By Our Civic Reporter

Times of  India, June 04, 1999

Did you know that the local ward office is expected to remove garbage from authorised collection spots within 24 spots within 24 hours after a complaint is lodged by a citizen?

Is the Mumbai resident aware that the civic administration is duty bound to repair sewer pipes within seven days or replace missing or damaged manhole covers wihin a 24 hours after a comlaint is registered? Or that a citizen's grievance about a burst waterline has to be attended to by the civic staff within 24 hours?

With the objective of making the city's residents aware of their rights with regard to civic services, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in collaboration with a citizen's Charter.  The charter will be released by chief minister Narayan Rane on June 5.

The charter will provide citizens with important information to enhance their interaction with the BMC.  In turn, the civic administration will be able to guage its own effectiveness in attending to the citizen's grievances.  Civic officials who shirk their responsibility will be held directly accountable.  "With the introduction of the Citizens' Charter, the BMC enters an era of transparency in which long-winding procedures will be simplified for the common man," said additional municipal commissioner Ajit Kumar Jain.