Mumbai: While the opposition parties are blaming BMC administrations for delay in providing 27 educational items for municipal school students the BJP-led Mahayuti Alliance claimed that the procurement through the Union Government’s Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, saving Rs 43.57 crore over a two‑year period.
Congress Leader Azmi Questions Quality and Pace of Supplies
A proposal to procure school bags for students of BMC-run schools was placed before the Standing Committee on Thursday. During the discussion, Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi alleged that barely 10% of the 27 educational items promised to students had been distributed so far. He also questioned the quality of the supplies, calling them substandard, and claimed that at the current pace it would take at least another two months for all students to receive the complete set of educational materials.
Congress corporator Tulip Miranda said the delay had defeated the very purpose of distributing educational materials, which is to encourage students to attend school. "By delaying these supplies, the BMC is playing with the educational future of its students," she alleged. However, corporators from the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance rejected the Opposition's claims, arguing that procuring educational items through the GeM portal had resulted in significant savings for the civic body.
BMC Official Assures Completion Within Days
Additional Municipal Commissioner (projects) Abhijit Bangar said the distribution of educational materials was underway and would be completed within the next few days. He denied that the delay was caused by procurement through the GeM portal and assured that better planning would ensure timely purchases next year. The Standing Committee later approved a Rs. 46-crore contract for the procurement of school bags, awarding it to M/s Bizcraft Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Meanwhile, BJP Mumbai president and MLA Ameet Satam defended the procurement process, stating that educational materials for 2026–28 were purchased through the GeM portal for Rs. 278.06 crore, compared to Rs. 318.15 crore spent during 2024–26. "This has resulted in savings of Rs. 43.57 crore for the BMC, reducing procurement costs by nearly 13%," he said.
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