Corporators want more money too | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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Corporators want more money too

Hindustan Times | ByBhavika Jain, Mumbai
Dec 16, 2010 02:17 AM IST

As news of the proposed salary hike for MLAs trickled in, Mumbai’s corporators demanded a similar raise. The corporators, who are paid Rs 10,000 (allowances included), demanded a pay hike of Rs 15,000.

As news of the proposed salary hike for MLAs trickled in, Mumbai’s corporators demanded a similar raise. The corporators, who are paid Rs 10,000 (allowances included), demanded a pay hike of Rs 15,000.

HT Image
HT Image

On Wednesday the state Cabinet cleared a proposal to increase MLAs’ honorarium. From the present Rs 44,000, it could go up to Rs 70,000-Rs 1 lakh. In August, MPs too had got a huge raise. Their monthly salaries were increased from Rs 16,000 to Rs 50,000.

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Health Committee Chairperson Ashwini Mate said through a notice of motion in the civic general body that corporators’ current salary is too low.

“Travelling, paying workers, phone bills and other expenses become difficult to manage when the grant is low. I have demanded that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) increase our remuneration,” said Mate, the corporator from Ghatkopar. Former mayor Mahadeo Deole had sent a similar demand to then chief minister Ashok Chavan.

Mate also asked for an increase in the allowance that corporators get for attending the general body meeting from Rs 150 to Rs 500.

Some civic officials said on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the media that increasing the 227 corporators’ salaries would further drain the already cash-strapped BMC’s coffers.

Congress corporator Rajendra Chaube demanded a larger hike than the one Mate asked for. He suggested that corporators’ salaries be raised to Rs 30,000. “The cost of managing a ward is very high. Corporators are not even given other facilities, such as phone and travel allowance, given to MLAs,” he said.

Chaube also demanded that the BMC give corporators free AC bus passes. Mate too had asked for train and bus passes.

“Just because I am the chairperson of a civic committee, I got a car. Otherwise, till last year, I used to travel by train,” Mate said.

What other states pay their MLAs

On Wednesday, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved a pay hike for MLAs. They could now be paid up to Rs 1 lakh, more than double the Rs 44,000 they were paid earlier. As expected, the decision has generated a lot of debate. Here’s what MLAs in other states are paid

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