Mumbai: Congress MLAs from the city pipped their counterparts from the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena to top the annual Mumbai Report Card released by Praja Foundation on Tuesday.
Mumbadevi MLA Amin Patel of the Congress, retained the first rank from last year with a score of 78.25, followed by Wadala MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, also of the Congress, who jumped to the second position from last year’s seventh.
The third and fourth ranks were also held by Congress leaders: Malad (West) MLA Aslam Shaikh and Chandivali MLA Arif Khan respectively. The lowest ranking representative was Ghatkopar (West) MLA Ram Kadam from BJP, in 32nd place.
The methodology
The assessment of the MLAs was carried out in two parts. The first was on the basis of tangible parameters like attendance, number and quality of questions asked in the Assembly, utility of the funds allotted, and their educational, tax and criminal backgrounds. The second part of the assessment was based on people’s perception of the MLAs in their respective wards.
The first part was assigned 60 points, and the second 40. The MLAs were assigned an average score, which dipped from 65.1% to 60.5% as compared to last year. the study also found that as many as 50% MLAs have criminal cases registered against them.
The information for the tangible parameters was obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Netai Mehta, managing trustee, Praja Foundation, said, “The average attendance score has been lower in 2017 at 9.19 (out of 10 points), compared to 9.68 in 2016. The number of questions asked in the Assembly has reduced from 10,435 questions in 2014 to 6,199 this year. Only 12 MLAs asked more than 150 questions.”
Mr. Mehta said the overall quality of questions asked by the MLAs scored a mere 38%. The quality was determined according to weightage given to different issues discussed.
“Questions on crime, education, civic issues and community welfare have been given maximum weightage. The MLAs are responsible for raising issues faced by the citizens, and the report has shown that they are not raising the right issues,” he said.
For the second part of the assessment, information was gathered through a sampled household survey of 20,317 respondents. The survey were carried out by Hansa Research, a market research agency.
Hansa Research’s senior vice-president, Anjan Ghosh, said parameters like power supply, law and order, pollution, facilities in schools, colleges, and health facilities were given a total of 20 points.
“The awareness and accessibility of the MLA was assigned six points, the corruption index and other measures of perception were marked out of 10 points and four points, respectively. The perception of accessibility of the MLAs has slightly improved this year, as 13 MLAs are easily available as compared to a meagre six in 2016,” Mr. Ghosh said.
Criminal records
As per the Representative of People’s Act, 1951, criminal cases are defined as those which attract over two years of imprisonment as per the Election Commission. Eighteen of the 36 MLAs were found to have criminal cases registered against them, and 12 have charge sheets filed against them.
Five points were deducted from the MLAs’ score if they had an FIR or charge sheet filed against them and had not disclosed it.
Abu Azmi of Samajwadi Party, Ajay Choudhari, Ashok Patil and Tukaram Kate from the Shiv Sena, and Ashish Shelar of the BJP have topped the list of MLAs with criminal records.
Milind Mhakse, project manager of Praja Foundation, said, “The perception of corruption and its impact on the quality of life are inversely related. In 2016, the perceived corruption was at 36%, and it is at 38% in 2017. This has resulted in decrease in the quality of life from 70% in 2016 to 66% in 2017.”
Praja Foundation, which was recently accused by the Brihanamumbai Municipal Corporation of ‘misinterpreting’ facts in its health report, will send a copy of the report to every MLA, head offices of political parties in the city, and circulate it throughout the State so that it acts as a mirror for the MLAs’ activities in future.
“The complete report is available on our website,” Mr. Mhaske said.
