BJP corporator protests bmc allotment of school plots

The protest was held at Pantnagar Municipal Marathi School No. 2, where parents, residents and local activists opposed the leasing of municipal school plots to private educational trusts. BJP corporators demanded that the policy allowing such allotments be scrapped.

MUMBAI: BJP corporator Rakhi Jadhav on Friday staged a protest in Ghatkopar against the allotment of a BMC school plot to a private educational trust allegedly headed by Shiv Sena (UBT)-backed teachers’ constituency MLC J M Abhyankar, claiming the civic body’s 2024 policy was tweaked to benefit select private institutions.

BJP corporator protests bmc allotment of school plots

The protest was held at Pantnagar Municipal Marathi School No. 2, where parents, residents and local activists opposed the leasing of municipal school plots to private educational trusts. BJP corporators demanded that the policy allowing such allotments be scrapped.

The corporators alleged that the policy was approved at a time when key statutory committees, including the education, standing and improvements committees, were not functioning in the BMC. They claimed the move would pave the way for privatisation of civic education and adversely affect students from working-class families studying in municipal schools.

Jadhav said the existing municipal school on the plot should continue to function for local students. She also questioned the allotment of the land at a nominal rent of ₹1 per square metre, calling it an unjustified concession for a prime Mumbai plot.

Responding to the allegations, Abhyankar denied any irregularities and said the allotment had received approval from the then municipal commissioner after due process. He said the Nirmal Education Society had deposited a security amount of ₹7 crore.

Abhyankar added that a complaint filed in 2025 was examined by a panel of three IAS officers, which subsequently gave a clean chit to both the policy and the allotment process.

Under the 2024 policy, institutions already renting at least 50% of available BMC school classrooms in a locality are eligible to participate in redevelopment projects of old municipal school buildings.

Abhyankar said several organisations had received similar allotments and that Nirmal Education Society was not the sole beneficiary of the policy.

A senior BMC official defended the decision, saying the allotment was carried out strictly as per the approved policy and no irregularities were found.