City edit: Citizens' Charter is the way forward

Who decides what are the civic priorities for a particular ward in the city?
As things stand today, it is the corporators and the civic administration who have the greatest influence in deciding whether funds should be spent on constructing a fancy swimming pool, re-paving a good, functional footpath or introducing dividers on a newly-widenend road as a safety feature.

The residents of that ward are largely clueless of what projects are being initiated or given priority. Sometimes, a project coveted by a corporator runs aground when there is fierce public opposition and the matter becomes political, as happened in the case of the proposed Goodluck Chowk subway.

While interacting at DNA’s Your Locality, Your Voice initiative on Sunday, the residents of Mohammedwadi complained of a complete disconnect with their corporator. The corporator had never bothered to show any interest in the problems of the housing societies of the area, probably because, they largely don’t vote and are therefore irrelevant during the elections.

There is a need to make our corporators accountable to the locality that elects them. For this to become a reality, residents of housing societies have to first exercise their vote in large numbers to matter meaningfully to a candidate’s political existence.

As was suggested during DNA’s citizens’ meet, aspiring candidates should also be held accountable by the Residents’ Associations or Mohalla Committees in various localities, by presenting them with a Citizens’ Charter. The charter should list out the civic priorities needed in the area. Electoral support should be extended to that corporator who shows the greatest promise of fulfilling the charter.

This is the way forward as we prepare for the 2012 Pune civic polls.