Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
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State-wise "study-tours"
The Times of India, Jan 29 2016
J&K, Andamans: Seats of learning for some
VijayV Singh
In December 2015, 15 members of the improvement committee went to Jammu and Kashmir to interact with the civic administration there, besides visiting Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination.
While citizens and activists have criticised the expenditure on the Andaman tour, there is another trip planned for February 2 to Sikkim, by members of the health committee. The purpose of the trip has reportedly been stated as `study of the up graded health facilities in Gangtok'. However, experts said when Mumbai has among the best medical facilities in the country , the corporators are clearly going there on a personal trip under the pretext of a study tour.
“We are fighting for basic things in the city , but instead of addressing these issues corporators are going on a picnic under the pretext of a study tour. They can go on such tours after taking leave, but should not mislead the people.We have best the medical facilities here and there is no need to go Gangtok. The corporators should rather focus on improving the quality of treatment in BMC-run hospitals in the city,“ said filmmaker and activist Ashok Pandit. Later, on February 8, corporators from the BMC's law committee has a trip planned to Kochi to `study the revenue models of the city's municipal corporation'. On the agenda are repportedly revenues from advertisement, property taxes and the legal process.
11 corporators from the standing committee, 22 from the works committee, along with the mayor, had gone on four-day trip to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to `study their water storing facilities and drainage system'. The trip was planned at the last minute and the BMC shelled out high charges for air tickets and hotel booking. Some senior corporators, except the Shiv Sena, opted out of the tour to avoid controversy.
