Revive and renovate - Municipal schools and hospitals!

Education is getting costlier in Mumbai. In suburbs, 95% schools are pvt n not even govt aided ones (like in main parts of Mumbai) at reasonable rates. International style schools which are being started by big corporates charge anywhere from 25K to 1 lacs per year. At such times, municipal aided schools should help the not-so-well off people. I remember the night school near Mumbai Central where many workers used to study at night. But slowly the municipal schools, which were a hope for the poor and lower middle class, are slowly dying in Mumbai. In other states, Municipal schools and getting a job in it, are considered good and respectable. But Mumbai is becoming more and more commercial and rich-oriented. Without education, no state country has a future and free education to poor and needy is a must.

Similarly, Municipal run hospitals in Mumbai city have gone from bad to worse. Many hospitals are in dilapidated condition. A normal person, living in decent surroundings, going there for treatment, will become more ill instead of better. And some people, get more infections, instead of good health in many municipal hospitals. Nair Hospital used to be a good hospital when I was a kid. Wonder what's the condition there now. Medical students, are affliated to Municipal / Govt Hospitals and the best of doctors are supposed to be linked to such hospitals due to a Govt job and other facilities. But there is no lure in Mumbai for respectable govt / municipal jobs like teachers, doctors etc. Their standard is getting lower by the day. The aids for such schools and hospitals are vanishing! We are slowly forgetting the lower income class from our lives altogether!

Apart from schools and hospitals, another important thing which affects the rich and poor alike in Mumbai and neighbouring areas is - Water. Inspite of a good and wonderful rainfall in Mumbai, often even resulting in overflowing lakes and floods, sadly Mumbai has no major water -harvesting plants / projects !!! If water harvesting was put into place by the Municipality / State Govt, Mumbai will not only have sufficient water to meets its internal need, but will be able to supply water to neighbouring areas in Maharashtra also.

Education, Health and Water- these are the main things which Mumbaikars seek from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), not anything else! Apart from that, we need garbage disposals, good roads, hawker-control, pavements to walk (not for shopping, except in special hawker-zones!). But Municipal Corporation has written off poor people almost totally and other areas are not properly managed. Municipality has nothing to with regional / religion / community issues. We need good amenities - that's it! 'Baaki sab bakwas'!