Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation has ordered a detailed report into alleged irregularities in the tendering and quality inspection of school uniforms and educational supplies distributed to students in its municipal schools. The complaint concerns a two-year contract worth ₹16 crore and allegations that materials supplied to students were of poor quality.
Additional Commissioner Priyanka Rajput has directed Education Department Deputy Commissioner Kavita Borkar to submit a detailed report following the complaint, according to Loksatta. The report is expected to examine the tender process, the specifications included in the contract and the quality checks carried out before distribution.
The municipal corporation operates 32 schools across Marathi, Hindi, Urdu and Gujarati mediums. More than 8,000 students are enrolled in these schools during the current academic year. The civic administration supplies students with uniforms, notebooks, textbooks and other school-related materials through an annual tender process.
The tender process for the current supply contract was conducted in April, and a work order was issued to contractor Navkar on 17 June. The contract covers supplies for two years and has a total value of ₹16 crore.
The complaint was filed by information-rights activist advocate Krishna Gupta, who alleged that the materials provided to students did not meet the required standards. He also alleged that the tender document did not specify the length, width or fabric thickness of the dupatta included in girls’ uniforms. According to the complaint, the tender also lacked technical specifications for boys’ ties.
The complaint further raises questions about the specifications for notebook covers. The tender reportedly required a 550 GSM cover for soft-bound notebooks and a 280 GSM cover for drawing notebooks. Gupta alleged that the covers supplied for both types of notebooks appeared to have similar thickness and quality despite the different requirements.
The tender document also reportedly referred to a single-line drawing notebook, a description the complainant questioned. He asked how the material could have received approval from a government-recognised laboratory despite the alleged error in the specification.
Gupta has sought an independent investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau into alleged corruption, abuse of authority and financial irregularities. He has also demanded that cases be registered against officials and the contractor if wrongdoing is established. The complaint alleges possible collusion involving officials in the corporation’s Education Department, but no such finding has been established by the municipal administration at this stage.
The inquiry now places responsibility on the Education Department to verify whether the supplied materials conformed to the tender conditions and whether the inspection and approval process was properly followed. The corporation’s detailed report will determine the next administrative steps in the matter.
