No money, will spend 8212; BMC splurges Rs 1 cr on ward panels

Only last year, the civic administration lavished Rs 4 crore on cabins at the BMC headquarters, one each for the 12 members of the now-defunct Mayor-in-Council. The expensively-furnished cabins, whose cost had raised quite a stink, are now being used by the four additional municipal commissioners of the BMC. However, the cavernous cabins, complete with anterooms et al, are largely wasted as the additional commissioners have fewvisitors compared to the high-profile MiC members.

The Ward Committees, which are yet to be constituted, are being set up in keeping with the 74th amendment to the Constitution of India, with a view to decentralising the functioning of local self-government bodies. To be chaired by the respective ward officers, each committee will include local corporators and representatives of three non-governmental organisations. Each will be vested with the power to pass proposals for civic works up to Rs 5 lakh.

The BMC has allotted Rs 5 lakh per month for salaries of the staff that will be assigned to the committees, including a personal secretary for the chairperson , two typists, one each for Marathi and English, and two peons. The chairpersons will also be provided with cellular phones and vehicles. While the cellphones will cost the administration about Rs 50,000 per month at the rate of Rs 3,000 per phone, the vehicles will place an additional burden of Rs 5 lakh per month on the administration.

Since theBMC cannot afford to purchase new cars, it will hire vehicles for the chairpersons at the rate of Rs 1,000 per day, civic sources say. They also point out that the BMC could easily cut costs by Rs 5.5 lakh per month, by withholding the cellphones and vehicles which will be provided simply to equate the committee chairpersons with those of other civic committees.