Demands to review the ward committee system have been raised time and again alleging political bias in taking up projects at wards. The committees are empowered to take up priority projects with the help from the administrative wing. But political problems keep raising question marks against their efficacy.

Former mayor Himmatsinh Patel, who represents the Rajpur ward, has accused the officials concerned of “playing mischief” with the locals when the latter approach them with their complaints.

“They simply tell the people that since the particular work was not taken up and approved by the ward committee, there was no question of doing it,” said Patel. According to him, the problem is more acute in the west zone but persists with more or less intensity in other zones as well.

There is nothing wrong with the concept, which is actually a good one. But councillors politicising things and ignoring areas that voted the rival party mar the very objective of having a ward committee, he said.

“As representatives of the people, it is our duty to cater to the needs of our wards without any political discrimination. Officials should not be in the awe of ruling councillors while acting on proposals,” Patel added. He went on to say that the committees are to facilitate development, not to stall it on political basis.

Municipal commissioner I P Gautam, however, ruled out any bias in taking up projects. He said that 10,000 projects, which constitute 70 per cent of the AMC’s total projects, have been prioritised and approved by the 55 ward committees in last three years. Of these, only one complaint of political bias was received from the west zone.

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