Congress Corporator Demands Inquiry Into BMC Solid Waste Management Tender
Congress corporator Ashraf Azmi has alleged irregularities and suspected manipulation in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) area-based solid waste management tender process in Mumbai. In a letter to Standing Committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde, Azmi urged the civic body to scrap the ongoing tenders, invite fresh bids, and initiate a departmental inquiry into the officials involved.
Azmi's letter requested the withdrawal of the solid waste management (SWM) tender proposal from the agenda of an upcoming Wednesday meeting. He alleged that civic officials handling the procurement process took contradictory positions while evaluating bids.
The controversy centers on the SWM department's shifting recommendations for the contract. Initially, the department recommended awarding the contract to the second-lowest bidder, PWG (JV). This recommendation cited a tender condition that prohibited any single contractor from being allotted more than two works.
According to Azmi, Standing Committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde then directed officials to revise the proposal in favor of the lowest eligible bidder, Metro Waste Handling Pvt Ltd. Despite this directive, the deputy chief engineer for SWM Planning resubmitted the proposal in favor of PWG (JV) before the standing committee on June 3.
The standing committee returned the proposal on June 3 after members raised objections. Committee members observed that negotiating with a second-lowest bidder would violate Central Vigilance Commission guidelines. They also cited a 2014 government resolution that mandates inviting fresh tenders if the lowest bid exceeds the estimated cost by more than 10 percent.
Following the return of the proposal, the deputy chief engineer reportedly changed his recommendation to favor Metro Waste Handling Pvt Ltd instead of PWG (JV), without providing an explanation for the reversal.
Azmi pointed out that Metro Waste Handling Pvt Ltd's original bid was above the prescribed limit. Furthermore, awarding the contract to this company would result in a single contractor securing more than two works, which directly contradicts the special tender condition previously cited to justify recommending the second-lowest bidder.
Azmi stated that these shifting stances indicate arbitrariness, favoritism, and potential manipulation of the tender process. He has called for a departmental inquiry into the conduct of all involved officials, alongside disciplinary and legal action if any violations of tender rules are established.
