Question

Find out about the local government in the village or town you live in.

If you live in a village, find out the names of the following: your panch or ward member, your sarpanch, your panchayat samiti, the chairperson of your zilla parishad. Also find out when did the last meeting of the gram sabha take place and how many people took part in that.

If you live in urban areas, find out the name of your municipal councillor, and the municipal chairperson or mayor. Also find out about the budget of your municipal corporation, municipality and the major items on which money was spent.

Answer 1

1. Municipal Corporation Name: Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)
2. Mayor: Ritu Tawde
3. Municipal Councillor: Varies by exact ward (e.g., Ward 132)
4. Total Annual Budget: ₹ 80,952.56 crore
5. Capital Outlay Ratio: Configured at a 60:40 split between capital investments and operational revenue expenses.
6. Major Spending Items
   
   • Mega Transit Projects: Massive investments for the Mumbai Coastal Road (North) extension and the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road tunnelling project.
   • Public Infrastructure & Utilities: Large-scale investments in water security projects such as the Gargai Dam, smart city parking lots, and desalination plants.
   • Civic Services Expansion: The health framework budget exceeds ₹ 7,400 crore (including 3-Tesla MRI acquisitions), with ₹ 4,248.08 crore allocated for public education.