Policy paralysis grips civic body as the two parties oppose projects * Officials say they don't want to get caught in the crossfire
Development can wait. The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are busy fighting in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In all likelihood, it would continue till February 2017, when the civic body elections are due.
Over the last one year, every big-ticket policy has either been scrapped or put on hold. The first to be scrapped was the new Development Plan (DP), followed by the pay-and-park policy. The BMC's ambitious plan to install LED lights all over the city also has not taken off well, as the Sena is opposed to it.
Following protests from citizens, the BMC had to review its hawking zones policy too. The open spaces policy, which was put on hold by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday, is the latest casualty.
"It is unlikely that any policy will see the light of day. The atmosphere is too sensitive, politically. So we are also taking a back seat. Look at what happened to the LED project and the pay-and-park plan. They are held up indefinitely. Things seem set to stay like this," a senior civic official said.
While most policies and projects have been slammed by citizens groups and residents associations, the two parties have ensured that all new proposals get mired in one controversy or the other.
Key policies like the one to allow rooftop restaurants have been put on hold with the BJP rejecting the Sena-backed plan. Similarly, the Sena is opposed to the BJP's plan to allow night markets in the city.
"Opposition is the new buzzword. It is good to raise issues that concern people but parties are now opposing everything. This looks like an attempt to mobilise workers and create a space among residents. However, you can't have a paralysis forever," said PG Jogdand, sociology professor at the University of Mumbai.
"Parties must keep their differences aside and back policies that are in the city's interest. Anti-citizen policies must be opposed but politicisation of all policies is a worrying trend. We have opposed policies that are anti-citizens and wrong," Avkash Jadhav, a nominated Shiv Sena corporator and a history professor at St. Xavier's College, said.
BMC officials don't want to get caught in the crossfire. "We don't want to be entangled in political games. So, we are keeping away from controversies. In the end, officials are caught between the crossfire between parties." another senior official said.
"It looks like the situation will only go from bad to worse," he said.
Will the two parties at least agree on this?
Hit by policy paralysis
DP: Scrapped and now being reviewed
LED lighting: On hold
Hawking zones: Being reviewed by BMC
Pay-and-park policy: Stayed by state govt
Rooftop restaurants: Deferred in BMC
Night markets policy: Deferred in BMC
Nightlife policy: Pending with state government
Open spaces policy: Stayed by CM, under review
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