“Know your BPP”

While the trustees of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) are always in the news, though sometimes for the wrong reasons, not much is known of the rest of the people behind the 335-year-old premier trust. The BPP Review of October-November 2010 enlightens the community on the workings of the august body with a cover story titled "Know your BPP: Meet the people who take the multifarious activities of the BPP forward.”

The publication does not mention the total staff strength but BPP’s chief executive officer Mehli Colah states there are around 350 employees on the BPP rolls, around 110 temporary workers and about 120 employees on the Wadia Committee that looks after the five Wadia baugs. The annual salary bill for the BPP is about Rs 4.25 crore (US $ 9,44,444) with an additional Rs 1.25 crore for the Wadia Baug employees. The total expenditure of the BPP annually is between Rs 15 to 16 crore (US $ 33,33,333 to 35,55,555), stated Colah. The figure does not include costs for construction.

The BPP administers the Bai Soonabai and Seth Behramji H. Sorabji Parsi Student Hostel, R. H. Patuck Education Trust, F. S. Parukh Dharamshala, The Godavara Darameher, The Shapoorji Fakirji Jokhi Agiary, The Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy Zarthoshti Madressa, The F. D. Alpaiwalla Museum, The Lady Hirabai Cawasji Jehangir Health Unit, Sir J. J. College of Commerce, the Liaison Committee in Bombay as well as The Memorial Column and Dharamshala at Sanjan and The Bai Navajbai Bamji Sanatorium and the Bamji Chawl at Navsari.

In addition the Punchayet also manages the Seth Pestonji F. Davar (cosmopolitan) Charitable Trust, Zoroastrian Venture Capital Company Private Limited and the Zoroastrian Investments Corporation Private Limited Centre for Promotion of Entrepreneurship.

Amongst the main activities of the Punchayet is managing the 5,500 flats (along with the Wadia Committee) and the 57-acre Doongerwadi complex. Other activities include monetary assistance to the needy, scholarships, medical aid, the second and third child scheme whereby parents who have three children receive a monthly subsidy, maintenance of day care centers, a central employment bureau, a matrimonial bureau, career guidance program, distribution of kusti wool and sale of kustis, social service classes, the Holiday Programme for Youth and ZYNG (Zoroastrian Youth for the Next Generation).

The BPP is headed by Colah. Others on the management team, termed the "Head Honchos” by the magazine, include Cawas Panthaki (welfare), Khushru Bharucha (engineering and maintenance), Rustom Todivala (projects department), Niloufer Patel (accounts), Phiroze Patel (housing), Aspi Sarkari (estates) and Godrej Dotivala (public relations officer).

The number of employees in the 13 baugs total around 240 people including a maintenance staff of 46 such as electricians, carpenters, etc. The eight BPP baugs are B. S. Panthaky Baug and S. B. Bharucha Baug in Andheri, A. H. Wadia Baug at Parel, Dadar Parsi Colony, Khareghat Colony at Hughes Road, Dhunbaiwadi in Vile Parle, Godrej Baug at Napean Sea Road, Khan Estate and Contractor Baug at Mahim, Gamadia Colony and Captain Colony in Tardeo and the five Wadia baugs, Cusrow Baug in Colaba, Nowroz Baug at Lalbaug, Jer Baug and Rustom Baug in Byculla and Ness Baug at Nana Chowk.

The Doongerwadi estate on Malabar Hill where the Towers of Silence are located employs 81 people, according to the Review. The Parukh Dharamshala for the aged at Khareghat Colony employs 35 staff to look after 48 women and 41 men residents. The Lady Hirabai Cawasji Jehangir Health Unit at Gamadia Colony employs 27 staff and has 38 beds. Female patients comprise 28 and male 10.

The last page of the Review carries an appeal from the Punchayet to the community "to give support towards these noble causes by way of donations made in the form of cheques or drafts, payable to Parsi Punchayet Bombay, forwarded to the following address: 209, D. N. Road, Fort, Bombay 400001. Phones: 022 22617421/22/23, fax: 022 22630010, e-mail: ppbombay@vsnl.net, website: www.bombayparsipunchayet. com”