India, March 14 -- Even as the academic year draws to a close with students all set to appear for their final exams, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has mooted an excursion for 66,630 municipal school students in classes 4 and 7 at a cost of Rs.4.4 crore.

In a proposal presented before the BMC's standing committee on March 11, the civic body said the excursion was important for the all-round development of students. The BMC suggested only one agency, Shreyansh Enterprises, for taking students on excursion and even sought relaxation of the mandatory public call for bids.

According to the proposal, 36,720 class 4 students in BMC schools would be taken to Byculla zoo at a cost of Rs.2.31 crore, at the rate of Rs.630 per studen...