Mumbai: In what is being described as a major offensive against the alleged "Contractor Raj" in the BMC, Mumbai BJP President MLA Ameet Satam has demanded a complete overhaul of the civic body’s procurement system, urging the immediate adoption of the Central Government’s Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal for all school-related purchases and gender budget distributions.
"This move marks the BJP’s first significant attempt to dismantle the long-standing corruption within the BMC," Satam said.
In his letter to Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and BMC Chief Bhushan Gagrani, MLA Ameet Satam stated that for several years, the BMC has been distributing 27 different items—ranging from uniforms to stationery—free of cost to lakhs of students studying in municipal schools. “At present, these items are purchased through contractors. It has often been observed that these contractors procure goods from manufacturers and then sell them to the BMC at inflated prices,” remarked Satam.
Reiterating the BJP's commitment to providing a corruption-free administration, MLA Satam demanded that the civic body adopt direct procurement of these 27 items from the Union Government’s GeM portal. “BMC can also consider opting for Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) instead of distributing school supplies. The equivalent amount should be deposited directly into the bank accounts of students or their parents via DBT,” he added.
MLA Ameet Satam further insisted that going forward, all procurement—including the 27 school items and materials distributed to women under the Gender Budget—should be made exclusively through the GeM portal. “This move will lead to significant savings of public money, ensure transparency in procurement, and help curb corruption. Adopting this method of procurement will prevent the supply of goods to the BMC at inflated prices,” the MLA said.
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