Experts skeptical over cluster system, 3 corporators from a ward will hamper development works, they fear

Aurangabad, Sept 22: The state government today decided that barring Mumbai, three-member panel system will be implemented in municipal corporations wherein each ward will have three corporators. Experts are skeptical over the efficacy of the new system. Rulers belonging to three parties are indulging in a tug of war in the State and same may happen in municipal corporations too, experts Lokmat Times spoke to feared.

From 1988 to 2015, six general elections of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) have been held and in all of them one corporator was sent to the general body (GB) from each ward. The number of wards has risen to 115 today from 60 in 1988. The term of the current GB ended in April 2019 and since then administrator is ruling. Political activists and aspirants are restless as there is no certainty over the dates of the elections. Now, the new system has been introduced wherein there will be a cluster (Prabhag) of three wards. So, voters will have to elect 3 representatives from a cluster.

Here is what experts say about the new system

The municipal corporations often face shortage of funds. Barring 2-3 big corporations, rest are financially very weak. Three corporators will be elected if one cluster is made of 3 wards. The cluster will develop only if they get funds. Moreover, all three must belong to one party or line of thinking. Development cannot be achieved if these three are at loggerheads. The old one ward system was appropriate and it was also easy for the administration to work then.

Dr Purushottam Bhapkar, Retired municipal and divisional commissioner

Having one corporator in one ward is good as s/he has the responsibility for development of the ward, like an MLA has the responsibility to develop his constituency. If one cluster of three wards is made, corporators may pass the buck at each other. All three need to be of cooperative nature and work unanimously, then only the ward can be developed.

C S Soni, Retired City Engineer, AMC

In the present system, there is only one corporator and if you tell him/her that streetlights in the ward are closed, it takes a lot of time to get them functional. In the cluster system, there will be three corporators. Will they work together? It is difficult to achieve all-round development of the city with the new system.

Pradeep Deshpande, Architect