The manifesto proposes a forward-looking framework rooted in transparency and citizen participation to transform urban local bodies into institutions capable of driving equitable development.
Polling for the first phase of 264 municipal councils and nagar panchayats across Maharashtra was held on Tuesday.
The schedule for polls to various other civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, has not yet been announced.
The Supreme Court has directed that pending polls be completed by January 31, 2026.
Praja Foundation, which has been working for over two decades on data-driven civic governance reforms and enabling accountable governance, launched the ‘Citizens’ Manifesto’ during a press conference at the Mumbai Press Club on Tuesday.
The manifesto highlights maximising the powers already available to municipal corporations, setting clear service delivery standards and ensuring real-time transparency through open data.
Enabling citizen participation through a unified digital governance platform, and strengthening municipal capacity with improved staffing, systems and digitally enabled ward committees are also among the areas highlighted in the manifesto.
The Praja Foundation said the manifesto comes at a crucial moment as the state heads for the long-delayed municipal elections.
Its Founder and Managing Trustee Nitai Mehta said the three-year delay in holding local elections meant “crucial decisions affecting people’s daily lives were taken without their participation”.
“This Citizens’ Manifesto is our reminder that governance must be rooted in public voice. Restoring democratic processes is essential to rebuilding trust and ensuring that citizens are not left out of decisions that shape their neighbourhoods and their futures,” he said.
Praja Foundation CEO Milind Mhaske said the manifesto places a strong emphasis on open access to civic data, time-bound and technology-enabled service delivery, better training and resources for municipal staff and deeper citizen participation.
Asif Khan, manager of research and analysis at the NGO, claimed Maharashtra’s municipal corporations already possess significant but underutilised powers that directly affect the quality of urban life.
He said the manifesto details system-level reforms such as mandatory disclosure of service-level benchmarks, quarterly ward reports, real-time dashboards for air and water quality, decentralised waste-processing systems and ward-level monsoon vulnerability mapping.
“When implemented together, these interventions will create a predictable, measurable governance architecture that improves service delivery and strengthens public accountability,” he said.