The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has received 812 suggestions and objections from the general public related to the draft of the electoral ward demarcation prepared after the directions of the state election commission (SEC).
After getting a nod from the SEC, the civic body on February 1, had invited suggestions and objections from the public. According to a schedule prepared by the SEC, 14 Feb was the last day for submitting suggestions and objections.
On Sunday, the BMC had received 358 suggestions and objections, but on Monday 454 more suggestions and objections were added to the list. Interestingly, not a single suggestion and objection has come from the A ward i.e. Colaba and Fort area.
Further, suggestions and objections have come from those electoral wards which were not even changed in the current demarcation.
Now, the BMC will bifurcate all the suggestions and objections in different groups. The work of bifurcation will be done from 14 Feb to 21 Feb and the civic body will submit the entire complaints before the committee set up by SEC.
"BMC ward level officers will visit and study suggestions and objections in their respective area and will be ready to help the committee during the hearing," said Suresh Kakani, Additional commissioner of BMC.
"Most of the suggestions and objections are related to boundaries, description of wards and population. Around 400 to 450 suggestions and objections were submitted by political people including corporators, former corporators and workers of political parties in their personal capacity," said Kakani.
Hearing on suggestions and objections will start on February 22 and will be completed on February 26. The final report will be submitted to the SEC on March 2nd.
"All the complaints will be tested on the three points i.e. geographical proximity, population of the said ward and inconvenience to the general public," said Kakani.
The SEC has set up a committee to hear suggestions and objections and to submit the report with its recommendations before the SEC on March 2nd. Additional chief secretary, finance department, Konkan divisional commissioner, two collectors of Mumbai and Municipal Commissioner are the members of the committee.
