BMC Proposes 13-Inch Tablets for 237 Corporators Amid Opposition Criticism
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has proposed providing 13-inch tablets to all 237 corporators in Mumbai, including 10 nominated members, as part of an initiative to digitise the functioning of the civic House and its statutory committees. The proposal, mooted by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), aims to transition municipal proceedings toward a paperless system, though physical meeting agendas will temporarily continue to be distributed during the phase-in.
Under the plan, a dedicated application will be installed on the tablets, allowing elected representatives to access agendas, proposals, and supporting documents using designated code numbers. The civic administration currently prints and distributes voluminous physical documents running into hundreds of pages for monthly meetings across committees, including the standing, education, improvements, ward, works, and health committees. The BMC is also exploring a voice-to-text system during civic House proceedings to simultaneously convert corporators' speeches into text.
The initiative has drawn criticism from the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT). Former Mumbai mayor and party leader Kishori Pednekar questioned spending taxpayers' money on separate devices, pointing out that most corporators already possess smartphones on which municipal agendas can easily be accessed.
Defending the move, BJP group leader in the BMC Ganesh Khankar stated that providing tablets is an important step to familiarise the elected wing with digital tools and enable eventual paperless functioning. Khankar noted that many digitally savvy corporators prefer receiving agendas online, though physical copies would be retained during a gradual transition for those less comfortable with digital platforms. He also pointed out that Shiv Sena (UBT) had previously provided laptops to corporators when it was in power.
In response, Pednekar stated that smartphones were not as widely used when laptops were previously issued, maintaining that purchasing additional electronic devices now is an unjustified expenditure of public money.
