Citizen audit flags reversal of Sena–BJP manifesto promises in Mumbai civic governance

A citizen audit reveals a gap between Mumbai's civic promises and governance, urging reforms for public health, education, and environmental commitments.

MUMBAI: A citizen-led audit has flagged a widening gap, and in several cases, a complete reversal, between the 2017 civic manifesto promises of the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party and the reality of governance in Mumbai over the past eight years.

Citizen audit flags reversal of Sena–BJP manifesto promises in Mumbai civic governance

The audit, conducted by BMCelections.org, states that civic governance between 2017 and 2025 marked a fundamental shift in the functioning of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation- from a democratic, surplus-accumulating institution to a bureaucratic, deficit-financed body increasingly driven by capital-intensive infrastructure spending.

According to the report, the defining feature of this shift has been a clear policy preference for large road and transport projects over investments in human capital. It argues that the true measure of a “world-class city” lies not in the speed of its expressways but in the dignity and security afforded to its most vulnerable residents.

The audit highlights that budgetary allocations for mega road projects doubled from 8.0% in 2024–25 to 15.8% in 2025–26, driven by projects such as the Coastal Road and the Goregaon–Mulund Link Road. In contrast, spending on education fell sharply from 9.2% to 5.3% during the same period. Public health allocations, the report notes, failed to keep pace with rising urban needs.

The consequences of this shift are already visible. Total enrolment in vernacular municipal schools declined by 26% between 2015 and 2024, forcing the closure or merger of 257 schools over the past decade. Meanwhile, despite promises of pothole-free roads, the audit describes the BMC’s large-scale concretisation drive as having evolved into a system that disproportionately benefits a limited set of contractors.

Promises of affordable and efficient public transport have also fallen short. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has seen its bus fleet shrink by 33% since 2017, reducing last-mile connectivity for large sections of the city.

Basic civic services remain severely compromised. The report finds that nearly 69% of community toilets in slum areas continue to have dysfunctional water connections, rendering them unusable and unsafe, a failure that disproportionately affects women’s health, safety, and mobility.

On water security, the audit criticises the continued push for the Gargai Dam, calling it an administrative choice that prioritises forest displacement over demand-side solutions. It argues that Mumbai’s water deficit could be substantially addressed by fixing the estimated 25–30% leakage in the existing distribution network and expanding sewage-water recycling for non-potable use.

Environmental commitments outlined in the 2017 manifestos, including air purification systems, smoke towers, and large-scale tree plantations, have also failed to translate into meaningful outcomes. The report notes that Mumbai’s Air Quality Index has frequently entered the ‘severe’ category, turning air pollution into a sustained public health crisis. It adds that the Mumbai Climate Action Plan, launched in 2022, remains largely theoretical and disconnected from vulnerable communities, particularly in addressing urban heat stress.

Alongside its critique, the citizen audit proposes a reform manifesto calling for a Fiscal Responsibility and Equity Act. Key demands include statutory caps on withdrawals from fixed deposits, minimum allocations of 12% each for public education and public health, and reserving 5–10% of the capital budget for projects decided directly by citizens through Area Sabhas. It also calls for the full financial merger of BEST with the BMC.

The document further demands the appointment of an independent civic ombudsman with powers to investigate and prosecute corruption, mandatory concurrent audits for all infrastructure projects exceeding ₹50 crore, and a publicly accessible database of blacklisted contractors. It also proposes an open-data portal using explainable AI to provide real-time access to budgets, fund flows, and civic documents.

On service delivery, the audit calls for delinking water access from land tenure, replacing tanker supply with municipal pipelines within three years, and enforcing water audits for bulk users. It recommends mandatory annual walkability audits linked to ward officers’ performance, strict action against permanent footpath encroachments, and stronger enforcement of pollution controls at construction sites.

Calling itself a call to action, the document urges citizens to demand written commitments from candidates and move from passive voting to sustained civic participation. “Mumbai cannot afford another five years of elite mobility at the cost of mass liveability,” it concludes.