In the run-up to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, The Free Press Journal, in collaboration with the St. Anthony Street Welfare Association (SASWA) and Voice of Kalina (VoK) ALM. | Pic | Vijay Gohil
Mumbai: In the run-up to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, The Free Press Journal, in collaboration with the St. Anthony Street Welfare Association (SASWA) and Voice of Kalina (VoK) ALM, organised a Town Hall meeting for residents of Vakola and Kalina, providing a unique platform for direct dialogue between citizens and civic poll candidates.
Candidates face accountability questions
Held amid growing public interest in local governance, the Town Hall saw active participation from residents, housing society representatives, activists and first-time voters. Several candidates contesting the upcoming BMC elections from ward no. 91, including Shiv Sena’s Sagun Naik, Congress’ Rafique Shaikh and independent candidate Raj Hegiste were present and were put through a rigorous question-and-answer session focused on accountability, performance, and future plans for the area. Shiv Sena (UBT)’s candidate Krishna Mhadgut did not attend the meeting.
Pic | Vijay Gohil
The discussion centred on key civic concerns affecting Vakola and Kalina, including road conditions, water supply, drainage and flooding, waste management, encroachments, redevelopment delays, traffic congestion, and the upkeep of public spaces. Citizens questioned candidates on the work carried out during their previous terms, seeking clarity on unfinished projects and unfulfilled promises.
Clarence Pinto, a resident of Kalina and member of VoK , highlighted transparency issues, alleging that the ward officers have not been holding regular public grievances meetings with the residents every Monday and Friday, as mandated. He stated that the citizens face issues in submitting their concerns with the civic administration and therefore the issues do not get resolved.
Pic | Vijay Gohil
Key civic concerns raised
“The roads, which are in good condition, are being re-dug every six months, leading to daily walkability and traffic issues in the locality. However, those in bad condition are ironically not being concretised. The public gardens are facing a huge security dilemma as many of these parks do not have personnel guarding them round the clock and many of these guards are not suitable for the job and are even exploited,” he said, adding that the ALM has raised the issues with the administration but has not witnessed any change.
Ivan Pais, a member of SASWA, pulled up the corporators for parking and security issues. “The corporator should ensure that they solve the parking issue, even if they have to implement an odd-even parking system and also get security cameras installed in the ward. The corporators should continue their social activism even with or without being in power.”
Melwyn Fernandes, a member of VoK expressed strong resentment towards the encroachment of footpaths and roads in Kalina-Vakola and claimed that the locality has more than 3,000 illegal hawkers. He challenged the candidates, who have previously served as corporators, to show them one stretch of footpath free of encroachment. “The footpaths have been encroached completely and the hawkers haven’t even spared the roads. Most of them are even using gas stoves on the road, which is a life threat to pedestrians,” he added.
Candidates were asked to outline their vision for the locality and explain how they intended to address long-standing issues using measurable and time-bound approaches. The emphasis remained firmly on merit, performance, and transparency rather than party affiliations, a theme that resonated strongly with attendees. Residents also highlighted the need for better coordination between civic departments and local representatives, particularly during the monsoon season, when flooding and infrastructure failures routinely disrupt daily life.
Garbage and infrastructure challenges
The residents of Jaz Enclave on St. Anthony Street in Vakola highlighted the issues of garbage accumulation opposite their society. They reflected on the need of educating residents of informal settlements and providing them with infrastructure to keep their streets clean just like they keep their houses clean.
Ramesh Menon, a resident of the society said, “We are now unfortunately identified as the building opposite the garbage heap. This was not the case before the 1980s. We had to keep marshals from our own money to prevent throwing of garbage at the spot. The upcoming corporators need to study why the garbage started being thrown at this place and resolve it.”
Shaikh, a three-term corporator from the area, promised the residents that he will resolve the garbage issue within three months of being elected and will even guard the spot, if needed. Sharing his vision, he said that Vakola-Kalina are the worst sufferers of traffic and pollution and he will work to solve those issues. “I have got multiple roads like Rajinder Kamble Marg, Road No. 2 to CST Road, which were bottlenecked. Moreover, I also got toilets functional at Jogiraj Ashram for senior citizens,” he added.
However, the residents expressed their discontentment against him, as a few of them alleged that while the issues continue to linger in the locality, he has failed to resolve them in his previous terms. However, he passed the buck on the state government and BMC administration, alleging that the corruption did not allow him to carry out development works efficiently.
Candidate responses
Naik, who was disqualified in his previous term by the court over allegations of wrongfully contesting on an OBC reserved seat, highlighted that the corporation elections are fought on the candidate’s work, in contrast to Lok Sabha elections where the political party is majorly responsible. He promised that he will get the garbage issue solved within 30 days of being elected.
“People need a corporator who is a local resident and also available for them round the clock. I want to become the face of this ward and engage with the citizens to discuss how we can jointly work for its development. Last time I was elected, I got roads built and upgraded amenities in the gardens. I had also suggested installing underground ducts to prevent re-digging of roads but that was not implemented,” he added.
Call for sustained citizen involvement
On the other hand, the independent candidate Hegiste, who is a former member of BJP’s youth wing, tried to persuade the citizens with his history of social work. “There is a lot that needs to be changed. If I get people’s support, I will lead those changes,” he said, adding that he will also solve the garbage problem within a month.
The Town Hall concluded with a call for sustained citizen involvement beyond election season, encouraging residents to continue engaging with their elected representatives and civic bodies. For many attendees, the event served as an important step toward holding candidates accountable and ensuring that local issues in Vakola and Kalina remain at the forefront of the civic agenda as Mumbai heads into a crucial municipal election.
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