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  Expenses By Citizens in Mumbai City  Kaytek Experiences and Insights |
Consulting
Civic Issues
Citizen Funding Of BMC Corporator's Expenses
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Expenses By Citizens in Mumbai City Kaytek Experiences and Insights |
 This note is based on an email dated 12th May 2007 sent by Mr. Mahesh Khatri to the Mumbai JVPD North West ALM (Advanced Locality Management) community residents and other Mumbai civic activists. It is on the possibility of funding the expenses of the Independent BMC (Bombay Municipal Corporation) / MCGM (Municipal Corporation Of Greater Mumbai) Corporator in Electoral Ward 63. Update - The Media - Indian Express, Mumbai Mirror, DNA & Maharashtra Times newspapers have also reported this story (though not entirely accurately). Our Independent Corporator was elected exactly 100 days ago, on 1st February 2007. While a century may be too short a time to evaluate an elected representative's tenure, especially for a first-timer, it does provide a useful benchmark to perhaps look at some of the positive and not so positive elements of the experience so far and derive lessons for the future. One key issue that various ALM residents have raised is the issue of funding of an corporator's expenses. Not many of you may be aware that a corporator is paid a pittance of Rs 4,000 per month by the BMC along with local public transport facilities. Also, as mentioned by our MP, Ms. Priya Dutt in a local newspaper last week; a MP gets a salary of Rs 15,000 - 20,000 per month along with other phone and travel facilities. An MLA could perhaps be getting something in between Rs 4,000 and Rs 20,000. As you can imagine, with the astronomical costs of living in Mumbai city as well as the huge sums of money involved in Mumbai's public and private development projects, the above official income figures of the elected representatives leave a lot of scope for wrong actions. |
Some suggestions have come forward from residents in this vital money matter : Someone had earlier suggested funding of independent corporator's ongoing office expenses via organising old newspaper collection drives in the area as one of the possible mechanisms for the same. Another resident had suggested that the voters who had elected the Corporator could contribute funds to the tune of Rs 50,000/= to Rs 1,00,000/= per month. Is a figure of Rs 1,00,000 (One Lakh)( Rupees 0.1 Million) per month per Legislator very high or impossible to collect ? If 4000 people have voted for a legislator, then @ Rs 1 per voter per working day, the monthly One Lakh (4000 people X 25 Working Days Per Month X 1 Rupee Per Working Day) is possible. |
If Mumbai's 227 Corporators get paid @ Rs 1 lakh per month, the total additonal burden on the BMC / MCGM (if they decide to bear the above expense instead of the citizens) will be approximately Rs 27 Crores (Approximately US 6.5 Million Dollars) per annum - less than 0.2 % of the BMC's Annual Budget of approximately Rs 12,500 Crores (Approximately US 3 Billion Dollars ). It will be a huge enabler of reducing corruption in our public lives. Law makers should seriously look into this matter and act accordingly. The following figures have been received as regards funding of the Independent Corporator's Ward Committee office expenses upto March 2008 : Office Assistant Rs. 5,000/- Stationary/ Photocopying Rs. 3,000/- Electricity & telephone Rs. 2,000/- Office Rent (after March 2008) Rs 10,000/- Total Rs 20,000/- per month. An ALM resident from our area had sometime back mentioned to me that the value of JVPD (Juhu Vile Parle Development Scheme) was 2.2 US Billion Dollars - Approximately Rs 9,000 Crores and perhaps rising more every day. With one Forbes Billionaire, 2-3 of India's Top Income Tax Payers and many more Dollar Millionaires in our area, perhaps citizens can strive for a funding target of One Rupee Per Voter Per Working Day as mentioned above. It is also obvious that in any such fund collecting exercise, prudent disclosure and strict transparency norms will have to be followed. Citizens should contribute their ideas and suggestions on this vital matter and help make Mumbai a world class city that we can be proud of. What do you think ? Email Us Your Views. |
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