05 August,2026 06:11 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde stated that she had not sought any renovation or upgrade of the official residence. File Pic/X
Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to withdraw a tender worth around Rs 3 crore for infrastructure and upgradation works near the Mayor's official heritage bungalow in Byculla, following objections raised by the opposition, reported the PTI.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Ritu Tawde said the tender had been issued by the BMC's zoo department and was intended for works in the surrounding area, not for the Mayor's residence.
Mayor said she asked the civic administration to cancel the tender because the document referred to the Mumbai Mayor's bungalow, creating the impression that the proposed works were for her official residence.
"I have asked for the tender to be withdrawn because it mentions the Mayor's bungalow. The administration has accepted the mistake and the tender will be withdrawn," Tawde said, according to the PTI.
She stated that she had not sought any renovation or upgrade of the official residence.
According to Tawde, the proposed project included infrastructure works around the heritage property, such as installing sound barriers and setting up container-based structures to accommodate a conference hall and other facilities, the news agency reported.
She stressed that these works were related to the surrounding premises and not to the Mayor's bungalow itself.
The issue sparked political controversy after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray alleged that public funds were being misused.
Rejecting the allegations, Ritu Tawde said the tender belonged to the BMC's zoo department and had no connection with the Mumbai Mayor's residence.
She also accused Shiv Sena (UBT) of spreading misleading information for political reasons.
In a post on X, Aaditya Thackeray claimed that the civic body was spending Mumbaikars' money on the "whims" of the Mayor. He questioned the need for additional renovation work and sound barriers near the Mayor's official bungalow, stating that the area was relatively quiet.
Thackeray also raised objections over demands for new official vehicles for senior civic representatives, alleging that such expenses were being prioritised while Mumbai's open spaces were being handed over to private entities.
The Mumbai Mayor's official residence is located inside the premises of Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo (Ranichi Baug) in Byculla, south Mumbai.
The bungalow was recently renovated at a cost of around Rs 2.4 crore before Tawde moved into the official residence.
(with PTI inputs)
