Long term reforms needed for Mumbai and the state: Praja manifesto

Praja Foundation's manifesto for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra is in alignment with sustainable development goals.

Praja, the NGO which works to ensure government accountability, has released a target based manifesto for reforms in Maharashtra for the upcoming assembly elections. The manifesto is designed to empower local governments as they are best placed  to understand and resolve local urban issues.

It outlines four major urban governance reforms, each with clearly identified goals, issues and targets which are in alignment with the sustainable development goals.

Urban governance reforms

  • Empowered City Elected Representatives and Legislative Structure: Empowered governance leads to effective governance. This requires urgent measures like timely and regular municipal elections and training for councillors.
  • Service delivery: Devolution of power will enhance the performance of the local government by putting power into their hands. Along with this the city government should be the single planning authority.
  • Citizens engagement: Creation of a Citizen Participation Forum and an open data portal  will allow for communication and a feedback loop between the public and the local governance, leading to better accountability.
  • Municipal finance: A standardised accounting standard recommended by the National Municipal Accounting Manual (NMAM) and a Municipal Dashboard with financial information will foster transparency and accountability.

Read more: Praja Report Card: How Mumbai voters can check their MLA’s performance


Measures to deal with climate change

  • To tackle climate change, the government should initiate urban greening measures, disaster resilience planning, sustainable urban transport, take the effort to reduce air pollution, and maintain accurate environmental reports.

Mumbai needs attention

  • Urban and town planning: A plan for sustainable development which provides equal access to everyone to safe housing, green spaces and basic amenities, and the creation of a local area development plan (LAD).
  • Economic and urban poverty alleviation: To alleviate poverty it is necessary  to Improve livelihoods and create a safe working environment for all workers, including migrant workers.
Mumbai skyline at night
A part of Praja’s manifesto for the assembly elections in Maharashtra focuses on improvements required in Mumbai. Pic: Cididity Hat via Wikimedia Commons
  • Mobility: Creating a robust public transport system, will provide access to sustainable affordable means of transport and  enhanced road safety. This can be done with a   holistic plan with a focus on road safety and repairing of bridges and skywalks.
  • Water supply: The government should ensure water supply of at least six hours to both formal and informal settlements. 
  • Sewerage: The administration must get 100% sewerage in STPs treated to reduce water pollution and prevent waterborne diseases. With this, they should ensure accessible and safe public toilets with electricity, sewerage and water supply.
  • Public health: It is an urgent need to design plans to end epidemics like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis and to fight communicable and water borne diseases and to create awareness about non-communicable lifestyle related diseases.
  • Solid waste management: It is imperative to implement 100% segregation of garbage at source with scientific disposal of waste.
  • Promotion of education: Learning outcomes will improve by making sure students of all genders get free and quality education, by improving teacher-to-student ratio, and by the creation of school management committees to ensure accountability.

Policing, law and order

  • Law and order can be improved via effective implementation of reforms in the police department, filling in vacant positions, improving  CCTV surveillance in high-risk regions, and by establishing a robust cybercrime unit by use of improved technology and collaboration with national and international agencies. 

The manifesto sets out clear targets to be achieved from 2024 to 2029 by the government which will be elected in the upcoming assembly elections.

You can read the full manifesto here.

Also read:



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Similar Story

How resettlement takes a toll on social pension beneficiaries in Chennai

Resettlement to housing board sites can have dire consequences for the urban poor, and the loss of welfare benefits is one of them.

"I haven't got my pension for four years. I don’t know why," says Jayanti, a woman with disabilities resettled at the Perumbakkam housing board site. Jayanti, originally from Thousand Lights, was evicted in 2017. Shortly after relocation, she stopped receiving her pension. With limited livelihood opportunities due to her disability and the loss of her husband, she is entirely dependent on the ₹1,500 from the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). The NSAP is a Central government-sponsored, non-contributory, income transfer scheme implemented by the Tamil Nadu Department of Revenue. It provides basic monetary support to the elderly, widowed, and persons with…

Similar Story

Praja Report Card: How Mumbai voters can check their MLA’s performance

Understanding your MLA's duties and evaluating his performance over the tenure can go a long way in ensuring better service delivery.

As Maharashtra assembly elections draw closer, all one gets to hear about is political clashes, leaders switching parties, candidates promising the moon and more and an overall atmosphere of unreal declarations amidst unbelievably high decibel campaigns.  In this cacophony, Mumbaikars, who are notorious for lukewarm voting patterns, may feel more distant than ever. The city has been in a state of perpetual construction and redevelopment activities with several infrastructure projects such as the Coastal Road and Metro phase III going on. Pollution has worsened and so have condition of roads and overall quality of life.   Some of this may be…