November 21, 2025: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has confirmed that the long-pending beautification and illumination work at Budhwar Park seashore will now proceed after receiving fresh budgetary allocation. The civic body firmly denied allegations that the project was being scrapped, stating that delays were the result of financial and procedural setbacks rather than any intent to cancel redevelopment plans.
According to officials, the project first stalled when funds sanctioned for 2022–23 remained unused due to administrative clearances, tender-related timelines, and the subsequent blacklisting of the appointed contractor. The situation worsened when no budgetary allocation was made in 2023–24, halting progress entirely. With financial provisions now restored, the BMC has said the project is set to resume, ending months of uncertainty.
Last week, former corporator Makarand Narwekar wrote to the municipal commissioner alleging that despite multiple assurances, the civic body had failed to take up the redevelopment of Macchimar Nagar and now intended to abandon the initiative. He warned that cancelling the tender could lead to protests from the local fishing community. However, civic authorities refuted these claims, stating that unauthorized structures were already cleared with the help of the district collector, and boats were relocated in coordination with local fishers. A work order was formally issued in February 2023 after these preparatory steps.
A civic official explained the delays, noting, “Although funds had been sanctioned for 2022–23, administrative procedures and the tender process delayed the issuance of the work order until February, leaving insufficient time to utilise the funds before the financial year ended in March 2023. No funds were allocated in 2023–24, which prevented financial scrutiny and draft approval. During the same period, the appointed contractor was blacklisted by the ‘D’ Ward office, bringing the work to a halt. With the required budget now finally provisioned, the project’s further process will continue, reaffirming that the project has not been closed.”
The official further clarified that elements such as boat parking, gardens, seating areas, and projections were never part of the original proposal. Future decisions on these components will depend on consultant inputs, necessary approvals, and funding availability. The tender, floated in November 2022, had appointed the lowest bidder for works including plaza development, road improvement, stone paving, 3D artwork, seating installations, electric poles, and other upgrades. The broader Koliwada redevelopment project also received design approval in March 2023, along with a Rs 3 crore allocation for the first phase.
Source: The Free Press Journal
