The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has come under scrutiny after approving a Rs 91 lakh proposal to purchase furniture for its education department, drawing criticism from corporators who say the decision overlooks pressing gaps in basic school infrastructure.
The approved plan includes the procurement of 11 L-shaped desks valued at Rs 6.43 lakh and 11 revolving chairs costing Rs 1.75 lakh for deputy education officers and the superintendent of schools. Additionally, 150 tables amounting to Rs 35.62 lakh and 179 chairs costing Rs 15.93 lakh have been sanctioned for clerical staff.
During deliberations, members of the standing committee questioned both the scale and timing of the expenditure, arguing that administrative upgrades appeared to be taking precedence over student-centric improvements. Concerns were raised about the condition of civic schools, where many students still face inadequate seating arrangements and lack access to functional sanitation facilities.
Yeshwant Killedar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena criticised the spending, noting that the cost per table is nearly Rs 58,000 and over Rs 15,000 per chair. Preeti Satam of the Bharatiya Janata Party raised questions about why the purchase was not routed through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which could have enabled more competitive pricing. Meanwhile, Zameer Querishi from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen sought clarification on whether prevailing market rates had been independently assessed.
The tender for the procurement was issued on December 26, 2025, attracting bids of Rs 77.92 lakh from M/s Manaswi Enterprises and Rs 80.15 lakh from M/s Fosconn Engineers. After including 18% GST, the overall cost reached Rs 91 lakh.
Despite objections from members across parties, the proposal received approval, fuelling criticism that civic spending decisions are increasingly out of sync with the immediate needs of students in municipal schools.
Source: Hindustan Times
