DNA asks experts on governance, education, environment, public transport and roads, and health to rate the manifestos on five parameters
With political parties making a slew of promises in their manifestos ahead of the BMC elections on February 21, DNA asks experts on governance, education, environment, public transport and roads, and health to rate the manifestos on five parameters — how realistic or achievable the promises are, whether the promises made are actually the need of the hour for the city, how much of an impact they will have on citizens’ lives, how novel the ideas are, and the overall emphasis given to each sector.
For each of the five sectors, domain experts were asked to rate each parameter on a score of 10 each to arrive at a total score of 50 for each party.
Governance
DM Sukthankar, (Master of Commerce, IAS (1956) retired as Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra in August 1990. Mr Sukthankar held several key portfolios in the Government of Maharashtra, including that of Secretary of Education Department and Industries Department. He was Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA and Municipal Commissioner of Greater Mumbai May 1981 to November 1984. He was also Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India from June 1986 to August 1988. He is recognised as an expert on issues related to urban development and management and has been associated with the housing sector for a number of years. He is Chairman and Managing Trustee of Action for Good Governance and Networking in India (AGNI), Trustee of NGO Alliance for Governance and Renewal (NAGAR).
Each manifesto reflects a satisfactory level of awareness of the problems plaguing the city and the expectations of Mumbaikars from the local government (MCGM).
They have elements of populism (the promise of exemption from property tax to dwelling units having an area of 500 sq ft or less), reflect a general lack of pragmatism about what can be achieved, lack any suggestions for resource mobilisation (in the absence of which most of the promises bandied about are likely to remain only on paper), display internal contradictions (proclaiming to eschew any emotional issue whatsoever and yet talking of promoting Marathi Asmita) owing to ‘political compulsions’. Barring maybe the BJP manifesto, the other manifestos lack awareness about what needs to be done to ensure good governance.
Roads and City Commute
Shiv Sena
Promises
- To construct coastal road from Nariman Point to Dahisar
- To build Goregaon-Mulund Link Road as an east-west connector
- To initiate mechanised concretisation of roads
- To merge BEST budget with BMC
- To introduce midi buses
- To introduce electric buses
- To introduce single smart card for buses, metro and local trains, among others
Congress
An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 1965 batch, Ranganathan held some of the most prestigious positions in the state government in his 37 years as a bureaucrat. He was the former commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and also chief secretary to the state government. He is now associated with the K J Somaiya Trust.
—Dr V Ranganathan, IAS retired
Promises
- To concretise all roads in seven years
- To constitute an engineering team for roads in each ward
- To constitute a road doctor unit in all wards to attend to potholes
- To conduct independent audit of all roads
- To study traffic patterns, bottlenecks, and find remedies
Expert speak
In order to better the roads in Mumbai, and in turn improve commute of the Mumbaikar, it is necessary to have a technical manual with standards and specifications that will have to be followed strictly. Engineers, be it of the corporation or the contractors, have to be trained in this manual. Reputed institutes like IIT, VJTI and the like, must inspect the roads as part of the third-party audit. Most importantly, BMC engineers must be on site when roads are laid.
BJP
Promises
- To ensure pothole-free roads and abolish street tax in next five years
- To double FSI and financial help to people whose buildings obstruct road widening works
- To construct 250 km of new elevated roads
- To build underground parking space at stations, bus depots and municipal buildings, among others
- To revive SATIS
Education
Shiv Sena
Promises
- To introduce a digital library for college students who don’t have a dedicated place to study
- To start business and skill-oriented education for the youth
- To start self defense training centres across civic schools
- To provide nutritious meals in BMC schools
- To give civic school students preference for jobs in BMC
- To introduce BMC music academy in all wards
Expert speak
The thrust on skill development and the introduction of a music academy are good initiatives. However, the party has not laid emphasis on pre-primary education, teachers’ training, special education, sports and hygiene.
Congress
She has been an educator for the last 32 years. She has compared the education policy of 39 nations and is actively involved in helping school managements and teachers enhance the quality of teaching and learning by understanding brain development and global quality standards. The ECA had given its charter of demands to all political parties for the upcoming elections.
—Swati Popat,
Vats is President of Early Childhood Association ( ECA India) and President of Podar Education Network
Promises
- To ensure BMC schools adhere to RTE standards
- To re-open schools that were closed
- To maintain civic school buildings
- To fill teaching positions at all levels in civic schools
- To forge ahead with the International School Project
Expert speak
The party has not made any provision for balwadi or pre-primary schools, nor have they talked about upgrading teachers’ training facilities. The party has not made any mention of improving hygiene, improving infrastructure or introducing a sports programme in their manifesto. There are no provisions for differently-abled children.
BJP
Promises
- To start a special education school in all wards, and a free bus service for students
- To increase number of Marathi schools and students
- To initiate digital attendance to check absenteeism
- To increase knowledge, provide modern educational techniques through digital classrooms
Expert speak
Why has the party stressed on opening more Marathi medium schools when parents want to enroll their wards in English medium schools? The party has failed to propose a solution to this problem. Digital attendance will not be able to curb absenteeism in schools, it will only help supervise attendance.
The party should be lauded for laying emphasis on special education and skill development. However, there is no provision for teachers’ training facilities.
Environment SECTOR
Shiv Sena
Promises
- To renovate gardens and develop new ones, traffic islands to be beautified
- To build recreation centers for senior citizens
- To build playgrounds for sports
- To introduce scientific processing of waste at Deonar dumping ground
- To conduct large scale tree plantation to increase green cover and improve air quality
- To install air purifying equipment at various locations in the city
- To form special cells to counter trees that have been infested by pests and manage tree-trimming
- To protect status of green zone of Aarey colony under the new DP
Expert speak
The Manifesto looks like it is more connected to the ground issues and is providing practical solutions, which can be easily implemented if pushed.
Congress
Stalin D has been crusading against several key issues related to the environment not only in and around Mumbai, but also across Maharashtra for over a decade now. He is fighting several litigations as well as cases in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), including getting Aarey Colony notified as a green zone, the removal of concrete bases of trees as well as fighting land sharks who are destroying mangroves.
—Stalin D, Environmentalist and Director of Projects Vanashakti
Promises
- To ensure all open spaces come under BMC’s control, and create a special cell for the maintenance
- To give citizens free entry to all open spaces
- To move all three dumping grounds out of Mumbai
- To develop waste management facilities as per international standards and generate gas, energy, and compost
- To implement sewerage treatment plants
Expert speak
The Congress is totally clueless and have not even touched upon basic environmental issues completly missing out on crucial issues plaguing Mumbai. They are still in the 90’s mode promising water and housing.
BJP
Promises
- To implement garbage segregation, E-garbage management system and 24/7 garbage collection drive across Mumbai
- To make alternative arrangements for exhausting dumping grounds in the city
- To provide free water and electricity to public toilets in slums
- To use LED for all street lights on main roads and junctions
- To implement use of non-conventional source of energy like Solar and Wind in civic offices and complexes
- To initiate action against those violating environment norms
- To use satellite imaging and drones for protection of mangroves and wetlands
- To develop mangrove parks in Mulund, Charkop, and Dahisar
- To conduct a large scale tree plantation and introduce tree adoption scheme
- To map noise levels by placing sound cutters and absorbers, and maintaining 1503 silence zones
- To expedite working of Byculla zoo and provide better facilities.
- To develop 23 theme parks/gardens.
Expert speak
BJP does not seem to have looked into the practical and applicable aspects of what they have proposed. They have stuck to making things look good on paper. It looks like they have picked up many points from environment consultant proposals.
HEALTH SECTOR
Shiv Sena
Promises
The Shiv Sena has made a number of promises in its manifesto. Here is the party’s intentions for the health sector:
- To provide a Balasaheb Thackeray Health shield to residents who do not benefit under current state government health schemes
- To start a medical college at Shatabdi Hospital in Govandi
- To start a cath lab facility at Cooper Hospital
- To start a new hospital for diabetes treatment
- To provide medical facilities to the elderly at their doorstep
- To open centres distributing generic medicines at all civic hospitals
- To provide sanitary napkin vending machines in public toilets for women
Expert speak
The manifesto lays minimal emphasis on primary care despite repeated past promises to provide more health insurance. The manifesto promises mirror Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s current health scheme.
Opening more medical colleges and tertiary care hospitals will not be beneficial, without laying emphasis on care continuum or improving existing facilities.
Distributing generic drugs and providing care to the elderly at their doorstep are good initiatives, but implementation remains a challenge for the party. The Shiv Sena has put in very little thought in the manifesto as far as the health sector is concerned.
Congress
Dr Balasubramaniam is Senior Public Health Scientist and Director of the PHFI-Royal Norwegian Embassy’s Universal Health Coverage Initiative at the Public Health Foundation of India. She has experience in public for over 17 years. Her interests and expertise include health systems and services, public policy analysis and health tech innovation.
—Dr Priya Balasubramaniam, Senior Public Health Scientist, Public Health Foundation of India
Promises
- To increase the health budget for Maharashtra by 15 per cent
- To ensure all civic hospitals dispense free medicines
- To start mobile vans for medical assistance across all wards
- To ensure pregnant woman get access to free travel to hospitals
- To give free annual health check-up for women between 20 and 40
- To increase number of civic doctors and health workers andencourage private doctors to visit lend their services for free
Expert speak
The Congress manifesto is a re-hash of its previous attempts to garner votes. Increasing the health budget by 15 per cent in the state is a tall promise as the party has shown little inclination to invest more in the health sector in the state or Centre.
BJP
Promises
- To provide health cards for senior citizens for a free body check-up
- To conduct a health survey
- To start a radiology information system picture archival communication system in each tertiary care centre
- To start Mumbai Mahanagar Palika Health Insurance
- To provide each family with a health insurance cover of Rs 5L
- To build a new cancer centre and hospitals along the lines of KEM in the eastern and western parts of the city
- To start tele-medicine consultation
- To open a blood component lab and skin bank
- To introduce trauma centres across hospitals and dialysis centre in each hospital
- To open OPDs for impoverished patients from 7 pm to 10 pm
- To introduce a yoga centre, yogik healing and integrated medicine and treatment in each hospital ward
- To provide 500 more ventilators across city hospitals
- To renovate the TB hospital and open a hospital for HIV/AIDS patients
- To open a fixed deposit account of `5,000 if a girl child is born in a civic hospital, which can be accessed when she turns 18
Expert speak
This manifesto is detailed and features a few initiatives which if adequately implemented, might have a good impact on health outcomes in the city and state. There is overemphasis on investment in hospitals and tertiary care, and yet another insurance scheme which is rarely implemented. There is little emphasis on regulation and improving quality and access to healthcare.
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