MCGM incurs expense of Rs 79.46 per voter in the 2017 Municipal polls

Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections were held in February 2017 and it incurred expenses of Rs 72.94 crores for the conduct of the elections, which amounts to Rs 79.46 per voter, it has been revealed through a response provided to RTI Activist Anil Galgali. The maximum expense in a single head was Rs 24.68 crores on account of Electoral slips and printed metarials.

RTI Activist Anil Galgali had sought information from the Mumbai Municipal Corporation about the total expenses incurred on the Municipal elections held in Feb 2017. The Public Information Officer and Asst Election Officer provided Galgali with the copies of 3 documents filed with the State Election Commission. Account to details contained in the documents, Rs 8 crores 67 lakhs 85 thousand 325 was spent on payment of Honorarium to Officers conducting the elections like 25 Electoral Returning Officer, 25 Asst Electoral Returning Officer, 43 Election Inspector, and 4200 staff in election offices established for conducting the elections. An  Remuneration payment amounting to Rs 6 crores 24 Lakhs 63 thousand 550 was incurred  as expenses for 48 Electoral Returning Officer, 550 Asst Electoral Returning Officer, and 41980 staff Manning the Voting centres. Also 2238 staff for counting of votes, 9062 staff deployed in Election offices, 49 Election Inspectors and 9126 police personnel deployed for conduct of elections. 

Rs 24 crores 68 Lakhs 5 thousand 238 was spent on printing and distribution of election metarials like pamphlets, voting slips etc. This includes Rs 9 crores 99 Lakhs 37 thousand 270 spent on election printed metarials used in polling stations. RS 13 crores 24 Lakhs 48 thousand 492 was spent on Pandals. Rs 27 lakhs 35 thousand 737 was spent on transportation of EVM machines and other Electoral metarials. Rs 29 lakhs 62 thousand 235 was spent on Computers and other metarials. Rs 80 was spent on Marker pens. Rs 6 crores 57 lakhs 97 thousand 203 was spent on vehicles needed. Rs 15 lakhs 2 thousand 480 for training purposes. Rs 2 crores 92 lakhs 5 thousand 129 for creating public awareness on election participation. Rs 36 lakhs 38 thousand was reconstitution of ward boundaries. Enforcement of Code of conduct costed Rs 15 crores 10 lakhs 78 thousand 653. Rs 4 crores 49 lakhs 99; thousand 65 for Office expenses, Voting slips costed Rs 61 lakhs 73 thousand 362, An expense of Rs 20 lakhs was incurred due to compensation for any injuries or death occurred during duty. And other expenses of Rs 84 lakhs 79 thousand 610 was incurred. Rs 2 crores 5 lakhs 58 thousand 754 was paid to the State Election Commission.

A total of 91 lakhs 80 thousand 550 voters participated in the voting process, bringing the cost of Rs 79.46 per person. In a statement, Anil Galgali expressed that, Rs 3.54 crores was incurred on Voting publicity and distributing Voting slips and yet most of the voters couldn't receive details of their polling stations properly. Galgali stated that informing voters by SMS would be a better solution in future.