Sajag Nagrik Manch Urges NMMC to Move Community Hall Bookings Online
Citizens group Sajag Nagrik Manch has urged the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to move the booking system for all community halls, multipurpose halls, and community centres entirely online to ensure transparent access to civic infrastructure across Navi Mumbai and its Belapur ward.
In a representation submitted to NMMC Commissioner Kailas Shinde, the organisation demanded an automated system to replace the current offline process. The group noted that residents had to queue outside the Belapur ward office as early as 5 am on August 3 to secure bookings for Warkari Bhavan, highlighting the inconvenience caused by the lack of a date-wise availability schedule.
The organisation also called on the municipal body to release a comprehensive 10-year White Paper. The requested document would detail civic expenditures on the construction, operation, and maintenance of all community halls, alongside their revenue and utilization records, and be placed in the public domain.
Sajag Nagrik Manch pointed out that while NMMC provides online services for property tax and water bill collections, it continues to rely on an offline system for public facilities. The group raised concerns that offline bookings, handwritten receipt books, and cash transactions could lead to discretionary allocation, political influence, and financial irregularities, though these allegations have not been independently verified.
The citizens organisation further highlighted difficulties in recovering security deposits, stating that applicants frequently have to make multiple visits to municipal offices after their events conclude.
To resolve these problems, the group proposed the creation of a centralised online portal or mobile application showing real-time hall availability. The proposal includes mandatory digital payments, automated "first come, first served" allocations with minimal human intervention, and direct electronic transfers of refundable security deposits to citizens' bank accounts.
Sanjay Sonawane, a member of Sajag Nagrik Manch, stated that public assets funded by taxpayers should not be treated as political fiefdoms. He called on the administration to end outdated manual queues and implement a fair, digital booking process without delay.
