MUMBAI: The BMC has delayed the uploading of tender documents regarding its proposed auction of three of its plots in prime areas of the city, namely Malabar Hill, Worli, and Crawford Market. This move by the civic body drew the ire of opposition parties.
In a corrigendum published on Oct 24, the civic body stated that the documents would now be issued on Nov 4. Activists have criticised this delay, stating that the tender notification was issued in a hurry to beat the code of conduct regulations that would set in.
Activist Zoru Bhathena alleged that the tender notices were issued before the code of conduct could be enforced in the city. “The tender notices were issued in a hurry on October 11 to beat the election model code of conduct (MCC) without the actual tender being ready as well. The MCC came into force barely a few days thereafter on October 15,” he said.
The properties are located in prime areas, i.e., one within Crawford Market, a BEST receiving station at Malabar Hill, and a plot within the asphalt plant in Worli.
Civic officials are still calculating the reserve price for these three plots, and they said that the process would initially begin with an expression of interest to understand what queries and reservations interested party buyers may have.
On Oct 17 this year, Worli MLA and former Cabinet Minister Aaditya Thackeray, in a post on social media platform X, called it the sale of Mumbai by the Eknath Shinde regime to his favourite builders and contractors.
It is proposed to give the properties on lease for a period of 30 years, renewable for another 30 years.
