BMC moots picnic for over 66,000 students to Mumbai's Byculla zoo, Sanjay Gandhi National Park at ₹4.4 crore

In a proposal presented to the BMC’s standing committee, the civic body said the excursion was important for students' overall development.

Mumbai: Even as the academic year draws to a close with students all set to appear for their final exams, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has mooted an excursion for 66,630 municipal school students in classes 4 and 7 at a cost of ₹4.4 crore.

36,720 class 4 students in BMC schools would be taken to Byculla zoo at a cost of ₹2.31 crore, at the rate of ₹630 per student, while 29,064 class 7 students would be taken to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) at a cost of ₹2.03 crore, at the rate of ₹700 per head. ( Hindustan Times)

In a proposal presented to the BMC’s standing committee on March 11, the civic body said the excursion was important for students' overall development. The BMC suggested only one agency, Shreyansh Enterprises, for taking students on an excursion and even sought relaxation of the mandatory public call for bids.

According to the proposal, 36,720 class 4 students in BMC schools would be taken to Byculla zoo at a cost of ₹2.31 crore, at the rate of ₹630 per student, while 29,064 class 7 students would be taken to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) at a cost of ₹2.03 crore, at the rate of ₹700 per head. The cost includes breakfast, lunch, mineral water, entry fees and accidental insurance for the day-long excursion.

The standing committee has referred the proposal back to the administration for clarification, BMC officials said.

Standing committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde said it was unclear why a picnic was being planned so late in the academic year.

“Since they have raised a demand only for students of classes 4 and 7, what about students from other classes? Besides, it’s not clear if the excursion for more than 66,000 students can be managed in such a short duration,” Shinde told HT.

Chairman of the education committee, Rajashree Shirwadkar, was more direct. The proposal seemed to have been introduced in a hurry, to favour a certain contractor, she said.

“Let students have two picnics in their next academic year,” Shirwadkar noted.