It's election time and political campaigns play a vital role during this phase and this mean that parties will go out of their way to woo voters. So suburban district collectorate, has generated a rate chart to monitor accounts of expenditure incurred by the contesting candidates. Party representatives have already contested the rates provided by the office of the collector and claim that the rates are above the market rates.
"Once the rates are decided then while calculating the expenditure made by the candidate will be calculated as per the rates. Obviously, the expenditure will increase and this will create a problem. The rate chart has to be realistic," said an office bearer of a political party.
"For example, the suburban collectorate has given a tentative rate chart and in that tea is priced around Rs15. If we are getting tea at a rate of Rs5-6, why should we agree to count Rs15 as the cost of the tea, while calculating the expenses of the candidate. Similarly, the cost of a chair has been fixed at Rs20, but we get them at Rs10 per day or even lesser. The cost of an amplifier with four speakers is fixed at Rs10,000, while you can get it easily ranging from Rs2,000 to Rs3,000 per day," said Sumant Ghaisas, vice-president of the Mumbai BJP unit.
Political parties point out that the rates are provided by the PWD, who bank on the rates provided to them by their contractors. The rates are given by the contractors by taking into account the long payment periods followed by the government. Besides, it also include bribes that has to be paid by the contractor
"It is a unanimous feeling that the rates are very high and not in tune with the market rates. If we are getting something cheap, how can they hold it against us. The fresh rates will be decided by the collector and will be declared on Monday.
Suburban district collector Shekhar Channe said, 'We are yet to fix the rates, we will be doing it in consultation with the political parties. We have not released anything so far."
Tentative rates put forward by the collectorate:-
Amplifier with four speakers:- Rs10,000 per day
Construction of podium:- Rs75 per square feet
Flex banners:- Rs45 per square feet
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