Despite efforts of the trustees of the Poona Parsi Panchayat (PPP), voter turnout at the April 3, 2019 election to their board was 33%. Thirteen candidates were in the fray and a total of 575 votes were cast at the Sir Jamsetji Jejeebhoy Agiary Hall. PPP has 1,455 life members, 257 donor members and 11 ordinary members. Third time trustee and chairman of the board Polly Patel explained in an email to Parsiana that they had publicized the election date in the Jam-e-Jamshed a week earlier, put notices on PPP buildings, agiaries and other places that members frequent. "On our part, I can say that not doing wide publicity on voting day, and house to house canvassing are main reasons (for the low turnout)...But the second most important reason is a kind of lethargy and disinterest among members,” Patel noted. "This term, we shall... go all out to increase numbers on our rolls and collect email (addresses) and cell numbers along with addresses to contact the members to make them aware of various events and dates like election, general body meetings, jashans etc,” he said.
Clockwise from top l: Poona Parsi Panchayat trustees Polly Patel, Homi Kaikobad, Roshan Chindhy,
Bahram Pashutunizadeh, Col Kaizad Bhaya (retd), Farokh Irani, Hoshang Jamshedji
The newly elected board of seven trustees will commence their three-year term on April 3, Patel wrote. Col Kaizad Bhaya (retd), is a first time trustee. Of the other trustees, treasurer Hoshang Jamshedji, joint secretary Farokh Irani and vice chairman Homi Kaikobad begin their second term; secretary Roshan Chindhy her third, and Bahram Pashutunizadeh his fourth.
The trustees have "(painstakingly) made a master plan for the betterment of the trust,” noted Patel. Permissions to receive funds from overseas under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act are being sought. They also hope to get back TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) from Poona’s municipal corporation for lands acquired from PPP in the past. A piece of land in possession of the PPP, currently being used as a dumping area, is proposed to be cleared and given on lease. The new board also proposes to use the sparsely used boys’ hostel as a medical facility to earn revenue.
The Panchayat owns and manages 232 flats at Bai Maneckbai P. B. Jeejeebhoy Buildings; two towers of silence, a bungli and hall; a bungli in the center of the city; four residential buildings and a boys’ hostel. Sixteen flats are vacant. "We normally keep four to five flats vacant for any emergency but rest of 10 odd flats are surely ready for giving,” he said.
Patel noted that the book value of the Panchayat’s assets total Rs 14 crores and the accounts have "mostly shown a surplus of income over expenditure.” He shared that in the last eight years, the PPP has disbursed Rs 3.52 crores on its various objectives, of which Rs 1.95 crores was spent on maintaining the towers of silence and the bunglis. The three fire temples in Poona are run by separate trusts. "Applications for aid of larger amounts are recommended to trusts in Bombay and overseas,” noted Patel.