BMC floats tender for new BMC school in Lalbaug

The project had been stalled due to objections raised by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which said the construction could impact the nearby Mint Colony Monorail Station tower

MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued a tender for the construction of a ten-storey municipal school building at Sai Baba Path in Abhyudaya Nagar, Lalbaug, after receiving approval from the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI). The project had been stalled due to objections raised by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which said the construction could impact the nearby Mint Colony Monorail Station tower.

BMC floats tender for new BMC school in Lalbaug

The BMC has floated a tender worth ₹58.43 crore for the project. The original school building at Sai Baba Path was demolished after the Covid-19 pandemic, following damage to its already weak structure. Since then, around 700 students from the area have been studying in other municipal schools, at Parmanand Wadi and Peru Compound.

The plan to rebuild the municipal school hit a roadblock as the monorail pillars were close to the school site. In February last year, the BMC appointed VJTI as a technical consultant and suggested a safe design (Civic school runs into monorail roadblock, February 18, 2025).

Deputy municipal commissioner (education) Prachi Jambhekar said, “After consultation with VJTI, we redesigned the tender as per technical requirements and issued a public notice. We are expecting completion two years after issuing the work order.” She added that the school building is important as the locality still depends heavily on municipal schools for education.

The new building, to be constructed on a plot measuring 12,700 sq m, will enrol students from pre-primary to Class 10. It will include science laboratories, a multipurpose hall, an e-library section, a medical room, 50 classrooms, a computer room and six skill development centres.

Before its closure in 2020, the six-storey Sai Baba Path School was an important educational centre for the local community. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the premises were used to store medical materials. After an explosion due to a leaking oxygen cylinder, the building became unsafe and was demolished.