BIS Correspondent
BORIVLI, DECEMBER 17, 2011: A school teacher has been nominated as the citizens' consensus candidate in the Borivli-Gorai belt on Sunday. Rossi D'Souza, aged thirty six, who teaches at Borivli's Don Bosco School and a Right to Information (RTI) activist, has been nominated as the citizens' corporator candidate for the civic elections to be held in February 2012. Mr. D'Souza had started working for the uplift of Gorai village from 2005 armed with RTI as a tool to keep the civic officials on their toes. In October he was elected as sarpanch of Gorai by the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat and secured three hundred and eighty nine votes out of four hundred and seventy one.
On Sunday, he won without opposition and will contest from ward No. 8 comprising Borivili to Gorai village up to Gorai creek and MHB Colony. At present, Shiv Sena's Sadanand Surve, who has a strong support in this general category ward, is the sitting corporator. Not a novice in taking up civic issues, Mr. D'Souza got Culvem church road laid with paver blocks after thirty five years with consent from the local residents. Another road that was laid with paver blocks was at Veirala Talao, Infant Jesus Church Road.
"After becoming the sarpanch, I started free education for the needy in Gorai village. I got sixteen pakhadis (hamlets) functioning under me. I guide them in taking up civic issues. The representatives help in tracking down needy and poor families in the village. People have faith in my work. We got an Aadhar card counter in Gorai village. Otherwise, locals had to cross the creek and ferry a boat to go to Borivli for registering for the Aadhar card," Mr. D'Souza said.
He was nominated on the Mumbai Nagriksatta platform created by Adolf D'Souza, the city's first citizens' candidate.