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After having successfully elected 278 councillors to three municipal councils and 22 town councils of Nagaland (excluding 14 town councils of six districts in the eastern region) following an enthusiastic contest, we can expect these civic bodies to take shape in the next few days, much to the relief of the people. The ULB election was historic chiefly because of the successful implementation of 33 per cent reservation for women, which was one of the reasons for the nearly two-decade delay. The result was encouraging, with women winning eight unreserved seats, pushing the representation in the civic bodies to over 36 per cent. It can be considered the first step and an important one in women’s leadership – a big stride towards gender equality. This should open the floodgates of better representation in major decision-making bodies in the state, from village councils to church bodies, civil society organisations and the state assembly, for women. While our society should seriously consider fair representation of women in all decision-making bodies and not just ULBs, the 102 elected women councillors should know that their performance can help accelerate or slow down the transition. The people of the state have seen the good, the bad and the ugly of male politicians and leaders, but they are yet to see women’s capabilities in governance. Will they make a good first impression? Only time can tell.
Well, all eyes will be on the ULBs, as people have been deprived of basic amenities for too long. The citizens have been told that much of the inconveniences they have been facing all these years could have been avoided if the civic bodies were in place. That’s right, as the government of India allocates funds to urban local bodies for public amenities and infrastructure, including roads, public health, parks, street lighting, parking lots, and several others. It’s also right for the public to expect big from the municipal and town councils. While it won’t be possible to solve all the issues overnight, the civic bodies should address some of the pressing issues faced by the people living in urban areas amid rapid urbanisation, particularly roads, sanitation, drainage systems, waste management and water. Town planning is another important aspect the civic bodies can’t ignore, as the swelling urban population is one of the biggest reasons for the growing issues. The Dimapur Municipal Council should focus on two main issues – sanitation and roads. The new team should do away with the “dirty city” tag through proper waste management as well as enhancing drainage system. This will also help ease flooding caused by water logging. In the meantime, the public should stop littering and throwing waste into drains. Regarding roads, the focus should be on maintaining them and easing the traffic by providing parking lots at strategic locations. In the meantime, it will be a learning curve for both the councillors and the public due to the long hiatus. They should work together as policymakers and watchdogs to effectively address the issues confronting urban areas.