Navi Mumbai News: Sajag Nagarik Manch Demands Online Disclosure Of Corporators' Fund Usage Ahead Of Civic Polls

As the state gears up for the upcoming municipal corporation elections, Sajag Nagarik Manch has submitted a formal memorandum to Maharashtra Chief Minister Office demanding that all municipal corporations in the state publish detailed records of corporators’ development funds on their official websites. The Manch has emphasised that such a step is essential to fulfill the government’s repeated promises of transparent governance.

The organisation pointed out that while leaders at every level  from the Prime Minister to local representatives have consistently assured citizens of transparent administration, the actual expenditure of corporators’ funds, drawn from public taxes, remains hidden from the public eye. "This is  nothing but  “action-less transparency” and undermines the spirit of accountability,"said a member. 

In the memorandum, Sajag Nagarik Manch has highlighted that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier proposed a 100-day action plan to promote transparency in governance. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has been a vocal advocate of open administration for over a decade. Yet, despite these assurances, ordinary citizens are still unable to access basic information on how their tax money is spent at the local government level," questioned a member. 

The Manch has warned that with civic polls approaching, parties will again make lofty promises of clean and transparent governance during their election campaigns. However, to break this cycle of unfulfilled assurances, the government should first take concrete steps such as publishing the details of corporators' funds and then highlight these efforts during the election run-up. Otherwise, they fear the public will once again be subjected to empty slogans.

The organization has also stressed that democracy is not just about voting but about making informed choices. Since many contesting candidates in municipal elections are former corporators, voters must have access to records of how these individuals utilized public funds during their previous terms. Making this data publicly available would enable voters to assess the performance of candidates based on facts rather than promises.

Expressing this sentiment, Sandeep Thakur, advisor to Sajag Nagarik Manch, said, "If even after 75 years of independence the Amrit Mahotsav of democracy the functioning of local self-governance bodies remains hidden from the very taxpayers who fund them, it amounts to a defeat of democracy itself."

The Manch has urged the government to honor this fundamental expectation of the voters by issuing immediate instructions for the publication of corporators’ fund details in the public domain.