James

Why our municipalities are not able to deliver? Mumbai’s Municipality, BMC — Asia’s largest civic body with an annual budget of 80,000 crore — has failed to deliver anything praiseworthy. BBMP (now GBA), the second richest municipality in India, is no different. Nothing they build lasts. So what’s the problem? Where is the bottleneck? There is a deep-rooted underworld that runs through these corporations. An invisible web connecting systemic corruption, political funding, and institutionalized mafia that controls every corner of the city. If you want to understand how this ecosystem works, watch City of Dreams, a web series loosely inspired by Mumbai’s political families (Thackrey et. al). It perfectly shows how one family or a handful of powerful people control everything — from money flow to illegal activities, from police to municipal decisions. The same story repeats across India — Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai — everywhere. The main goal of every political party is to capture the municipality and its enormous funds. The money is so huge that it can literally make or break elections. In reality, only 30–40 percent of any project money is spent on actual work. The rest vanishes in commissions, layers of approvals, and political cuts. Tenders are inflated two to four times the real cost, then delayed again and again so budgets can be revised and more money looted. That is why a road meant to last a year breaks in just two weeks. Not because of lack of funds, but because it was designed to last only two weeks — so another work order can be raised, and another round of loot can begin. The honest are punished, the corrupt are rewarded. The system is designed to fail. And when you ask the Prime Minister to intervene, they say it’s a state subject. Then what is the PMO doing while cities collapse and our tax money goes down the drain? Solution I won’t give you false hope. You are on your own. Either get used to it or fight. Expose corruption whenever you can. You have social media — use it. Name and shame. Ask tough questions to every government official and public representative you meet. We are 150 crore. Politicians and Babus are barely 1.5 crore. If even 10 percent of us become vocal, things will change faster than anyone can imagine. Own your street. Own your city. Own your country. This is your home. Don’t migrate — fight for your right.