E-Paper
Punevotes.org gives Bapat an ‘A’ for voicing grievances, but ground performance “missing”
Bapat also raised a question on whether the government has any mechanism to monitor and assess the forest or green cover in the city
Punevotes.org, a branch of MumbaiVotes.com which is a not for profit, independent info-bank, in its incisive analysis of Pune Lok Sabha MP Girish Bapat suggested he had made oral pronouncements and voiced the grievances in the parliament on a number of public issues but the performance on ground has been missing.
The NGO stated that Bapat participated in a debate in the parliament to support the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) bill and requested the government to start an IIT in Pune. Besides, Bapat has also raised a question on whether the government has released a five-year vision and action plan to transform higher education by doubling enrolment and employability and whether the government was looking for allowing top foreign universities to set up off campus universities in India.
According to the report, Bapat also raised a question on whether the government has any mechanism to monitor and assess the forest or green cover in the city. He also asked critical questions like whether the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a central monitoring committee to prepare and enforce a national plan to make over 350 river stretches across the country pollution free and whether the central monitoring committee has prepared an integrated plan for conservation of environment.
The report further adds that the parliamentarian participated in debates to raise the issue of housing and safety measures for construction labourers in Pune and requested the government to implement provisions meant for welfare of such workers.
The MP during a zero-hour brought the governments attention to expedite the construction work on Pune-Nashik National Highway No 50.
Avinay Sanyogita, researcher, MumbaiVotes, said, “The entire exercise is aimed at strengthening grass roots democracy through accountability of public representatives. We sent the data and the report to the MP but he has not responded so far. Also, whatever oral announcement has been made don’t have reached fruition keeping the performance report as blank. Promises made to the electorate are to be fulfilled so that development of the citizens takes place at large strengthening grassroots democracy,” he said.
