Mumbai: Fight Against Cooperative Corruption (FACC), a group of citizens from different housing societies involved in housing-related disputes, gathered at Azad Maidan on Tuesday to register their protest against corruption and malpractices in the cooperative societies’ registrar’s office.
The citizens, from Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai, protested the “public servant mafia” which, they allege, works against the provisions of law, exploiting innocent citizens and guarding the accused from punishments. They said they hoped to see reforms in public interest from the new additional chief secretary of the cooperative department. Yesterday’s protest follows a protest gathering in November last year.
Under the banner of FACC, citizens who have been fighting to get justice from Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, Cooperative Societies and Slum Rehabilitation Authority joined the protest at Azad Maidan. Over 100 people from across the city who say they have been facing injustice from the cooperative registrar, MHADA officers, SRA officers, BMC officers, police and judicial officers gathered to collectively express their outrage and seek advice from legal experts who participated in the gathering.
The protesters said that they have faced financial, physical and emotional agony because of unethical work practices of public servants, who, they allege, have violated the provisions of law, delayed legitimate action, deprived citizens from legitimate information and disobeyed laws.
Statement Of Reshma Chakraborty, Coordinator Of FACC
Reshma Chakraborty, coordinator of FACC, said, “We want to inform the authorities that public servants draw salaries from taxpayers’ money. They have to work within the framework of the law while considering fair justice. They cannot flout the law and ignore citizens as it is their duty to take action in the stipulated time to solve the issues faced by the citizens.”
The citizens said they hope that Rajagopal Deora, the newly appointed additional chief secretary of the cooperative department, will bring about revolutionary reforms towards better accountability in the working of deputy registrars. The protestors said that the bureaucrat has a history of implementing rules in interest of the citizens and after he has taken charge as a senior official in the cooperative department, they expect him to execute reforms so that the registrars cannot violate the law.
Statement Of Kamalakar Shenoy, A Social Activist
Kamalakar Shenoy, a social activist who was a part of the protest, said, “The nation is in danger because of some of the most corrupt MPs, MLAs. councillors, IAS and IPS. There should be a clear board outside the office of these public servants disclosing their duties, who enjoy powers without any accountability. No matter how perfect the rules are, if these public servants are not held accountable, no policy will fall into place.”
