MPs take city to beauty parlour

MUMBAI: Several years ago, when newlyminted Rajya Sabha MP Shabana Azmi announced that she was contributing asubstantial portion her MP fund towards building a seafront promenade, there wasa groundswell of criticism. Local Area Development funds (LADs),whether of MPs, MLAs or corporators, had hitherto been considered legitimatelyspent only if they were used for such basics as slum toilets, footpaths androads—and Azmi’s decision was perceived as almostblasphemous.However, the actress-politician''s unusual exampleappears to have snowballed into a trend that others are now following, MP HemaMalini’s contribution to the beautification of Juhu Beach being only thelatest.The question that arises is: After years of nurturing theirslum constituencies, are elected representatives finally putting a little money(unapologetically) into the needs of the city’s middle class? Or it onlythat the visibility of beautification projects has increased because of theircelebrity backers?Admittedly many of the major beautificationprojects have been funded by Rajya Sabha MPs who don’t have an electorateto worry about (besides Azmi and Hema Malini, there''s Shiv Sena MP PritishNandy, who is funding such unusual projects as an amphitheatre at Kala Ghoda andthe restoration of the David Sassoon Library).However, another SenaMP, Sanjay Nirupam, believes that the middle class is coming into its own, evenin the elected politician''s scheme of things. "There''s a reason for this," hesays. "Until four or five years ago, most middle-class citizenswould refuse to communicate with politicians, damning us all as corruptscoundrels. But now they are interacting with us, and even demanding that wespend funds on them and not only on slums."