₹91 lakh for furniture sparks outrage as BMC faces heat over ‘misplaced priorities’

Mumbai's civic body faces backlash for a ₹91 lakh furniture purchase for education, amid ongoing basic infrastructure gaps in schools.

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has drawn sharp criticism after approving a ₹91 lakh proposal to procure furniture for its education department, with corporators questioning the civic body’s priorities amid persistent gaps in basic school infrastructure.

₹91 lakh for furniture sparks outrage as BMC faces heat over ‘misplaced priorities’

The proposal includes 11 L-shaped tables worth ₹6.43 lakh and 11 rotating chairs costing ₹1.75 lakh for deputy education officers and the superintendent of schools. In addition, 150 tables ( ₹35.62 lakh) and 179 chairs ( ₹15.93 lakh) have been sanctioned for clerical staff.

Members of the standing committee flagged the expenditure as excessive and poorly timed, arguing that the focus appeared to be on administrative comfort rather than student welfare.

Yeshwant Killedar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena questioned the rationale behind the spending, pointing out that many civic school students continue to lack access to basic amenities such as usable toilets and adequate seating. He noted that the cost works out to nearly ₹58,000 per table and over ₹15,000 per chair.

Echoing similar concerns, Preeti Satam of the Bharatiya Janata Party asked why the procurement was not routed through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), which could have ensured more competitive pricing. Meanwhile, Zameer Querishi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen sought clarity on whether market rates had been independently verified.

The tender, floated on December 26, 2025, received bids of ₹77.92 lakh from M/s Manaswi Enterprises and ₹80.15 lakh from M/s Fosconn Engineers. After adding 18% GST, the total project cost rose to ₹91 lakh.

Despite objections from multiple parties, the standing committee cleared the proposal, intensifying concerns over what critics describe as a growing disconnect between civic spending and on-ground educational needs.