Women municipal corporators in Mumbai have performed slightly better than their male counterparts. While less than half municipal councillors have asked five or less questions, 14 of them have not asked even a single question in any committee meeting during the period 2010-2011.

Praja Foundation had carried out a study on 224 municipal councillors for the period between April 2010 and March 2011. The findings, which are important in the wake of upcoming BMC elections and an increasing governance deficit, were sourced through right to information from the municipal secretary, MCGM (head office and BEST), assistant engineer (maintenance), all the 24 administrative wards, election commission office, MCGM and Mumbai police. The report included an opinion poll of 28,707 citizens. Three of the total 227 minicipal councillors have not been rated as one of them is mayor, another recently suspended and the third recently elected.

Congress corporator Meena S Desai scored highest with grade A at 83.21 percent marks. Mohan R Mithbaokar of BJP was ranked second with grade A and 82.94 percent marks while Gyanmurthi R Sharma of BJP with grade B at 79.11 percent marks was rated third. Vijay A Vashride of Shiv Sena was rated the last at 224th place with grade F and 26.23 percent marks.

As per the report, only 20 percent of 224 councillors asked between 15 and 55 questions in various BMC committee meetings while 42 percent asked five or less questions. Only 26 percent questions were related to issues of local concern. On the criminal antecedents of elected representatives, the report findings say that as many as 53 corporators have been chargesheeted as on May 21, 2011, while 52 new FIRs were registered against the elected representatives between 2007 and 2011 (until May).

Out of 89 women and 135 male corporators, women corporators performed better with average scores of 60.06 percent while male corporators’ average scores are 58.77 percent. Only one percent of corporators scored above 80 percent marks; while 37 percent women and 30 percent male corporators got 70-60 percent marks.

In overall ratings, 33 percent councillors were given C grade with less than 70-80 percent marks while 33 percent corporators scored 100-80 marks for attendance.

In party-wise ratings, Shiv Sena dominating BMC with 80 candidates; 53 of whom received less than 70-50 percent marks, 15 less than 50 and only 12 got 100-70 percent marks. Out of 75 representatives of Indian National Congress, 40 received less than 70-50 percent marks, 20 less than 50 and only 15 representatives scored 100-70 percent marks. The BJP has third largest representation with 28 candidates in the BMC. Its 17 candidates received less than 70-50 percent marks while 10 got 100-70 and only one received less than 50 percent marks.

The parameters were based on criminal record, attendance, number and quality of questions asked. The performance report also considered factors like educational qualifications, possession of PAN card, utilisation of local area development funds, public perception of corporator’s work, like what people think of services provided by the corporator and whether they consider him/her corrupt, approachable/accessible, etc.

Refuting claims of elected representatives who scored low grades that the report has not taken into account good works done by them, Milind Mhaske, project director, Praja, who worked on the report, pointed out, “Any elected representative has to perform within his constitutional authority in constitutionally available forums. Holding a blood donation drive or a health camp in their constituency is actually social work and not constitutional or political work. Our parameters are focused on constitutional mechanism available to them as constitutional authorities and not volunteer work.”

Meanwhile, notwithstanding protests by various NGOs against free/complimentary lifetime swimming pool and gym memberships demanded by councillors, the elected representatives on Monday hurriedly passed a notice of motion which sought membership of gyms and swimming pools for present as well as former corporators. Without discussions, the grant was placed before mayor Shraddha Jadhav by Shiv Sena corporator Manmohan Chonkar who stated that since corporators were trustees of the civic body and even after retirement they continued to do social work, all of them should be provided life membership to civic swimming pools.

RTI activists Krishnaraj Rao had last week along with 16 other signatories written a letter to mayor Shraddha Jadhav condemning lifetime free/concessional swimming pool and gym memberships sought by councilors.