Mumbai: Citizen groups invite netas to meets, seek civic assurances | Mumbai News
MUMBAI: On the last weekend before the city votes, citizen groups across Mumbai are stepping up efforts to directly engage electoral candidates, pushing them to commit publicly to transparency, accountability and long-pending civic demands.From voter manifestos and citizens’ charters to interactive town halls, resident associations and NGOs are using the final weekend before polling to put candidates on the spot and seek written assurances on local issues.In G North ward, which includes parts of Dadar and Mahim, residents drew up a detailed ‘voters’ manifesto’ and collected nearly 400 signatures. On Saturday, the residents will hold a public ‘Meet Your Candidate’ event at Shivaji Park. The voters’ manifesto calls regular, pre-scheduled ward meetings, public disclosure of questions raised and decisions taken in the BMC, and clear sharing of ward budgets, allocations and expenditure.NGO AGNI has organised a ‘Meet Your Candidate’ interaction on Jan 10 at the Radio Club in Colaba, where voters will have an open forum to engage with candidates contesting the polls.In Juhu, the Gulmohar Area Societies Welfare Group prepared a comprehensive citizens’ charter demanding stricter enforcement of civic norms in Gulmohar and JVPD. The charter seeks a ban on the parking of commercial vehicles in internal lanes, eviction of unlicensed hawkers with proper implementation of hawking zones, and a prohibition on cooking on footpaths and roads. It also calls for compliance by construction sites and developers with pollution, noise, parking and open-space norms.Residents of Madh Island and the neighbouring villages of Erangle, Aksa and Marve wrote to Congress candidate Sangeeta Koli, seeking firm commitments. The registered body, The Villages Welfare Foundation (TVWF), flagged demands such as construction and maintenance of the Versova-Madh Island bridge, improved coastal road connectivity, a walk-over bridge across the creek, and a full-fledged hospital, police and fire services.
