77 of 227 first-time corporators did not ask questions in civic meetings

They might have promised to raise issues concerning citizens to garner votes, but most of the 227 newly elected corporators did not ask a single question at ward committee and general body meetings in the first three months of their term.

NGO Praja Foundation data reveals 78 of the 227 corporators did not ask any question in this period. Interestingly, it is not just the first-timers. The experienced ones, including two-time Shiv Sena corporator and former Mayor Shraddha Jadhav, too did not raise any issues.

Mayor and Sena corporator Sunil Prabhu said, "Most of the corporators who have not raised issues are new. They need to be taught BMC functioning. New corporators are continously trying to learn, but the process will take time. We did see good performance by corporators in the budget meetings where 109 spoke on various projects."

While only two corporators asked 10 or more questions in the first three months, 36 asked between four and nine and 111 between one and three. Sena's Yashodhar Phanse and Dilip Lande of MNS asked the most questions, 11 and 10. A total of 410 questions were raised in 169 civic body and ward committee meetings between March 2012 and May 2012.

While issues such as poor drainage, bad roads and shortage of water plague wards such as Andheri (East), nine of the 15 corporators from the area did not raise a single question.

Data shows 65 per cent of those who did not ask even a single question are women corporators. These include Jyoti Alavani, Sunaina Potnis, Alka Doke, Shivani Parab, Subhada Patkar and Rupali Raorane, all of who contested from wards once represented by their husbands. According to the data, 51 of the 114 women corporators did not ask a single question.

Jyoti Alavani, wife of BJP leader Parag Alavani, from Vile Parle said, "As I was an independent candidate and did not receive any support from political parties, I was learning the ropes of the civic body. I have now learnt to raise issues regarding my ward. One can't generalise and say women corporators are less active at BMC meetings."

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