With maintenance bids less than 40 pc of estimated cost, Mumbai's gardens may suffer again

The maintenance of gardens has remained a tricky issue for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Representation pic/Pradeep Dhivar

After bids of less than 40 per cent of the estimated cost for contracts to maintain city gardens again, its administration has decided to allot work of around Rs 70 crore (including amount for taxes, etc.) to 24 contractors for a year.

The maintenance of gardens has remained a tricky issue for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The BMC had invited tenders for the 24 wards in July 2021 for the upkeep of nearly 400 gardens for a year. The contract period for the earlier tenders had completed in July 2021. The work includes providing security, appointing gardeners, pruning overgrown trees and grass, watering plants, etc.

Déjà vu

The BMC received bids with less than 40 per cent of the estimated cost and the tender process worth around Rs 50 crore was scrapped as the quality of work could be affected. Additional Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide issued a fresh tender in August by lowering the estimated cost by 20 per cent. But it received the same response.

Though the bids opened in September, the administration didn't table them before the standing committee. Corporators raised the issue in the standing committee held in the last week of December. "The gardens are in poor condition without proper maintenance. There are so many lacunae in awarding tenders, that it affects the quality of the open spaces in the city," said Ravi Raja, leader of the opposition.

The corporators also raised questions about the security guards who are aged and cannot guard the open spaces properly. At the 24 wards level, contractors are appointed monthly to maintain the gardens but they too were appointed at rates that are 40 per cent to 50 per cent below the estimate.
How little?

Now the garden department has sent a proposal which will be discussed in a meeting held on Wednesday. All the bids are from 36 per cent to 41 per cent below estimate. As per the lowest bidding amounts, the contracts in the city are worth Rs 15.73 crore, those in the western suburbs are worth Rs 34.95 crore and those in the eastern suburbs are worth Rs 18.98 crore.