A controversy erupted at a general body meeting of the Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation as a female councillor was caught playing the popular mobile game Candy Crush at the very time the civic body was having an official audience as they were taking up important issues like public safety and residents were discussing issues of civic matters when at a meeting of the municipality in Bhiwandi Municipal Corporation and some of the local citizens’ well-respected officers was not happy that one of them is playing the popular mobile game Candy Crush.
At a municipal meeting held in Bhiwandi on Thursday, one of the city's largest residents was seen looking at her phone while other city council members were talking about the city's issues. A video from the meeting captured a female councillor looking at her phone in a burqa in the middle of the council meeting.
A councillor was caught playing Candy Crush, according to the report.
According to the footage available, the councillor appeared to be playing Candy Crush on her mobile device while other members of the house were talking. As the councillor’s face was covered, her identity has not been officially confirmed by the municipal authorities.
The timing of the incident added to the criticism. The meeting was on the corporation’s revenue streams and adjournment motion to the recent collapse of the Kohinoor building was also on the table, the newspaper reported. The building collapse was a horror in the city with at least 10 people killed and questions about relief measures, accountability and infrastructure safety.
Such issues are being discussed, it is seen as inappropriate and disrespectful to the seriousness of the meeting by some representatives to play a mobile game during the proceedings.
Former Mayor Criticises Conduct
Vilas Patil, a group leader of the Konark Vikas Aghadi and former mayor, was among the people who expressed his anger over the incident, an email said. He also questioned the conduct of a councillor during a meeting where the members were supposed to discuss what would be the impact of the collapse on residents and families who were affected.
The criticism is coming amid wider concerns over the behaviour and participation of elected representatives in municipal meetings. The general body meetings give us the opportunity for councils (and city councils) to raise issues with their constituency, ask questions about what the politicians should be doing, and to talk about how to spend public money or what to invest in places and infrastructure. Any perceived lack of attention during such meetings can trigger substantial public and political criticism.
The Kohinoor building collapse has also heightened the sensitivity of the conversation about infrastructure and public safety in Bhiwandi. Building accidents in densely populated urban areas can lead to the question of structural safety and unauthorised construction, maintenance and enforcement of municipal regulations. If families suffer such tragedies, municipal discussions can be critical to relief and accountability mechanisms.
Questions over conduct in Civic Meetings.
The incident has once again underscored the importance of discipline and attentiveness in elected-body meetings. Councillors are charged with representing residents and making decisions that will directly affect civic services, development projects and public safety.
While mobile phones are the main means of communication among elected representatives for communicating, accessing documents and following information during their meetings, their use for entertainment can create a negative impression. The alleged use of a mobile game during discussions surrounding a tragic building collapse has made it particularly controversial.
Public media images of public officials during meetings have also fast become public media images and have turned what might have been an internal issue into a larger debate on accountability and civic responsibility.
There presently is no official disciplinary action or inquiry made against the councillor in connection with the incident. The municipal administration has also not publicly confirmed the identity of the person seen in the video.
We expect that this episode will keep people interested in the conduct of elected representatives and how serious municipal proceedings should be. At a time when Bhiwandi is dealing with such questions as public safety, infrastructure and relief for families affected by tragedy, the incident has revived the need to be attentive and accountable in our civic discussions.
