Shaina NC, BJP secretary and president of the civic and health cell on Tuesday organised a meeting with several NGOs and ALMs across the city.
Pressing issues concerning water, education, health, open spaces, municipal markets and provisions for senior citizens and the disabled were the focal points of the meeting, which was chaired by councillor Ashish Shelar and Karmayog's Vinay Somani. Shelar read out a 30-page manifesto that encapsulated all the major issues. Here's what was discussed at the meet.

On hawkers

Nayana Kathpalia, co-convenor of Citispace wanted to know the BJP's stand on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's implementation of the Supreme Court order on concerning hawkers. Kathpalia also said that the new market redevelopment policy is skewed.

"The municipal market is meant for the middle and the lower-middle class. But now a proposed policy will allow luxury items to be sold there, therefore, the ordinary citizen will lose out. This will also not serve the purpose of rehabilitating hawkers in municipal markets," said Nayana.

Shelar replied that the civic body would support the SC order and added, "Regarding municipal markets, Additional Municipal Commissioner Mau Kumar Srivastava's report gives suggestions for redevelopment."

Open Spaces

Meher Rafat, a member of Citispace, expressed concern on the caretaker route adopted for open spaces. "We want the caretaker policy repealed. Instead the adoption policy should be used, as otherwise parties adopt our spaces and build club houses and swimming pools there. We have a paltry 959 acres of open space left and once that goes our city will sink." To this Shelar said, "We could put forward a notice of motion to abolish the caretaker policy.”

On the disabled

Anita Prabhu, co-chairperson of ADAPT Right Group suggested, "Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, there is 3 per cent reservation for disabled children. So in addition to providing them with free uniforms, things like communication boards, computers, specially designed furniture and architectural modification of ramps and toilets should also be given. Also, there should be adequate publicity to let disabled people know about disabled-friendly buses." Here Shelkar said, "The BMC is also coming up with a big project on public toilets with provisions for the disabled."

On rooms for NGOs

Lina Sheth from Shraddha Charitable Trust aired her concern over the fact that the BMC doesn’t allow the use of their school rooms while teaching mentally challenged children. "Does the BMC have any space for NGOs to do their work?" she asked. Shelar said: "There is no law that BMC school rooms should be given to NGOs."

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