The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to provide 13-inch Apple iPads to all 237 corporators as part of its plan to make civic proceedings paperless. However, the move has faced opposition from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of the Opposition Kishori Pednekar.
The BMC comprises 227 elected corporators and 10 nominated members. The civic administration plans to complete the tender process within a month and subsequently distribute the tablets.
The initiative is aimed at reducing the large volume of paper used for meeting agendas, proposals and documents circulated among corporators. The BMC currently prints hundreds of pages for meetings of various statutory and special committees, including the Standing Committee, Education Committee, Improvement Committee, Ward Committees, Health Committee and Women and Child Welfare Committee.
According to the civic administration, shifting these documents to digital platforms could reduce expenditure on paper, printing, transportation and distribution. It would also eliminate the need for municipal staff to deliver bulky meeting documents to corporators’ residences.
Pednekar, however, has questioned the need for the tablets. She said opposition members did not require the devices and would continue reading documents in paper form. She also suggested that the civic body should first ensure that schoolchildren receive their educational materials on time.
“We do not need tablets. We can read the documents. We will follow the Chief Minister’s instructions,” Pednekar said, referring to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ earlier direction to avoid unnecessary expenditure.
The controversy comes amid criticism over spending on vehicles for committee chairpersons. Opposition leaders have questioned whether providing expensive gadgets to elected representatives should be a priority.
The BMC had made a similar attempt in 2012, when laptops were provided to corporators along with training. However, the initiative reportedly failed to achieve its intended purpose, with printed documents continuing to be distributed. Many corporators also did not return the laptops after their five-year term ended.
The latest proposal has therefore triggered a fresh debate over the BMC’s spending priorities and whether the proposed digital shift will actually reduce administrative costs.
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