What citizens of Delhi want in their city

Delhi elections are finally over and locals are hoping for a reforms-centric, citizen-oriented regime in the capital. With sanitation being one of the concerns, enthusiastic citizens say that they would love to further PM Modi’s vision of a ‘Swacch Bharat’ in collaboration with the state government. Local Circles is one such forum that has successfully converged over 2 lakh Indians to bring their concerns, resolutions and best practices to the fore in an attempt to ensure transparency and accountability.

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On Twitter, 2.20 lakh Local Circles citizens punched their demands on making municipalities, workplaces and neighbourhoods more effective. Some others interacted on Magicbricks’ Twitter handle. What are some of the pain points?

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“Corporations should take weekly inspection as well as keep provision for receiving complaints against public/societies/establishments that compound waste management woes,” says Venkatesh Subramanian, a government employee.

Vrijraj Mahant, a local broker at Mahant Sons Properties says, “If the government gets tough on how the government officials and authorities work, issues would be halved. As of now, even premium neighbourhoods, such as Vasant Kunj have to deal with encroachments and non-segregated waste disposal, yet the property values are not rational. To be rational, the corporations need to listen to residents and act on their complaints/suggestions.”

Social media networks suggest that cleanliness seems to be the top demand. “Cleanliness sign boards should include phone numbers of local health officer, waste pick-up agency, resident welfare association/security officer, SHO and MLA with a call to action from residents,” says Nitin Barjate, a professor at Delhi University.

But how would one ensure this? Lokesh Nath, a retired government servant says, “Each ward should have a clear list of officials and phone numbers of health sanitation, electrical and water supply indicated on the website and at prominent places.” Most citizens are also demanding a technology efficient grievance redressal mechanism.

Mayank Bhardwaj, an engineer by profession says, “Property taxes should be completely online. Some states ensure this but because of technology incompetency, their websites don’t work for a long time and buyers are affected.” A real estate industry insider says, “Perhaps privatisation should be explored. There are many parts of the city which are not maintained by corporations - private company campus, industrial cities and gated communities - and they all are much cleaner.”

Vikas Khanna, one of our regular readers, points out on Magicbricks twitter handle, “Golden rule for each place will always be better connectivity.” In fact, despite getting lucky with the DDA housing scheme, buyers who have been allotted flats in Narela are in a fix. “Will the Metro soon change the face of Narela and could it be a Dwarka in the making, is what most buyers are thinking. Connectivity is crucial not just the prices,” says Akshay Shantanu of New Properties.

Shaleen Upadhyay, a civil engineer comments, “Project ratings and reviews can be a helpful tool when it comes to property purchase. There should be ways to ensure that we have accountable data.”  

Manish Paswan, an advertising professional says, “While authorities introduce new plans, we wish to know the Master Plans. Government should make sure they aren’t as lazy as they are made out to be.” In a recent webinar organised by Magicbricks on the subject of land pooling, many investors were keen on knowing how the policies have panned out.

Varun Sahni, a tenant in Pitampura says, “I want to invest. In the face of ‘Housing for All’, are unauthorised colonies the only affordable option?” Magicbricks recommends that you wait before investing in such areas. Government has planned to take up regularisation, better planning and amenities in such colonies.

Citizen buyers seem to be enthusiastic about a new government and are hoping for new reforms. What is in store for real estate in 2015? Only time will tell.
 

Source:http://content.magicbricks.com/industry-news/delhi-ncr-real-estate-news/what-citizens-of-delhi-want-in-their-city/80406.html