Now that the dust has settled on the municipal elections, it is time to turn to the work at hand for Pune’s new municipal body.
The BJP emerged as a clear winner in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections on its development agenda. If development is the party’s mantra, then there is no time to waste.
There are many issues which need to be tackled on a war footing to make Pune a city of choice.
These include: Poor state of the roads; traffic congestion; garbage clearance; improving public transport; speeding up the metro project; better streetlights; protecting the environment, ensuring proper water supply and promoting a clean Pune.
There is much promised before the elections. But these issues are often neglected once parties come to power. Now that the citizens of Pune have given the green signal to the BJP, they expect things to move quickly.
“We are fed up of promises all the time. Once these politicians get power, their attention turns elsewhere,” says Rohit Mahajan, who works in the IT industry.
“Pune has grown tremendously in the last few years and we need to improve the infrastructure to meet the demand for services,” he said. “The roads are among the worst in the country. With no clear policy on one-ways, there are traffic jams everywhere.
“Pune has a very poor public transport system. The buses never keep time and waiting is futile. Once a proper system is in place, the traffic will reduce normally. “This issue must be tackled soon as travelling is already a nightmare in the city,” he added.
“The garbage issue is getting worse by the day. I use the smaller roads in Camp and there is filth everywhere. Who is responsible for this?” says Vinita Shetty, who works in the City Area. “If the civic body cannot remove garbage then what is the use of voting them in?
“I sincerely hope that the new bunch of corporators focus on this immediately and get the city to look clean and free of diseases.”
“Is there any point in asking them to do anything?” says Shalini Mehta, a top ranked executive with a property company.
“They wake up only when the elections get near. Otherwise they do nothing. No point in voting for them,” she said.
“I haven’t seen any change whatsoever in the last few years. The roads are horrible, the traffic unruly and the garbage still lies everywhere. It is a blessing if the streetlights work.
“I have stopped having faith in anybody. There is no accountability,” she added. However, Ravi G, a shop owner, is optimistic that the new lot of officials will do something good.
“I voted for the BJP because I think they are doing good all over the country. They won a clear mandate in Pune and I am sure that they will do their job sincerely,” he says. Vivek Pradhan, another shop owner, feels that it was high time that Pune witness action instead of promises.
“We don’t want speeches and promises from these officials. They must act promptly.
“Look at our roads, they are in disarray. There is no cleanliness. Certain areas in the city stink and one can’t even go there. “I live near Undri and I still don’t get water leave alone drinking water. Pune seems to have regressed as far as basic amenities are concerned,” he adds. “I hope and pray that something will happen this time.”
Sakshi Tiwari, a technie, hates Pune for its constant power failure. “There are some areas in Pune where having lights all day is a lottery. Is Pune still in the Dark Ages? “I mean, we are in the 21st century and talking about new technology, etc. What’s the use if the authorities don’t provide electricity,” she said.
“Try calling the power company. You will be lucky if they pick up. Even if they do, their promise of reaching in 15 minutes stretches into several hours!”
“I hope that the new lot throw some light into our lives,” she adds…
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