, founder trustee of Praja Foundation.

According to the data, F/North (Matunga/Sion), F/South (Parel) and S ward (Bhandup) are the top three wards with the highest number of civic complaints in proportion to their population. While these wards have collectively registered 4,723 complaints on bad roads, corporators have asked barely 11 questions on the same. Similarly, while the wards have filed 969, and 442 complaints on drainage and SWM, corporators have hardly raised three and seven questions respectively on these in the civic body.
The report also revealed that while complaints on roads have increased by 41.1 per cent complaints of drainage and solid waste management have reduced by 21.5 per cent and 15.9 per cent respectively. Overall, civic complaints have increased by 10 per cent from 92,829 in 2012, to 102,388 in 2013.

“The increase in road complaints is primarily due to the new online potholes complaint system (www.voiceofcitizen.com). This emphasizes the need for a technologically advanced, centralised, user-friendly and effective complaints redressal mechanism for other civic issues as well,” said Milind Mhaske, project director.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com

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