MUMBAI, April 10 -- The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has drawn sharp criticism after approving a Rs.91 lakh proposal to procure furniture for its education department, with corporators questioning the civic body's priorities amid persistent gaps in basic school infrastructure. The proposal includes 11 L-shaped tables worth Rs.6.43 lakh and 11 rotating chairs costing Rs.1.75 lakh for deputy education officers and the superintendent of schools. In addition, 150 tables (Rs.35.62 lakh) and 179 chairs (Rs.15.93 lakh) have been sanctioned for clerical staff. Members of the standing committee flagged the expenditure as excessive and poorly timed, arguing that the focus appeared to be on administrative comfort rather than investing in student welfare and education. Yeshwant Killedar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena questioned the rationale behind the spending, pointing out that many civic school students continue to lack access to basic amenities such as usable toilets and adequate seating. He noted that the cost works out to nearly Rs.58,000 per table and over Rs.15,000 per chair. Echoing similar concerns, Preeti Satam of the Bharatiya Janata Party asked why the procurement was not routed through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), a Government of India portal to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement, which could have ensured more competitive pricing. Meanwhile, Zameer Querishi of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen sought clarity on whether market rates had been independently verified. The tender, floated on December 26, 2025, received bids of Rs.77.92 lakh from M/s Manaswi Enterprises and Rs.80.15 lakh from M/s Fosconn Engineers. After adding 18% GST, the total project cost rose to Rs.91 lakh. Despite objections from multiple parties, the standing committee cleared the proposal, intensifying concerns over what critics describe as a growing disconnect between civic spending and on-ground educational needs....