BMC Floats Rs 58-Crore Mumbadevi Beautification Tender Amid Parking Row

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has floated a Rs 58-crore tender to beautify the Mumbadevi temple precinct in Mumbai, even as a Rs 122-crore robotic parking project on the site remains stalled under a stay order.

The parking project was halted in July 2024 following a stay issued by Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. The contractor executing the work, SMS Ltd, has since challenged the stoppage in the Bombay High Court and sought Rs 55 crore in damages.

The civic body's move to invite new bids for precinct beautification has raised concerns regarding potential overlaps with the robotic parking tower. According to BMC officials, the newly proposed precinct redevelopment could affect the land earmarked for the parking facility, although they maintained that the ongoing parking project has been left as is in the new tender. Officials also indicated that the civic body reduced the original project cost from Rs 220 crore to Rs 28 crore.

The development comes a month after the Bombay High Court made critical observations while hearing the petition filed by SMS Ltd. The court noted that government officials who illegally halt public projects and cause financial damages should be made to pay from their own salaries rather than placing the burden on taxpayers.