Netas replace cash, booze and sarees with CCTV, fogging machines and LED bulbs

As the BMC Elections are fast approaching, the candidates have taken a different freebie distribution mechanism i.e. distributing fogging machines, CCTV networks and even LED bulbs.

 

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporator Santosh Dhuri in Prabhadevi has already given away close to a dozen fogging machines to keep the neighbourhood mosquito free. Prabhadevi had reported a large number of cases of dengue and malaria and with limited number of fogging machines with the BMC, the residents had to wait for weeks to get their neighbourhood fogged and that’s when Dhuri decided to give fogging machines. Along with the machines, he gives each housing society a month’s supply of pesticide and deputes his party workers to oversee the fogging activity and make sure every house is covered. With 40 housing societies already covered, he is set to cover his entire constituency before the code of conduct is imposed for the February, 2017 elections.

 

In Pravin Chheda‘s constituency in Ghatkopar, he is installing CCTV cameras in private housing societies. With rising petty crimes, residents are queuing up at his office to get the cameras installed. As real estate development in Ghatkopar exploded following the arrival of Metro, several multi-wing housing societies came up in this predominantly Gujarati neighbourhood. “It is becomes difficult to secure these housing societies without CCTV cameras. So, I have decided to give them modern CCTV networks. I will cover all housing societies in my ward with CCTVs,” Chedha said. He has already conducted a trial run of the first set of CCTV network in Ghatkopar’s Mahavir Ashish Housing Society on Sunday.

 

BJP legislator from Andheri (west) Ameet Satam is distributing LED lights to housing societies and slum pockets in his constituency. “LED lights save power and provide more illumination too. I have been fighting for better illumination all over the city for the last two years. I have given away over 500 bulbs already. It has brightened up many localities in Andheri (west),” Satam said. Satam has already covered the slum pocket of Nehru Nagar and will soon reach out to voters in other parts of his constituency.

 

While most netas are using their own funds to distribute these freebies, some of them have been dipping into the BMC funds too.

 

 

The Shiv Sena’s Rajendra Suryawanshi in Dhavari distributed dustbins in his ward through his municipal fund.“We gave away dustbins so that people can segregate dry and wet waste. I want to make sure my ward is garbage free and people have promised to cooperate,” Suryawanshi said.

 

While freebies have always been a staple of election campaigns in the state, there always was set list — subsidized sugar, pilgrimage tours and sarees. But this time, many of them are thinking out-of-the-box.