Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde Cancels Rs 2.9 Crore Residence Renovation Tender Amid Public Backlash

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde on Wednesday ordered the cancellation of a controversial Rs 2.9-crore Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) tender after it sparked a political controversy over.

Alleged expenditure on the official mayor’s bungalow located inside the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo in Byculla.

In a clarification issued through the mayor’s office, the BMC said the tender had “no connection whatsoever” with the mayor or her official residence, dismissing reports suggesting otherwise as misleading.

The civic body explained that the mayor’s residence is a heritage structure within the zoo premises, with its routine maintenance handled by the Garden and Zoo Department, while conservation work is carried out separately by the Heritage Maintenance Department. It said the disputed tender was neither issued by the Heritage Maintenance Department nor intended for renovation work inside the mayor’s bungalow.

According to the BMC, the proposed works were meant for the surrounding zoo premises and related infrastructure. It also stated that Mayor Tawde neither requested nor had prior knowledge of the tender.

After the controversy erupted, Tawde directed officials to withdraw the tender, saying the inclusion of the mayor’s bungalow in the tender documents had led to unnecessary confusion.

“The authorities have accepted the mistake, and the tender will be withdrawn,” she said.

Rejecting the Opposition’s allegations, Tawde accused political rivals of creating a false narrative for political gain.

“This is a fake narrative to run their own shops. The tender belongs to the zoo department and has no connection with the mayor’s residence. It is an administrative process, not my work,” she said, while dismissing the allegations made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray.

Responding to questions about the proposed installation of sound barriers, the mayor said there was currently no report indicating that animals in the zoo were being disturbed by noise. She added that the zoo authorities were best placed to explain the proposal and that she would seek further details from the department.

The issue gained traction after reports claimed that the BMC had floated a fresh tender worth nearly Rs 2.9 crore for works linked to the mayor’s bungalow, barely four months after renovation work worth around Rs 2.4 crore was completed.

Aaditya Thackeray alleged that taxpayers’ money was being spent on the mayor’s comforts while the city continued to struggle with poor roads and inadequate civic infrastructure.

The Congress also criticised the proposal, questioning the need for expensive works, including sound barriers, at the heritage property when Mumbai continues to face challenges such as potholes, strained public hospitals and underfunded schools.

With the mayor ordering the tender’s cancellation and the BMC maintaining that it was unrelated to the official residence, the civic body has sought to put an end to the controversy and distance the mayor from the tendering process.