Navi Mumbai, August 18, 2026: The Sajag Nagrik Manch has urged the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to make bookings for all community halls, multipurpose halls and community centres completely online, calling for a transparent and automated system to ensure equal access to civic facilities.
The citizens’ organisation has also sought a comprehensive 10-year White Paper detailing the expenditure incurred by the civic body on the construction, maintenance and operation of these facilities, along with their revenue and utilisation, and demanded that the information be placed in the public domain.
In a representation submitted to NMMC Commissioner Kailas Shinde, the organisation said facilities created using taxpayers’ money should be equally accessible to all citizens and should not be subject to discretionary allotment.
The demand follows complaints over the existing offline booking system. The organisation claimed that citizens had to queue up as early as 5-6 am at the Belapur ward office on August 3 to seek bookings for Warkari Bhavan. It said the absence of a publicly accessible, date-wise availability system leaves applicants uncertain about available dates and forces them to make repeated visits to civic offices.
Concerns Over Offline Booking
The organisation questioned why NMMC, which promotes digital governance and offers online services for property tax and water bill payments, continues to depend on an offline process for booking public halls.
It also alleged that the absence of a transparent online mechanism could create scope for discretionary allocation and political influence. The organisation claimed that some applicants perceived to be close to political representatives may receive preferential treatment, while others could face difficulties in securing bookings. These allegations could not be independently verified.
Sajag Nagrik Manch also raised concerns over handwritten receipt books and cash transactions, saying these practices could increase the risk of financial irregularities and make the system difficult to audit.
The organisation further sought an automated mechanism for refunding security deposits. It claimed citizens are often required to make repeated visits to municipal offices to recover deposits after their functions are over.
Centralised Online Portal Proposed
The Manch has proposed a centralised online portal or mobile application listing all community and multipurpose halls, along with real-time, date-wise availability.
It has also sought mandatory digital payments for bookings and direct transfer of refundable security deposits to the registered bank accounts of citizens after events, subject to applicable conditions.
The organisation has proposed an automated “first come, first served” booking mechanism with minimal human intervention. According to the organisation, such a system would create a permanent digital trail of bookings, payments, cancellations, refunds and utilisation of civic assets.
“Some people appear to be treating public facilities created with taxpayers’ money as their own political fiefdoms. The absence of an online booking system creates opacity. Citizens are living in a digital era, while the municipal administration continues to make them stand in queues under an outdated system. This must stop immediately. Community halls must remain accessible to everyone through a fair, equal and transparent booking process,” said Sanjay Sonawane, member of Sajag Nagrik Manch.
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The organisation has urged NMMC to treat the issue as one concerning transparency, equal access and accountable management of public assets and implement an online booking system without delay.
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