MUMBAI: The BMC has cancelled a tender that sought to hand over the Durgadevi Municipal School plot near Chor Bazaar to a private organisation, the fifth and final school brought under a controversial privatisation process launched in December last year.
The PPP model was announced in December 2025, during the BMC’s administration-era, when there was no public oversight on the BMC’s decisions. Tenders for six schools were floated in January 2026 and awarded in April to private organisations for five schools, including the Durgadevi Municipal School.
The six schools brought under the PPP policy were Durgadevi Municipal School, Kanya Shala in Malad, Mahim BMC School, MHB Urdu School in Malad, Vakola BMC School and Thakur Village BMC School. Moreover, critics pointed out, the shift did not justify the revenue the BMC would receive under this model. In September, the civic administration appointed a committee under joint municipal commissioner Sanjog Kabare to review the policy. In October, it paused the implementation of the PPP model and started the process to cancel the tenders it had awarded to five private entities to operate and manage these schools.
Critics of the policy pointed to various flaws, including the fact that only 25% seats in each privatised school would be reserved for free education under the Right to Education Act.
