CM announces 21-Point agenda for first 100 days in BMC

CM Fadnavis trained 89 new BMC corporators, emphasizing corruption-free governance and collaboration. A 21-point agenda aims to improve Mumbai's infrastructure and cleanliness.

MUMBAI: A two-day training programme for the BMC’s newly elected 89 corporators saw CM Devendra Fadnavis deliver a pep talk on how to function more effectively as elected representatives of the civic body. Addressing the corporators at the BJP’s Dadar office, Fadnavis said that the standing and other committees played a major role in the development of the city and corporators needed to be corruption-free in all their dealings.

iMumbai, India - March 08, 2026: A two-day training workshop for all newly elected corporators of the Bharatiya Janata Party has begun at Vasant Smruti, Dadar. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis address and guide the newly elected corporators during this workshop in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, March 08, 2025. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

Assuring them of support whenever needed, he said that the task of a corporator was not as easy as that of an MP or MLA, as corporators were representatives who faced the ire of people over civic issues. “We have come to power in the BMC for the first time, and it is your duty to ensure that the party creates its image in the hearts of the people,” he said.

Fadnavis also advised the corporators to learn from the experience of senior members. “It is a perfect combination of new and experienced corporators in the civic body,” he said. “The responsibility lies with both, the new and the old, to support each other, provide a corruption-free administration and work towards making Mumbai clean as promised in the party manifesto.”

Following the session, which concluded on Sunday, the party announced a 21-point agenda which will be pursued by Ritu Tawde, the newly appointed mayor of Mumbai, within the first 100 days of office. Party leaders said that five issues would stand addressed before March 11, when Tawde completes one month in office.

BJP Mumbai president Ameet Satam indicated that the coming months could see political turbulence within the BMC. Referring to a long-standing perception about the civic body’s functioning, he recalled how former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had once remarked in the assembly that the BMC’s standing committee functioned as an “understanding committee”. “The Mahayuti’s vision is to bring an end to that understanding in the standing committee,” he said.

Satam said that progress had already been made on the 21-point programme. “Before 20 days were over, four issues were resolved,” he said, adding that one of these was the procurement of supplies through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. “The education department purchases 27 items for students from municipal schools,” he said. “A proposal for this, routed through the education committee to the municipal secretary in the standing committee, was withdrawn, as the BJP is determined to ensure transparency in procurement through the GeM portal.”

Satam added that there were “many elements in the BMC” that wanted this system to fail. “Hence, I want to convey to this administration that we will not allow any purchase from contractors. If the items are not purchased from the GeM portal, we will transfer money to students’ accounts through direct benefit transfer. But we will not allow contractor rule at any cost.”

The other issues identified in the agenda include improving road infrastructure, desilting of drains, improvements in municipal hospitals and schools, the creation of multiplex facilities for Marathi films and providing cervical cancer vaccination to girl students. Actor Akshay Kumar, who has been roped into a civic initiative titled Awaaz Mumbaikaracha, Sankalp Bhajpacha, suggested that the BMC organise cleanliness competitions across localities in the city. A neutral third-party agency will evaluate neighbourhoods and recognise the cleanest locality after a year.

Cleanliness in house gullies and slums will also be a primary focus. To address the chronic problem of waterlogging in Mumbai, Mayor Tawde has proposed a topographical study of all city drains to identify permanent solutions. A study group from IIT Bombay has been approached, and the process has already begun.

Another proposal involves inviting global tenders to bring in international agencies for managing the operations of Byculla Zoo. The aim, Satam said, was to ensure that specialised work such as zoo management was carried out by qualified agencies rather than routine civic contractors who handle road works and sewer lines.