BMC Opposition Slams PPP Model for Municipal Properties, Threatens Agitation
Opposition leaders in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday strongly opposed the civic administration’s policy of developing municipal properties through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, terming it a privatisation of civic assets and threatening street agitations across Mumbai.
Kishori Pednekar, the opposition leader in the BMC, described the policy as "extremely suicidal and suspicious" and alleged that the administration was using the framework as a cover to hand over public assets to private developers. She argued that the policy directly hurts the municipal corporation and citizens.
"By handing over open plots, schools, gardens, playgrounds and municipal markets to private developers, financial losses worth crores of rupees are being inflicted on the corporation. In short, this policy is detrimental to the BMC," Pednekar said. She expressed particular concern over education properties, stating that multi-storey civic school buildings were being transferred to private entities instead of the corporation strengthening its own schooling network.
Pednekar warned that if the civic administration does not revoke the policy, the opposition will stall corporation proceedings and launch an aggressive public agitation alongside citizens on the city's streets.
Backing Pednekar, Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of backtracking on its election promises regarding open spaces. Azmi alleged that 17 reservations had been altered since June 2024. He also claimed that the Coastal Road gardens being developed by Reliance would eventually face privatisation.
Responding to the opposition's charges, Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar rejected the allegations and dismissed the repeated references to private corporate houses, calling the claims misleading and noting that some raised matters do not fall under the BMC’s jurisdiction.
Addressing the policy, Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Avinash Dhakne stated that the PPP model is not new. He confirmed that tenders for five civic schools have been floated under the model and that a dedicated committee has been established to review objections raised by corporators.
