By Mitra Mission

As the Pune Municipal Corporation elections approach, the think tank ‘MITRA MISSION’ has
undertaken a comprehensive and scientific study mission to understand the exact nature of civic
problems in various parts of the city. Instead of relying solely on paper plans, representatives of
the organisation went directly on the ground to conduct in-depth inspections of Ward No. 8
(Bopodi), 25 (Sadashiv-Narayan Peth), 30 (Warje-Karvenagar), and 39 (Upper Indiranagar).
During this process, rather than just observing, they conducted direct interviews with 48 citizens
from various strata of these areas. The information emerging from these interviews and field
studies has presented a new and realistic side of Pune’s urban governance.
This direct inspection revealed that the geographical structure and the nature of problems in
every ward of Pune are different. For example, in areas like Bopodi (Ward 8), there are issues
regarding vacant lands and settlements along the railway tracks, while in central areas like
Sadashiv-Narayan Peth (Ward 25), there are different challenges involving the redevelopment
of old ‘wadas’ and traffic congestion in narrow streets. This mission studied various aspects,
such as the increasing urbanisation in Warje-Karvenagar (Ward 30) and the maintenance of
civic services in densely populated hilly areas like Upper Indiranagar (Ward 39). Responses
from citizens made it clear that there is a huge gap between the facilities provided by public
representatives and the administration and the actual reality on the ground. By extracting the
essence of all these studies and interviews, ‘MITRA MISSION’ has prepared a citizens’
manifesto titled ‘2026! Questions 26!!’. This article is not intended merely to read out a list of
complaints, but to show a new path of administrative accountability based on representative
problems in these four wards. This ‘People’s Charter,’ born from the experiences of 48 Pune
residents, will serve as an important weapon in the upcoming elections—not just to select
candidates, but to deliver a technical verdict on the city’s fate for the next five years.
The manifesto places special emphasis on the issues of water supply and sewage
management. It raises a fundamental question: merely having water flow from a tap is not
enough; on what technical criteria does the administration ensure that the water is pure and
safe?. It asks for the specific timeline the administration has for stopping leaks in the city’s old
water lines and for their renewal. Furthermore, public representatives are expected to answer
how efficient the Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) are for processing sewage instead of
releasing it directly into the river, and whether the ward’s drainage lines are cleaned regularly.
Regarding waste management, this manifesto seriously draws attention to the separate
collection of wet and dry waste from every household and the implementation of scientific
recycling processes.
Traffic and roads are the most personal and troublesome subjects in the daily lives of Pune
residents. According to the manifesto, it is not just important to build roads; they must be
pothole-free, and responsibility for their maintenance must be fixed. Public representatives are
asked what ‘master plan’ they have for creating safe, obstruction-free footpaths and
independent cycle tracks for pedestrians. There is an explicit demand to increase the number of
buses to ensure that public bus services (PMPML) are punctual, adequate, and available at
affordable rates. Along with this, the need for road widening and planning is highlighted so that
fire engines or ambulances can easily reach sites during emergencies in densely populated
areas.
The manifesto is also insistent on the quality of the health and education sectors. It demands
the development of modern teaching methods and infrastructure to bring the quality of municipal
schools on par with private schools. Additionally, it states that the administration should ensure
a regular supply of medicines in government clinics, maintenance of technical equipment, and
affordable, quality treatment for the general public. From an environmental perspective, the
manifesto expresses the need for strict implementation of rules to prevent increasing air and
noise pollution in the city and solid planning for the protection of hills and rivers.
Administrative transparency and public participation form the backbone of this manifesto. It
includes a revolutionary demand that the municipal corporation’s annual budget be published in
simple Marathi so that citizens can understand it, and that citizens’ views be sought while
preparing it. It expresses the need to announce a definite timeline (SLA) to ensure that the
helpline and mobile app for grievance redressal are effective in reality and not just on paper.
Emphasis is also placed on expanding CCTV coverage and ensuring night police patrols for the
safety of women and girls.
Ultimately, this manifesto from ‘MITRA MISSION’ sends a message to citizens that an election is
not just a process of voting but an opportunity to hold the administration accountable. Unless
voters demand information regarding the date of completion for works and the responsible
person in written form from candidates, it will be difficult to see radical changes in civic services.
This manifesto is an action plan undertaken by citizens for a sustainable and capable future for
Pune, which will help strengthen Pune’s urban governance in the coming times.