Chandivali citizens group to act as shadow corporator to track civic works

As part of the initiative, the citizens’ group will review the work carried out by the elected corporator and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC); track ward-level budgets and share simplified break-ups with residents; take up complaints with civic officials; and file Right to Information (RTI) applications as and when required

Mumbai: The Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA) on Sunday announced that it would function as a “shadow c​orporator” to independently monitor civic works, budgetary allocations and grievance redressal in L ward in Kurla. The initiative aims to improve accountability in civic administration without the group entering electoral politics.

The association’s intention is to act as a watchdog and flag gaps in implementation, misuse of funds and unresolved public complaints.

As part of the initiative, the citizens’ group will review the work carried out by the elected corporator and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC); track ward-level budgets and share simplified break-ups with residents; take up complaints with civic officials; and file Right to Information (RTI) applications as and when required. The association also plans to monitor whether projects listed in BMC work orders have actually been completed on site, in a bid to prevent payments for incomplete or non-existent works. The idea is to act as a watchdog and flag gaps in implementation, misuse of funds and unresolved public complaints, the association said.

Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of CCWA, said that the association had debated contesting elections but decided against it. “Electoral politics often becomes about winning elections and offering freebies. We believe this kind of work can be done without funds and without fighting elections, if citizens are vigilant and systematic,” he said.

The association will also be preparing an annual shadow report card for the ward, assessing utilisation of corporator funds, quality and durability of civic infrastructure, and the response rate to citizens’ grievances. The group also plans to document instances of alleged substandard work and raise them with authorities. “Every year, we will publish a report on grievances and fund utilisation. We are appealing to residents and other citizens’ associations to participate ward-wise,” Makkar said.

Makkar added that the group will begin with L ward in Kurla West, which covers Laxmanrao Yadav Market Building and S.V. Barve Marg, and gradually expand it to other wards. CCWA plans to rotate responsibilities among volunteers and create a portal to document complaints, follow-ups and responses from civic authorities, he added.