Maharashtra municipal elections: Citizens’ manifesto seeks transparency, clean air, water, staffing overhaul

Praja Foundation on Tuesday (December 2, 2025) unveiled the Citizens’ Manifesto for Maharashtra’s Municipal Elections 2025, outlining a roadmap to transform urban governance through transparency, accountability, and citizen participation.

The launch comes as Maharashtra heads for municipal polls after a three-year delay, during which local bodies functioned without elected representatives, weakening accountability at the level closest to citizens. 

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“Three years of delay in holding local elections have meant that crucial decisions affecting people’s daily lives were taken without their participation. This Citizens’ Manifesto is our reminder that governance must be rooted in public voice. Restoring democratic processes is essential to rebuilding trust and ensuring that citizens are not left out of decisions that shape their neighbourhoods and their futures,” said Nitai Mehta, founder and managing trustee of the organisation. 

The manifesto stresses the need to strengthen municipal capacity, noting that Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has 31% of medical posts and 42% of paramedical posts vacant. It recommends filling critical vacancies, hiring lateral experts in planning, climate, finance and data analytics, reviewing cadre strength, appointing Chief Data Officers and Chartered Accountants, and introducing performance-linked incentives. 

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“We urge every political party and candidate to undertake this manifesto as it calls for open and free access to data, improved service delivery through time-bound and tech-enabled systems, stronger municipal capacity with better training and resources, and deeper citizen participation in decision-making,” said Milind Mhaske, CEO of Praja Foundation. 

The manifesto calls for an Open Data Portal with real-time ward-level information on projects, tenders, budgets, water supply, waste collection, road works and health indicators. It proposes AI-powered chatbots and dashboards for data visualisation, and regular publication of environment and air quality reports. “Data must become a shared public asset,” the manifesto states. 

Asif Khan, manager of research and analysis at Praja, said: “Municipal corporations in Maharashtra already hold significant but underutilised powers that directly influence urban quality of life. The Citizens’ Manifesto outlines mandatory disclosure of Service Level Benchmarks and quarterly ward reports, real-time dashboards for air and water quality, decentralised waste-processing systems, and ward-level monsoon vulnerability mapping. When implemented together, these interventions will create a predictable, measurable governance architecture that improves service delivery and strengthens public accountability.” 

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The manifesto also proposes a unified digital platform for citizens to access ward-level data, submit needs and feedback, and track whether their inputs are reflected in budgets. It calls for digitising Ward Committees to livestream meetings, publish agendas and minutes, and enable real-time monitoring of works progress. 

The organisation will take the manifesto to every political party and urge them to include them along with their respective party manifestoes.