BMC Defers Untendered Rs 25 Lakh Mayor Office Social Media Contract

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) standing committee on Thursday deferred a controversial proposal regarding a Rs 25.12 lakh contract for handling social media at the mayor's office in Mumbai.

Listed under the civic body's public relations department, the proposal was marked as "not taken" without any discussion during the meeting. The contract seeks to extend social media management services for the mayor's office for a one-year period, spanning from August 1, 2026, to July 31, 2027. The work had been awarded to Runtime Solutions Pvt Ltd.

According to official documents, no tender process was implemented before awarding the contract. This lack of a competitive bidding process made the proposal a point of contention among civic officials and committee members.

Ahead of the standing committee meeting on Thursday, representatives from both the ruling party and the opposition were keenly monitoring the proceedings around the agenda item. However, when the item came up for consideration, the committee chairman announced that it was being marked "not taken." No discussion took place on the matter, and the meeting proceeded to a brief tea break shortly after the announcement.

Under the standing committee's procedural rules, any proposal declared "not taken" cannot be taken up for discussion during the same sitting. The proposal is expected to be placed before the standing committee again at a subsequent meeting for further consideration.

The controversy surrounding the contract had previously prompted Tawde to write to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide. In the communication, displeasure was expressed regarding the manner in which administrative proposals concerning the mayor's office were being processed.