Mumbai, September 23, 2026: The BMC Standing Committee has approved election-related works worth Rs 11.18 crore that were awarded without inviting tenders. The expenditure covers transportation of election equipment, EVM warehouse repairs, deployment of manpower and food arrangements during EVM inspections.
The BMC had sought relaxation of tendering norms under Section 72(3) of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, for four election-related proposals, citing urgency and lack of time.
The proposal, worth Rs 10.81 crore, involves hiring data entry operators for the SIR of electoral rolls. Up to 40 operators were deployed across each of the 36 Assembly constituencies for four months at Rs 28,520 a month per operator, including taxes.
Data Entry Operators Deployed
Citing the urgency of the SIR exercise, the BMC said data entry operators were engaged through various agencies and individuals. It had sought post-facto approval to bypass e-tendering and public advertisements, saying there was insufficient time to follow the process. The operators were paid at rates approved for the 2024 Assembly elections by the Mumbai City Collector’s office.
EVM Inspection Refreshments
Another proposal covers Rs 8.83 lakh spent on refreshments for engineers from Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and BMC personnel involved in the first-level inspection of 20,000 Control Units and 25,000 Ballot Units at Vikhroli and Kandivali.
The BMC engaged Shri Sai Caterers and Riddhi Siddhi Caterers without inviting competitive tenders, citing the need to complete the inspection between December 15 and 29, 2025, before the civic elections.
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EVM Warehouse Repairs Approved
The department had also sought approval for Rs 4.99 lakh spent on urgent civil and electrical repairs at the Sanskriti Sankul EVM warehouse in Kandivali (East). M/s Nitin Enterprises was appointed through the R-Central ward, with the BMC citing the tight deadline as the reason for bypassing e-tendering. The proposal was approved by the Standing Committee on Wednesday.
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