After the state government went in to cost curtailment mode owing to loan waiver for farmers with measures such as increasing transfer fee charges for properties on government land
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After the state government went in to cost curtailment mode owing to loan waiver for farmers with measures such as increasing transfer fee charges for properties on government land, it has now given the civic bodies an added cost burden in a time when the richest civic body is trying to recover from Octroi abolition post GST.
The state government, has increased the monthly honorariums of 232 civic corporators from current Rs10000 to Rs 25000, through a government resolution that was issued by Urban Development department, on Saturday. There are 227 corporators and five nominated corporators form the general body of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Where on one hand the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport unit has been running in losses and its employees are not paid their monthly salaries on time, it is the corporators who will enjoy an increase remuneration. The corporators said that it is after almost five years since the decision on salary hike was pending and this is a relief as Rs 10000 is too less as an honorarium. The hike is happening after almost eight years.
The GR by the state government has stated that the A+ class corporation will be paid Rs 25000 which includes Mumbai city corporation. It also states that A class corporations which include Pune and Nagpur will be revised to Rs20000 which earlier was Rs7500, 'B' class corporations like Thane, Nashik will have to scoop out Rs 15000 as monthly honorarium and 'C' and 'D' class corporations that include Kalyan-Dombivali, Vasai-Virar, Navi Mumbai among other will be giving its corporators Rs 10000
"Last year during Mayor's conference this demand was made and also considering that the corporators have to shell out more money on postage, telephone and stationary in comparison to what they paid eight years back, the honorariums had to be increased as it was pending for a very long time," said a senior officer from Urban development department.
After the state government had increased member of legislative assembly's remuneration, from Rs75000 to Rs1.5 lakh per month, a city corporator and Samajwadi Party group leader Rais Shaikh had demanded that civic corporators should be compensated by civic administration with Rs50000 every month. He had also demanded that instead of Rs 150 given as travelling allowance for attending one general body meeting also should be increased to Rs 500.
What does this mean for the common Mumbaikar? Well, now the city - which should have been cash rich - will have to shell out 4crores extra to pay for the salary hike.
With so much needed for Mumbai to improve at (potholes, encroachment, illeagal buildings, garbage scam, pipelines malfunctioning, etc.), those 4 crores may be a heavier burden to carry than expected.
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