TOI : Now ratings mooted for wards, ward officers : Feb 18, 2007

Now ratings mooted for wards, ward officers
Ashley D'Mello | TNN

Mumbai: After a rating system for candidates in the BMC elections, it
appears to be the turn of municipal wards to be rated based on the
performance of civic officials and their response time to complaints.

    Though still at the discussion stage, the idea to introduce a rating
system which would reflect how well an area is maintained and the manner in
which civic officials perform their duties is being promoted by a group from
the HWest ward in Bandra.

    Ernest Fernandes, a management consultant and an active member of the
Advanced Locality Management (ALM) at St Andrews Road, Bandra, is among
those who have suggested the rating system to enable citizens to participate
more actively in the process of ward maintenance.

    Fernandes said ratings should be based on three parameters: information,
operations and complaints. On the information front, wards could be judged
based on signage available in an area-this would include maps showing

streets and civic facilities including hospitals and parks. On the
operations front, the ward could be rated depending on quality of services
like water supply and garbage collection. "And on the complaints front, the
rating would be on how effectively complaints are addressed and how
seriously the local area committee meetings are conducted,'' said Fernandes.
"It could be tried out in one of the wards and then extended to others if
found viable,'' he said.

    Gerson D'Cunha, convenor of AGNI, which had rated candidates for the BMC
elections, backs the concept of ratings. "The role of citizens after the
elections is to transform bad candidates into good corporators. What happens
to the Rs 25 lakh discretionary fund? How may local area committee meetings
have they attended? The rating system will help develop a system which will
make citizens act as watchdogs in their wards,'' he says.

    Valerian Fernandes of the St Leo's Road, ALM, felt the concept should
also include maintenance of BMC offices, "most of which are in a shabby
state, not befitting a corporation which is supposed to be one of the
richest in the country.''

    ashley.dmello@timesgroup.com

Publication:Times of India Mumbai; Date:Feb 18, 2007; Section:Times City;
Page Number:4

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