BMC floats Rs 58 crore Mumbadevi tender despite stay on parking project

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has floated a Rs 58-crore tender to beautify the Mumbadevi temple precinct, even as the Rs 122-crore robotic parking project at the same site remains stalled under a stay by Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar since July 2024. The Times of India reports that opposition parties in the BMC demanded the proposal be sent back for reconsideration, as the new work could overlap with the parking project, which contractor SMS Ltd has challenged in the Bombay High Court while seeking Rs 55 crore in damages.

BMC officials said the civic body has reduced the original project cost from Rs 220 crore to Rs 28 crore, but the new precinct redevelopment could affect the plot earmarked for the robotic parking tower. An official was quoted saying the tender encroaches on parking reservation in violation of DP rules. Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajakta Lavangare-Verma said she would seek details of the court case.

The Bombay High Court last month observed that officials who illegally halt public projects should pay damages from their own salaries. The court allowed SMS Ltd to amend its petition to challenge the new tender. The next hearing is set for August 18. The BMC's tender closes on August 17.