Stung by women’s quota, councillors stop work

A few months before the elections, residents usually witness frenzied development projects carried out across the city, but this year work on roads, parks and sanitation — all has been hit.

At least 150 councillors are likely to lose their seats in the upcoming municipal elections as 50% seats in the civic body have been reserved for women. Therefore, the councillors have taken a back seat and have stopped pushing forward development projects.

They say in the past polls projects gained pace because they had to woo voters, but this year as many of them will not get their wards back, there is no incentive.

A councillor, requesting not to be named and hoping to get a ticket at the last moment, said she had been working on a project regarding the installation of water pumps in parks in her area, but now has stopped pushing for it.

“My ward has been reserved for schedule caste and there are bleak chances that I will get a new ward to contest from, so I am not pushing my case anymore,” she said.

A senior BJP leader in the MCD said, “Hopeful of retaining a seat, people threatened by women reservation are consulting each other and even talking to lawyers. But there are a few who have no hope left and have completely stopped working.”

Jagdish Mamgain, chairman of MCD’s works committee, said, “Councillors only deal with the finances. The engineering department does the work and it is on,” he said.