NGO raises objection to Pune corporators’ criticism

The Pune-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), Parisar, has taken strong exception to the comments made by some Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) corporators in connection with the role of NGOs in the city’s eco-conservation.

The trustee of the NGO, Sujit Patwardhan, has written to former mayor Rajlaxmi Bhosale, independent corporator Ujwal Keskar and NCP corporator Subhash Jagtap, who on August 25 criticised NGOs for allegedly harming the city’s environment during a general body meeting held to discuss the environment status report (ESR) of the city.

Patwardhan reminded the corporators of the role played by Parisar in getting the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) to Pune since it is a useful tool to address the city’s transport problems.

“As an organisation driven by public interest, it was also our duty to criticise the PMC for not planning and implementing the BRTS properly and for not putting in place a dedicated BRTS department to ensure its efficient delivery to citizens who continue to suffer,” Patwardhan wrote.

According to him, in a democracy every citizen and NGO has the right and duty both to participate in decision-making by influencing the elected representatives and the administration and in overseeing that  projects are in the public interest and implemented properly.

Patwardhan said Pune is one of the few cities that has a vibrant civil society and one should be proud that citizens, their elected representatives and the administration have and will continue to work together.

“Responsible NGOs have always insisted that development must be sustainable, which means that development and ecological health must go hand in hand. This is the reason why an elected local body like the PMC is required to prepare and publish the ESR report each year,” he wrote.

“Judging by the poor attendance at a meeting held to discuss the ESR, it appears that this is not fully appreciated by many elected representatives. The discussion should be on the content of the ESR and how it can be used to actually improve the environmental conditions in the city, rather than targeting NGOs,” he added.