Sign the pledge form, get our votes: RWAs

They make tall claims to get your precious votes and disappear soon after they are elected public representatives. To ensure that such things are not repeated after the municipal elections scheduled to be held on April 15, a group of residents have come up with a ‘Pledge form’ to be signed by aspiring candidates. Neelam Pandey reports.

They make tall claims to get your precious votes and disappear soon after they are elected public representatives. To ensure that such things are not repeated after the municipal elections scheduled to be held on April 15, a group of residents have come up with a ‘Pledge form’ to be signed by aspiring candidates.

Residents said they have made it a point that they would vote only for those candidates who have signed this form.

Also, to ensure that a councillor’s fund is spent on right projects and residents are able to monitor the progress of development activities, the pledge asks each candidate to take an oath that he/she will form a group of advisors representing all section of society. These advisors will help the councillor decide about the development work to be carried out in his/ her area, publish a monthly report about the work carried out by him/ her, and allow residents to evaluate the councillor’s performance, among others.

Pledge forms are available at Residents’ Welfare Association centres. The last date for signing the form is April 10. Candidates can log on to www.mcd2012pledgometer.co.cc/ to fill the online pledge. The campaign aims at urging voters to choose those candidates who have signed the pledge.

“For voters, electing a councillor who signs and honours the pledge is important. If each ward works on transforming itself, Delhi can progress in meeting the aspirations of residents and become a world-class city,” said Anita Bhargava, who started a citizens’ movement, Let’s Do It! Delhi.

Besides, RWAs will organise regular meetings so that maximum number of people become aware of the pledge.

“We have already started circulating mails asking residents to demand a pledge from candidates. The pledge will ensure greater accountability and bring in transparency too. We are holding a meeting to discuss this issue,” said Pankaj Aggarwal, of Delhi RWA Joint Front.

“The pledge will be an indicator of the commitment on behalf of councillors. It will also help us fix accountability. The councillor will chart out his goals in the pledge itself. If a group is formed as envisaged in the pledge, we will ensure that funds that are allocated should be used properly. We pay so much tax, so we need to know,” said NK Sethi of Punjabi Bagh west.

A number of independent candidates have already signed the pledge form. “I have already signed the pledge and will recommend others to do so. We are accountable to the public and the pledge is an extension of that only. It will help form our objectives too,” said Deepak Gupta, who will contest the polls from Preet Vihar.