Concerns regarding pre-tender irregularities have resurfaced within the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) as it has come to light that works completed in September 2023 are only now being tendered in February 2024, raising suspicions of corruption and malpractice.

The construction department of NMMC has allegedly engaged in pre-tender activities before officially issuing tenders for the said works, indicating a disregard for proper procedural norms. This revelation has once again ignited accusations of corruption within the municipal body.

Such practices not only undermine the transparency and fairness of the tendering process but also raise questions about the integrity of the administrative procedures within the Municipal Corporation. Despite guidelines set forth by the Public Works Department, NMMC seems to continue its arbitrary governance, further eroding public trust.

This is not the first time such allegations have been raised against NMMC. In 2022, similar accusations of corruption amounting to 40 crores surfaced, leading to demands for a legislative inquiry by MLA Ganesh Naik. Additionally, in 2016, irregularities were reported in a project involving the supply and installation of Ganesh immersion banners across natural and artificial lakes in the Belapur division.

“It appears that certain contractors may have been favored by municipal officers, leading to suspicions that the tendering process is merely a formality to legitimize decisions made prior to the official issuance of tenders”, said a resident.

“The recurrence of such allegations highlights the urgent need for stringent oversight and accountability measures within the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation to ensure transparency, fairness, and adherence to procedural norms in all administrative processes, particularly in tendering and project execution”, remarked another resident, Rita Gupta.