“No More Business as Usual: The Silent Revolution Sweeping Mumbai’s BMC”
MCGM has undergone significant dynamic changes in the past three months. With Devendra Fadnavis gaining control over the BMC after the BJP’s Mayor assumed office, the cleaning process and real work have truly begun.
The appointment of a strict, non-corrupt, and dynamic officer, Ashwini Bhide, as the new Municipal Commissioner sent a strong message. The next logical step for Fadnavis was securing complete control over the Corporation by installing a BJP Mayor — a goal achieved three months ago. The final piece in Fadnavis’s vision of creating a clean, result-oriented corporation was placing Ameet Satam as the city’s BJP President nearly ten months ago.
Mumbai needed an aggressive, no-nonsense leader who would implement Fadnavis’s vision while finding his own ways to clean up the BMC and restore its lost image. Satam has a proven track record of delivering results & fighting corruption. The old bureaucratic culture of appearing strict and insulting subordinates while quietly enjoying the “fruits” of power has now become outdated at the BMC. Ameet Satam and the BJP are in no mood to tolerate such hypocrisy. They are determined to protect the lives and interests of Mumbaikars.
Counselling and warnings have already begun from top to bottom — this is Devendra Fadnavis’s standard approach when he takes charge of any department. Corrupt officers and contractors who have exploited the MCGM for years should be on high alert.
Key Initiatives by BJP :
For starters, Satam targeted the most controversial and corruption-prone areas — tendering and purchases, long considered the “corrupt market” of the BMC.
- All MCGM school purchases (benches, uniforms, and 27 other items) are now routed through the Government of India’s e-Marketplace (GeM). This single move has reduced corruption by almost 90%. While not entirely foolproof, it is a major improvement.
- However, two loopholes remain: the preparation of tender specifications (still open to manipulation) and the sampling stage. Satam reportedly received calls from major suppliers and middlemen requesting him to reverse the GeM decision, but the instructions from the Chief Minister were clear: “No means No.”
- BJP has also eliminated the requirement to meet the Standing Committee before any proposal moves forward — a body famously dubbed the “Under-standing Committee” by former CM Vilasrao Deshmukh. No one now needs to “meet anyone.”
- The Health Department’s purchases will also be shifted to the GeM portal. It is now up to Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide to closely monitor tender specifications and sampling.
Satam has also proposed a robust Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Policy. Currently, architects charge residents around ₹15,000 per truck to remove debris, but many operators illegally dump it in lakes and reservoirs. Mumbai generates about 8,000 metric tons of construction waste daily, while the BMC’s processing plant handles only 600 metric tons per day. The new policy mandates geo-tagging and digital tracking of every truck carrying debris, ensuring proper disposal and recycling into paver blocks and road tiles. The BMC must gradually increase plant capacity to match the city’s waste output.
In just a few months, Satam has already saved the MCGM approximately ₹1,200 crores by scrapping several dubious policies:
- A managed tender requiring one who builds zoo to have built a flyover ( 490 cr)
- Unnecessary railing contracts (₹380 crore saved).
- Thermostatic paint tenders (₹150 crore saved).
- 280 cr saved in Gargai Pinjaal project tender
RTI activists are encouraged to investigate who benefited from these in the past.
Other Positive Developments:
- Artificial Intelligence Labs will soon be introduced in MCGM primary and secondary schools. The ‘Teach Mumbai’ scheme has already been launched with a budget of around ₹10 crores.
- The values and importance of the Indian Constitution, as envisioned by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, will be incorporated into the curriculum.
- A new CSR Portal will soon be launched, allowing citizens and corporations to donate items (such as school benches) or contribute in other ways. Requirements will be displayed on the portal for 15 days, enabling public and CSR participation.
- 50 young professionals (students of public policy, journalism, etc.) will be recruited as full-time trainees across various BMC departments with a stipend of ₹50,000 per month.
- All 27 administrative wards have been directed by CM Fadnavis to formulate a Ground Parking Policy. The model is inspired by underground parking facilities like the one at JIO ground at BKC (approx. 2,000 cars). A dedicated budget head has been created for this.
Mumbai has 2,050 square kilometres of roads, of which around 1,900 sq km have been concretised. The remaining stretch is expected to be completed by May 2027. The city is steadily becoming pothole-free. This year, the pothole-filling tender has been reduced from ₹100 crores to just ₹40 crores — with visibly better results.
Once things stabilize, BJP also plans to promote Marathi language, culture, history, and heritage internationally through various programs.
It may sound like a fairy tale, but these changes are actually happening. The MCGM is being cleaned up. In just three months, the ball has started rolling. The clear agenda for the Mayor and all those working with the BMC and the Government is simple: Work hard, visit sites, end contractor monopolies, avoid showmanship and unnecessary friendships, and tolerate zero corruption. Its CM’s vision and intent being executed on ground by a dynamic, knowledgeable, street smart leader on ground in Ameet Satam!
Vikrant Meena Hemant Joshi.
