Seeking citizen-first approach, NGO wants councillors to focus on pedestrian safety and redressal of grievances, among other things
The BMC headquarters in Fort. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE
Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Elections, the Mumbai North Central District Forum (MNCDF), an NGO representing diverse communities across Mumbai, have made a 30-point list of citizen-centric needs to be placed in front of all candidates contesting the elections.
These demands reflect the collective aspirations of citizens for a transparent, accountable, and people-centric civic administration, built on dignity, safety, and sustainability. The aim is to ensure that the city’s governance is done keeping in mind the fundamental needs of the citizens.
The citizens forum’s demands
1 Municipal corporators must compel BMC’s PRO department to rework its grievance redressal mechanism to make complaint resolution via social media robust, time-bound, and accountable.
2 Councillors must push for a secure, multilingual portal for lodging anonymous complaints, with whistleblower protection
3 Corporators must hold monthly citizen forum meetings with mandatory attendance of ward officers. Unresolved complaints must be escalated to BMC commissioner’s ‘sabhas’
4 Constitute a committee to conduct annual independent audits of BMC departments’ redressal of grievances. Bring transparency by setting up a 24x7 multilingual helpline.
5 Prioritise pedestrian safety and accessibility in urban planning by implementing the pedestrian-first policy in letter and spirit
6 Push for the creation of dedicated pedestrian zones, safe crossings, and universal accessibility standards.
7 Enforce strict criminal action against illegal hawkers and illegal encroachments on footpaths and roads. Corporators must refrain from protecting illegal hawkers.
8 Develop a policy framework for the removal, relocation, and rehabilitation of ‘Aarey shops/milk centres’ which are now being used to run illegal food stalls
9 Corporators must convene joint meetings with citizen forums, resident welfare associations, before any road concreting project to avoid re-digging of roads
10 Implement a zero-pothole policy with real-time reporting apps linked to contractor accountability. Corporators must coordinate to take criminal action regarding substandard quality
11 Install mobile public toilets across the city at densely populated tourist locations.
12 Coordinate with BMC and other authorities to enhance east-west connectivity and work to revamp the Khar subway
13 Appoint fresh ALMs to revive solid waste management initiatives at the source
14 Enforce SWM rules and laws in slums with penalties for non-compliance
15 Appoint marshals for the enforcement of SWM rules in slums
16 Address poor cleanliness, hygiene, infrastructure and shortage of manpower in municipal hospitals
17 Conduct mandatory annual audits of hygiene, equipment, medicines, and staffing levels in civic-run hospitals
18 Develop age-friendly infra, reserved hospital beds, transport concessions, digital ID cards for seniors
19 Establish mental health counselling centres in municipal hospitals and conduct awareness campaigns in BMC schools and communities
20 Monitor wards’ AQI in real time, and enforce stricter norms for construction dust and vehicular emissions
21 Enforce laws strictly on violation of air and noise mitigation guidelines issued by BMC for all construction sites
22 Relocate kabutarkhanas to designated non-residential areas with regulated feeding zones, and implement notification of the state government
23 Raise awareness that relocation of domesticated dogs and cats is illegal. Run sterilisation programmes in collaboration with reputable NGOs
24 Integrate BEST buses, Metro, and suburban rail with one app/smart card
25 Implement AI-enabled traffic signals and adopt a tech-driven approach to avoid malfunctions in traffic lighting, leading to traffic jams and accidents
26 Enforce the parking policy and provide a real-time parking availability app
27 Take strict action against illegal parking
28 Demand a process for mandated asset disclosure of all BMC officials, especially engineers
29 Provide digital classrooms in all BMC schools. Build infrastructure and manpower to enable AI skill development training
30 Develop accessible sports complexes, libraries, and cultural hubs in every zone
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