The Mumbai North Central District Forum (MNCDF), an NGO, has released a Citizen Charter for candidates contesting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. The charter has a 30-point roadmap and asks for a change from publicity-driven practices to a transparent and accountable civic administration.
One of the main demands of the charter is a complete shift in BMC’s grievance redressal system, which also includes complaints handled through social media. The forum said that earlier contracts with public relations agencies reduced accountability. It has asked for current PR agency agreements to be revised.
The new system should have independent citizen oversight and fixed timelines for resolving complaints.
1. Stronger Grievance Handling
The charter also calls for strong monitoring of grievance handling. It demands mandatory monthly review meetings at the BMC headquarters. Ward officers are required to attend citizen forum meetings organised by municipal corporators. If complaints remain unresolved, they must be escalated to the sabhas of the municipal commissioner.
2. Protection for Whistleblowers
To protect those who report wrongdoing, the forum has proposed a secure complaint platform for whistleblowers. The portal should allow anonymous complaints and support multiple languages.
3. Language inclusive access
Along with this, the charter asks for a round-the-clock multilingual helpline to improve access.
4. Independent Supervision
The forum has also demanded independent checks on civic functioning. It has called for the formation of a committee to conduct impartial audits of the systems across all BMC departments. These audits are meant to assess how complaints are handled and whether timelines are followed.
5. Encroachments and Road Damages
The forum has raised concerns about encroachments and road damage. It has taken a firm stand against illegal encroachments and demanded action against hawkers operating without permission. It also called for prosecution of hawkers who have turned into illegal food vendors. The charter further asked for the relocation of Aarey milk centres.
6. Coordination for Road Works
The forum suggested better coordination before road works begin. It proposed joint consultations between utility agencies and resident welfare associations before any road is concretised.
7. Environment Related Services
The charter also outlines reforms in health and environment-related services. It calls for the setting up of mental health counselling clinics in the city. It also demands mandatory annual audits of staffing levels and sanitation in public hospitals.
8. Control on Noise and Air
The forum has asked for strict enforcement of noise control rules at construction sites. It has also proposed real-time monitoring of air quality, with ward-wise data on the Air Quality Index made available.
Urban planning reforms form another major focus of the charter. Through this Citizen Charter, the MNCDF has laid out a detailed set of demands for candidates contesting the civic elections.
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