Hindustan Times 16.11.2010
How Best-5 policy put BMC in a fix
According to the scheme, which has announced in 2008, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will gift Rs 10,000 each to children who score more than 90% in their in SSC, HSC, ICSE or CBSE board exams only if their parents have cleared his previous financial year’s property tax payment on time.
The scheme, applicable to only two children of each family, had been announced to encourage citizens to clear their property tax dues.
Last year, the BMC has paid Rs 10,000 each to 98 students.
“We were expected a maximum of 100 applications for the scheme. But this year, the number has shot up to 500-600 because of the ‘Best-Five’ formula,” said an official from the assessor and collection department, which collects property tax, on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media.
The BMC had made a provision of Rs 10 crore for this scheme in the 2010-11 budget.
“We sought opinion from legal department on the issue because there was no Best-Five formula when the scheme was announced. Their opinion is expected soon,” said SS Shinde, joint municipal commissioner.
Sources from the civic legal department said the BMC should stick to the old formula of calculating of marks while applying the scheme.
The BMC has also written a letter to the Maharashtra State Secondary and High Secondary Education Board and sought information about the number of students who have crossed the 90%-mark as per the old method.
