In a swift reversal, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) scrapped a Rs 385-crore tender for installing railings on footpaths across Mumbai just hours after it was floated last Friday. The decision came after BJP city chief Ameet Satam alleged financial irregularities, highlighting that the civic body had already spent nearly Rs 300 crore on street furniture, including railings, in recent years.
BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani told TOI that the tender had been cancelled “for the time being.” He added, “We may consider reprocessing it after revising specifications and making it more competitive.” Gagrani further clarified that the street furniture installed previously remains in place and footpaths are being maintained properly.
This is not the first time the civic body has faced scrutiny over street furniture tenders. In 2023, a Rs 263-crore tender for similar work was flagged by the BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) for alleged inflated pricing. A subsequent Lokayukta inquiry found nine out of 13 items overpriced, leading to a Rs 50-crore reduction in the tender. Despite this, the BMC later cleared projects worth close to Rs 300 crore.
The cancelled Rs 385-crore tender had been issued by the BMC’s central purchase department. Satam, who is also the Andheri West MLA, sent a letter urging Commissioner Gagrani to scrap the tender immediately and redirect funds toward more meaningful civic projects.
Satam noted, “…BMC had earlier awarded Rs 150 crore to Shantinath Roadways for street furniture including railings and bollards, and subsequently allocated another Rs 150 crore to the same company. When Rs 300 crore worth of work has already been completed, what is the need for another Rs 385-crore tender?”
In his letter, Satam alleged misuse of public funds and claimed the tender was rigged to benefit specific parties. “I have credible information that some individuals from the entertainment sector are treating BMC liaisoning as a lucrative profession, and these persons are behind this tender. Why the construction of a new E-ward office is not prioritized while railings worth Rs 385 crore are pushed is known only to those who conceived this idea,” he wrote.
The BMC has not yet indicated if or when a revised tender will be issued, leaving the fate of the proposed footpath railings uncertain.
Source: The Times of India
