Oppn against civic body's ` 12-cr tender to buy shoes for civic school students

Opposition parties in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have said on Monday that they will seek a point of order from the municipal commissioner regarding a contentious Rs 12 crore tender.

On April 18, the FPJ had reported that the BMC had floated a tender amounting to Rs 12.21 crore in last December, for procuring canvas shoes and socks for children studying at the municipal schools.

Ravi Raja, senior Congress corporator and Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the BMC, has said that he will raise the issue in the next standing committee meeting and seek more details as in why a tender of such a big amount has been floated at a time, when all the municipal schools are closed.

"Classes in all schools including BMC schools are being taken online at this time, so I don't understand the purpose of buying shoes for students at this time," Raja told FPJ on Monday.

"Instead of floating this tender, the civic administration should have used this fund in strengthening the medical infrastructure of the city considering the rapid rise in Covid-19 positive cases," Raja added.

Vinod Mishra, senior corporator and group leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the BMC, had written to the civic administration earlier on Saturday pointing out the issue.

"I will take up this order on the next standing committee and demand a point of order from the municipal commissioner," Mishra told FPJ.

Earlier, Sandhya Doshi, chairperson of BMC education committee had said that the tenders were floated last year and the BMC hasn't paid any money to the suppliers yet.

"We haven't received the products as they are still with the supplier and in return the BMC hasn't paid anything to the contractors either, the tender has been floated again for delivery purpose and the products will be handed out to the students only after the schools reopen," Doshi told FPJ.