BMC withdraws cash for school supplies proposal

Mumbai: Following stiff opposition from corporators, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has withdrawn its decision to deposit cash in students’ bank accounts and will instead provide them with the 27 educational items as per original policy.

According to civic officials, the BMC had decided to disburse Rs 2,300 each to 346,098 students in municipal schools. The civic body was planning to spend Rs 82.99 crore on the scheme. However, the proposal met with stiff resistance from leaders of all parties.

In a bid to help poor and needy children, the BMC distributes 27 educational items at the beginning of every academic year including uniforms, books, bags, raincoats, shoes, tiffin boxes and so on. In a departure from norm, the civic body earlier decided to disburse cash to each student to help him/her buy these items.

However, when the proposal was tabled in the group leaders’ meeting, it was strongly opposed by corporators saying it may not be beneficial to the students. Opposition leader Ravi Raja from the Congress said, “It will not serve the desired purpose. There is no guarantee that the money will be used for buying educational items.”

Bowing to the corporators’ demand, the civic administration agreed to supply educational items to municipal students. A senior civic official said, “As the tender process for this year is still on, we have decided to provide the educational items. The decision of giving cash might be taken from the next academic year.”