Embedded Files
Analysing Discretionary Expenditure of Municipal Councillors
Analysing Discretionary Expenditure of Municipal Councillors
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
Ward councillors are possibly the closest link of the government to its population and engage with relatively disadvantaged and vulnerable local populations in a way that other representatives or tiers of governments are typically unable to. However, despite being important stakeholders in the design and delivery of policies, they are often excluded from policy discourses.
The role of councillors is especially crucial in the face of rapid urbanisation and increasing pressure on city governments and urban departments to provide several facilities to all citizens. This is especially pertinent in a state like Gujarat where urbanisation in the state is relatively high compared to the national average and it deals with high urban populations concentrated in few urban centres (e.g. - Ahmedabad). Urban Local Governments (ULGs) play a key role not just in providing and maintaining infrastructure but also in initiating specific need-based programs, especially implementing schemes as well as enforcing laws related to child welfare.
While the Government of Gujarat and its various municipal corporations have taken several steps to provide adequate social infrastructure and in recognizing the needs of children in the urban areas, the success of these policies and efforts would be aided by the involvement of local actors such as councillors. As our interactions with them suggest, that councillors are typically aware of the needs and demands of their communities. Complementing their awareness with relevant resources and information to address them can help enhance the state’s role tin catering to the needs of children.
This report complements an earlier study, in which we examined the roles of ward councillors of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to address the social protection needs of children. One of the key findings was that there is a lot of variance among councillors in their familiarity with formal rules and procedures. Consequently, there is an undue reliance on informal process and source of information. The informality can impede the functioning of a transparent and equitable system. Building on prior work, in this report, we analyse the utilization of their annual discretionary (or ‘personal’) budgets of councillors. The purpose is not to judge the appropriateness of the expenditures. Instead, by presenting this information publicly, we hope we will encourage greater engagement between councillors and citizens. We are particularly keen to draw attention towards the needs of children and encourage more child-friendly urban planning.
The role of councillors is especially crucial in the face of rapid urbanisation and increasing pressure on city governments and urban departments to provide several facilities to all citizens. This is especially pertinent in a state like Gujarat where urbanisation in the state is relatively high compared to the national average and it deals with high urban populations concentrated in few urban centres (e.g. - Ahmedabad). Urban Local Governments (ULGs) play a key role not just in providing and maintaining infrastructure but also in initiating specific need-based programs, especially implementing schemes as well as enforcing laws related to child welfare.
While the Government of Gujarat and its various municipal corporations have taken several steps to provide adequate social infrastructure and in recognizing the needs of children in the urban areas, the success of these policies and efforts would be aided by the involvement of local actors such as councillors. As our interactions with them suggest, that councillors are typically aware of the needs and demands of their communities. Complementing their awareness with relevant resources and information to address them can help enhance the state’s role tin catering to the needs of children.
This report complements an earlier study, in which we examined the roles of ward councillors of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to address the social protection needs of children. One of the key findings was that there is a lot of variance among councillors in their familiarity with formal rules and procedures. Consequently, there is an undue reliance on informal process and source of information. The informality can impede the functioning of a transparent and equitable system. Building on prior work, in this report, we analyse the utilization of their annual discretionary (or ‘personal’) budgets of councillors. The purpose is not to judge the appropriateness of the expenditures. Instead, by presenting this information publicly, we hope we will encourage greater engagement between councillors and citizens. We are particularly keen to draw attention towards the needs of children and encourage more child-friendly urban planning.
Discretionary Budgets
Discretionary Budgets
After the fiscal devolution suggested under the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA), ULGs gained significant financial autonomy. Municipal corporations are to allocate financial resources at the ward/zone level (also known as ‘general budget’) from their annual budget. This is a “common pool” which is shared by the councillors of the respective wards and zones. In addition to the general budget, municipal corporations of bigger cities in India also allocate a discretionary or ‘personal’ budget to each councillor. This kind of financial autonomy given to councillors not only empowers them but also the citizens of each ward. The utilization of personal budget is supposed to be reflective of councillors’ priorities and local demands. Consequently, it serves as an important parameter to understand the role being played by them in the provision of public goods. We believe this budget can also serve as an instrument for citizens to place demands and for councillors to provide child-specific needs at the ward level. While there are several committees that cater to child-related and social infrastructural needs (like health, education, gardens, etc.), the general budgets at the ward level are primarily allocated for physical infrastructure. On the other hand, the councillors’ personal budgets have provisions to directly cater to children’s needs by spending on child related activities specifically needed and demanded at the ward-level.
Data and Objectives
Data and Objectives
In this study, we analyse how councillors spend their personal budgets and compare the spending across wards and demographic characteristics. The data was collected through applications under the RTI Act, 2005. After digitization and translation, the data was analysed and represented in various forms to understand patterns.
The discretionary budget for AMC councillors in the year 2016-17 (the year which our data and analysis corresponds to) was approximately Rs. 23 lakhs. This increases each year by approximately 10% and for the year 2019-20, the allocation was Rs.25 lakhs. This amounts to over 200 crores of public funds allocated towards discretionary budgets over their five-year term.
After categorizing various expenditures based on description of activities made available, we consulted the councillors and their volunteers to come up with the following distinct categories: ‘Benches’; ‘Boards’; ‘Children’; ‘Cold water coolers’; ‘Dustbins’; ‘Gardens’; ‘Health amenities’; ‘Roads, paver blocks and others’; ‘Street lights/poles’; ‘Toilets’; ‘Tree guards’; ‘Water and drainage/sewage’; and ‘Others’.
To identify/highlight activities concerning children, we used the following criteria: activities (even those related to physical infrastructure) carried out in spaces accessed specifically by children like schools and Anganwadis, have been classified as expenditure incurred on activities that directly focus on/benefit children.
The discretionary budget for AMC councillors in the year 2016-17 (the year which our data and analysis corresponds to) was approximately Rs. 23 lakhs. This increases each year by approximately 10% and for the year 2019-20, the allocation was Rs.25 lakhs. This amounts to over 200 crores of public funds allocated towards discretionary budgets over their five-year term.
After categorizing various expenditures based on description of activities made available, we consulted the councillors and their volunteers to come up with the following distinct categories: ‘Benches’; ‘Boards’; ‘Children’; ‘Cold water coolers’; ‘Dustbins’; ‘Gardens’; ‘Health amenities’; ‘Roads, paver blocks and others’; ‘Street lights/poles’; ‘Toilets’; ‘Tree guards’; ‘Water and drainage/sewage’; and ‘Others’.
To identify/highlight activities concerning children, we used the following criteria: activities (even those related to physical infrastructure) carried out in spaces accessed specifically by children like schools and Anganwadis, have been classified as expenditure incurred on activities that directly focus on/benefit children.
Findings
Findings
It was found that almost all councillors completely utilized their entire annual budgets irrespective of party affiliation, gender, and/or seniority. However, expenditure on child-focused activities is minimal. We see similar trends, even when we include other categories of expenditure that are more focused on social infrastructure.
1. Child-focused activities: The overall expenditure in this category is extremely low, and councillors in more than half the wards did not spend anything on this category. While councillors in some wards spent up to 10%of their budgets, only expenditure incurred in two wards crossed the 10% mark.
2. Social Infrastructure: Here, in addition to the Child-focused activities category, we include expenditure on toilets, gardens, and hospitals. We find the trends to be similar to that of child focused activities with councillors from most wards not utilizing their personal budgets for these activities.
The overall trends reveal that while expenditure in all wards focused primarily on physical infrastructure related activities, there is a lot of variation of the share of expenditure on specific categories across wards. The highest share of expenditure was incurred on construction and maintenance of roads (~38%), followed by streetlights and poles (~16%), installation of benches (~13%), water and drainage facilities (~12%), dustbins (~9%), and others.
1. Roads, Paver Blocks and other related activities: We find that the share varies widely across wards with some wards spending less than 20% while some spent greater than 70% of their budgets.
2. Water and Drainage: While the average share of expenditure on water and drainage related activities is much lower than roads and paver blocks, here too we find that the constituting share varies widely across wards. Share of expenditure incurred in around half the wards is less than 10%, and some wards incur between 10-20% of their expenditure. However, four wards incurred more than 30% of their budget on this activity. 3. Benches: Although the shares vary across, all councillors spent some amount on benches from their budgets. Expenditure in many wards exceeded more than 10% of the total expenditure by councillors, with councillors from one of the wards spending more than 25% of their total budget on it. Interestingly, relatively better off wards see substantially lower expenditure on benches.Our interactions with several councillors suggest that high share of discretionary budgets are spent on benches for primarily two reasons. One, to fulfill the demands of individual citizens and communities to promote interactions in common spaces of the ward. Two, these were relatively easier to procure and spend on than other categories, and most importantly can include the names of councillors (as plates or etched within) which help them provide visibility among their electorates.
4. Dustbins: The range of share of expenditure varies from zero to over 25% of total expenditure, with councillors from several wards spending greater than 15% of their budgets.Similar to benches, dustbins too are relatively easier to procure and distribute, and the names of the councillors can be printed on it to help with their visibility among the electorate. This is usually spent under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) outlay which provides councillors an additional amount every year to spend on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related activities.
5. Streetlights: We find that the range of share of expenditure on streetlights ranges from zero to more than 40% of the total budgets. While expenditure on streetlights constituted less than 10%for most wards, many wards on the periphery of the city spent much higher shares.To analyse this further, we mapped the density of streetlights across wards for the same year. We find that the low availability and density of streetlights in the periphery might have led the councillors to spend more from their discretionary budget in some wards. However, more data on expenditure patterns of earlier budgets and streetlight patterns of previous years is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
1. Child-focused activities: The overall expenditure in this category is extremely low, and councillors in more than half the wards did not spend anything on this category. While councillors in some wards spent up to 10%of their budgets, only expenditure incurred in two wards crossed the 10% mark.
2. Social Infrastructure: Here, in addition to the Child-focused activities category, we include expenditure on toilets, gardens, and hospitals. We find the trends to be similar to that of child focused activities with councillors from most wards not utilizing their personal budgets for these activities.
The overall trends reveal that while expenditure in all wards focused primarily on physical infrastructure related activities, there is a lot of variation of the share of expenditure on specific categories across wards. The highest share of expenditure was incurred on construction and maintenance of roads (~38%), followed by streetlights and poles (~16%), installation of benches (~13%), water and drainage facilities (~12%), dustbins (~9%), and others.
1. Roads, Paver Blocks and other related activities: We find that the share varies widely across wards with some wards spending less than 20% while some spent greater than 70% of their budgets.
2. Water and Drainage: While the average share of expenditure on water and drainage related activities is much lower than roads and paver blocks, here too we find that the constituting share varies widely across wards. Share of expenditure incurred in around half the wards is less than 10%, and some wards incur between 10-20% of their expenditure. However, four wards incurred more than 30% of their budget on this activity. 3. Benches: Although the shares vary across, all councillors spent some amount on benches from their budgets. Expenditure in many wards exceeded more than 10% of the total expenditure by councillors, with councillors from one of the wards spending more than 25% of their total budget on it. Interestingly, relatively better off wards see substantially lower expenditure on benches.Our interactions with several councillors suggest that high share of discretionary budgets are spent on benches for primarily two reasons. One, to fulfill the demands of individual citizens and communities to promote interactions in common spaces of the ward. Two, these were relatively easier to procure and spend on than other categories, and most importantly can include the names of councillors (as plates or etched within) which help them provide visibility among their electorates.
4. Dustbins: The range of share of expenditure varies from zero to over 25% of total expenditure, with councillors from several wards spending greater than 15% of their budgets.Similar to benches, dustbins too are relatively easier to procure and distribute, and the names of the councillors can be printed on it to help with their visibility among the electorate. This is usually spent under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) outlay which provides councillors an additional amount every year to spend on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) related activities.
5. Streetlights: We find that the range of share of expenditure on streetlights ranges from zero to more than 40% of the total budgets. While expenditure on streetlights constituted less than 10%for most wards, many wards on the periphery of the city spent much higher shares.To analyse this further, we mapped the density of streetlights across wards for the same year. We find that the low availability and density of streetlights in the periphery might have led the councillors to spend more from their discretionary budget in some wards. However, more data on expenditure patterns of earlier budgets and streetlight patterns of previous years is needed to confirm this hypothesis.
Page updated
Report abuse