Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has completed the tender process for outsourcing cooked vegetarian food for patients in 10 peripheral civic hospitals, a decision that will shift daily patient meals to external suppliers but has drawn strong opposition from municipal workers’ unions.
Hospitals Covered by Tender
Under the completed tender, patients in S.K. Patil Hospital, M.W. Desai Hospital, Shri Harilal Bhagwati Hospital, Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule Hospital, Diwaliben Mehta (MAA) Hospital, Pandit Madanmohan Malviya Shatabdi Hospital, S.V.D. Savarkar Hospital, Bharatratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, Rajawadi Hospital and Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases will receive food prepared outside the hospital kitchens. Around 1,600 patients are expected to be covered every day.
Contract Details and Scope
Adhik Resort Pvt Ltd has emerged as the lowest bidder and likely to get the contract to supply complete daily meals, including breakfast with tea at 9 am, biscuits and tea at 3 pm, and lunch and dinner at 11:30 am and 7:30 pm. The scope also includes special diets such as diabetic, hypertension, salt-free, salt-restricted and RT feed meals. The initial contract is for 11 months, covering 17.28 lakh food units, with each unit representing a full day’s meals for one patient. The per-unit rate is Rs 174.60, taking the total contract value to about Rs 301.71 crore, with provision for two further 11-month extensions.
Tender Competition Details
The tender saw close competition, with Satkar Carters quoting Rs 177 per unit and losing by a narrow margin of Rs 2.40.
Stricter Food Safety Rules
Alongside finalising the contract, the BMC has introduced stricter conditions to improve food safety and quality. The fine for substandard will be Rs 5,000, Food and Drug Administration testing has been made mandatory, and repeated violations—more than three instances—will now lead to immediate cancellation of the contract, forfeiture of deposits and blacklisting of the supplier.
Union Protests Outsourcing Move
Despite these safeguards, the outsourcing move has triggered protests from BMC kitchen staff, particularly at Kasturba Hospital. Workers fear that outsourcing will lead to displacement and erosion of municipal jobs. The agitation is being led by the Municipal Mazdoor Union.
Union Concerns About Quality
Pradip Narkar, Joint Secretary of the union, said the in-house kitchen system at Kasturba Hospital has consistently delivered timely, hygienic and nutritious food, even during major public health emergencies. He warned that privatization or introduction of a thali system without consulting workers would harm patient care and demoralize staff who have served for decades.
Vacancy and Staffing Issues
Currently, Kasturba Hospital’s kitchen department has 27 sanctioned posts, but only 12 are filled. Union leaders argue that instead of outsourcing, the civic body should fill vacant posts and strengthen existing kitchens. Similar labour concerns have influenced hospitals such as Sion to opt only for partial outsourcing—limited to items like chapatis—to retain municipal staff and avoid union opposition.
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