Eight transfers in 11 years and if corporators have their way, ninth is on the cards. Barely six months in office, Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), faces a no-confidence motion introduced by corporators cutting across party line on Tuesday. In an interview to The Hindu , Mr. Mundhe explains his initiatives for the satellite city and minces no words in exposing what is ‘hurting’ politicians so severely that they want him out.
Q: Your appointment has been perceived as a political move to snub opponents. How do you see it?
I see it as a government employee who has to do his duty. I am not a politician. Had it not been Navi Mumbai, I would have been posted in some other department or city. But I would have remained the same. I didn’t get any special briefing for this assignment neither am I doing anything extraordinary here. I am only following the rulebook and I expect everyone to do the same. I don’t think this is wrong.
Q: How do you start your work?
Wherever I go, I meet my officers from all departments in the first month. I realised that for many years the corporation did not have a proper system to reply to letters, applications coming to ward offices from people, organisations and even the government. Since the administration wasn’t of any use, people were overly dependent on the corporators even for petty issues. I set up a system that ensured every letter is answered and record kept. Review of it is taken every week. I take morning walk with citizens along with ward officers, programmes of which are announced earlier to help people attend it. People come with problems and officers address those on the spot. In 16 editions of ‘Walk with Commissioner’, we received over 1,000 applications and almost 80 per cent of those have been answered. Plus I am open to meet people between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. every day. It brings transparency, efficiency and credibility in the administration.
Q: Do politicians not like your public reach-out initiatives?
Earlier, the administration was doing what was told to them by the corporators. Had the administration performed its duties effectively, people would not have gone to them. They should have been responsive to people earlier. Yes, even my ward officers found it difficult to adjust to the new system initially but they are welcoming it now. Now they can work without political pressure, and in addition I stand with them, no matter what pressure, if their action is lawful.
Q: One of the accusations against you says you do not treat subordinates with respect and your high-handed behaviour
Show me even one example. I am here to make them work. Of course I won’t be nice to officers who do not work. And mind you, I am also working, just like them. I expect them to complete work within the deadline.
Q: Are you satisfied on the financial side of the corporation?
It was incredible. In a corporation with a budget of Rs. 2,000 crore, no works were planned to spend money on. I was told that the budget allocations are made only under heads and not on particulars. Can’t you plan development activities of a corporation for a year? But then it had a purpose. Only certain powerful corporators could get their work done and when others approached, they used to hear ‘no funds’ tape. The pending works were dragged on for years without official extension.
Q: Have you managed to bring in any change?
I have asked to change the style in which the budget is prepared. Work will be planned and money will be allocated. I have also told the contractors who have received extensions that unless they complete the project, their bills will not be cleared. It has hurt many powerful individuals. No new projects will be approved unless pending ones are completed.
Q: Recently, the NMMC witnessed a property tax scam. Are you still probing it?
Yes. What is being reported in the media, is on the paper. But that’s not all. Let me give you an example. A school has been under construction at Sector 11 in Koparkhairane for the last five years. First of all, our education department had made no such demand. The expenses on the civil construction are mammoth Rs. 35 crore. How can that be? Construction of hospitals in Nerul and Airoli costs Rs. 60-70 crore each. I was asked to clear the solar power project which did not even have power purchase agreement ready and per unit cost was Rs. 8.6. Who is going to buy this expensive power? Why do you need hospital on wheel in city which on an average has at least one hospital in the range of 3-4 kilometres? How can I accept all this, when public money is being wasted? Earlier, tenders used to go above 20-25 per cent than the quoted amount, which now go below 20 per cent. The NMMT losses have come down to Rs. 9 per km from Rs. 18 per km. A new water tariff policy is in the pipeline which will charge more to those who use more. That’s all I am doing.
Q: Do you think politicians, contractors and businessmen have joined hands against you?
Does putting cap on wastage of public money hurt anyone’s interests? All my actions have been to cut on the unwanted expenditure of the NMMC. Those who do not want to see this happen, are against me. Why would corporators across party line come together to oppose me? I am following the rulebook for the betterment of the city.
Q: Have you ever been dictated by the Chief Minister?
Never. I have never received a call from him neither has he ordered me on specifics.
Q: Don’t you think you should go soft while trying to clean up the system?
I am not going hard on anyone, so how does this question make sense? I am doing my duty. What is wrong in expecting people to go by the rulebook? My dream for the city is to make it an economically vibrant centre. I read a lot and get ideas from around the world. Let’s stick to the rules and implement good things here.
