Mumbai sweepers get Rs26k salary — on paper only

An eye on the civic polls has got everyone — the ruling Shiv Sena, municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar, and Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan — scrambling to convince voters that they are serious about the civic body cleaning up its act. But don’t take them at their word just yet.

RTI activist Pramod Kadam has learned that the BMC entered into a contract with two firms for personnel. These include sweepers, peons, plumbers and electricians in civic schools. While one of them, Krystal Trade Com Pvt Ltd, gets paid Rs26,578 each for 759 personnel, the other, BVG India Ltd, gets Rs26,199 each for 754 personnel for salary payments. Incidentally, not only is this amount more than what experienced teachers get paid, it is also much higher than the salary of principals of BMC-run schools.

Payments for this three-year contract — which started February 1, 2009 — are being made every month to the tune of Rs2.02 cr to Krystal, and Rs1.98 cr to BVG.

“The actual salaries credited by these agencies to employees’ salary accounts was a meagre Rs4,000 to Rs5,200,” says Kadam. “This means that a substantial amount - over Rs21,000 per employee listed - is being pocketed by the agencies.”

Kadam also found out that a comparable contract had been awarded in 2008 for security and maintenance of Prabodhankar Thackerey (PT) Hall in Borivli for Rs6,600 per employee per month. The difference between these two contracts, awarded about one year apart by the same standing committee in the BMC, was Rs20,000.

After he found several irregularities through what he calls “RTI research work over a couple of years”, Kadam finally complained in January 2011 to municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar, CM Prithviraj Chavan, the municipal chief auditor, and others.

A couple of months later, the audit department confirmed Kadam’s allegations. However, instead of comparing the salary with the Rs6,600 of PT Hall, the auditors compared it with Rs13,800 per head paid to the security staff of octroi nakas. On this basis, it was calculated that there was excess payment of Rs34.52 lakhs per year.

More importantly, the auditor questioned how these companies were selected, since neither firm has the necessary income tax and sales tax clearance papers.

Now, even eight months after the chief auditor’s report, the contract still continues. And as the municipal elections draw closer, almost coinciding with the renewal date of this contract (Feb 1, 2012), sources told DNA that this contract will most likely be renewed. “Both the firms have such good political connections that they are confident of pulling it off this time too,” said a senior officer.

When contacted, mayor Shraddha Jadhav said, “I do not know the details. I will not be able to comment.” The civic commissioner remained unreachable.