Mayors take oath
THE newly elected mayors of the four city corporations took oath on Tuesday and have promised to improve civic facilities in the cities which have always been poor, as lack of planning and coordination among the agencies concerned created insurmountable problems in the past.
We congratulate the mayors on their having assumed the great responsibility of ensuring sustainable urban development in the four cities. Obviously, the challenge ahead is a formidable one, which the city fathers will have to face with great determination and an unwavering commitment to deliver. They have to work hard and prove that the city corporations -- which are seen as dens of corruption by the majority of the people -- can indeed become vibrant and viable centres of urban planning and growth. The image of the mayoral office has to be refurbished. And it has to shed partisan political overtone of any kind as a matter of principle.
There is something to be said about the role of the political parties in this respect. The parties which took part in city corporation elections unofficially have to not only admit, but also insist on the fact that the corporations should remain above party politics. This is an area where we have achieved very little since the mayors could not slough off their political identity in order to develop the corporation into a truly non-partisan body having the welfare of the citizens as its sole objective.
The newly elected mayors have promised to turn the cities into modern metropolises with all the necessary civic amenities. The mayors' plan to face the situation head-on is commendable, but at the same time people would not expect them to say anything that would soon sound hollow. They are expected to come out of the traditional mode of running public offices where the leaders promise a great deal more than they can deliver. And setting goals too lofty may also create a sense of despair as soon as they get down to business.
The mayors should concentrate on eliminating the grave problems like traffic jam and bring back order to urban life. Achieving a greater degree of coordination with other agencies that the city corporations interact with is another goal that can be attained within a short time. Finally, better planning coupled with a pragmatic action plan will help the corporations overcome financial constraints. The mayors will be doing the citizens a great service if they opt for a fresh beginning, leaving behind all that went wrong in the past.
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