The BMC has moved a proposal to allot a 12-acre plot housing the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sports Complex in Andheri (West) at an annual rent of around Rs 21 lakh and a 50% share in revenue to the mandal

Mumbai: Despite opposition from the BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT), activists and residents’ groups, the BMC has gone ahead and given a six-month extension to the ‘validity’ of Shri Vile Parle Kelawani Mandal’s (SVKM) bid to take over the 12-acre plot housing the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sports Complex in Andheri (West).The bid validity ended on Aug 1 and has now been extended till Feb 2027. This means that SVKM will be able to take over the plot till Feb 2027. Officials said that usually the validity of any bid is six months, and if the proposal is not accepted during this period, then the tender should be cancelled and a fresh tender is usually floated. Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray said he will lead a protest march of Advanced Locality Management (ALM) and resident groups against the takeover of three open spaces in Juhu and Andheri (West) SVKM led by BJP MLC Amrish Patel. Aaditya said he’s appealing to “all Mumbaikars, all political parties, all associations/ housing societies/ ALMs to join protest.”The BMC has moved a proposal to allot a 12-acre plot housing the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sports Complex in Andheri (West) at an annual rent of around Rs 21 lakh and a 50% share in revenue to the mandal. SVKM was recently also given two open spaces measuring close to 4 acres in total by Mhada in Juhu and DN Nagar. One of the two plots, the Lokmanya Tilak Udyan in Juhu, is currently maintained by BMC and used by residents. The allotments have already been opposed by Mumbai BJP chief MLA Ameet Satam.In fact, the BMC’s proposal to extend the bid validity quotes Satam’s letter seeking scrapping of the proposal. “First, the initiation of such a tender to allot reserved open space of BMC under PPP model when open spaces policy for the city is not yet finalised is completely illegal, and any reserved open space in the city can’t be tendered and allotted in this manner. Hence, kindly cancel the tender immediately,” the BMC proposal states quoting Satam’s letter.The Gulmohar Area Societies Welfare Group and RTI activist Anil Galgani have also urged CM Fadnavis to ensure that all three plots remain reserved open spaces, open and accessible to the general public at all times, in conformity with the Development Plan (DP). “This shows the BMC is still keen on giving the plot to SVKM despite the opposition. The bid validity should not have been extended. With this, the BMC has kept the issue alive and will allow SVKM to still take over the plot after the opposition weakens,” Galgali said.Patel, who is president and trustee of SVKM, has maintained that there are no irregularities in allotment of the plots and that they were transparently given by BMC/Mhada and the due process was followed. “We will utilise these plots for creating sports facilities for 52,000 of our students. There will be no construction and the plots will only be used for sports purposes,” Patel has said.Officials said bid validity is the fixed timeframe—typically 90 to 180 calendar days from the date of bid opening—during which a bidder’s quoted prices, terms, and conditions remain legally binding and cannot be changed or withdrawn.