BMC Changes Land Use Reservations at 17 Mumbai Locations Amid PPP Row
Mumbai, August 20, 2026: Land use reservations at 17 locations across Mumbai have become the centre of a political dispute, with opposition corporators alleging that changes are facilitating the leasing of valuable Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) properties to private developers under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangements.
The issue was raised during the BMC General Body meeting, where opposition parties questioned the civic body's approach to developing and monetising its land assets.
Opposition Questions PPP Model
Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator Sujata Pednekar demanded that the BMC scrap its PPP policy and conduct a special audit of existing PPP and caretaker arrangements.
Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi also alleged that leasing prime civic plots could benefit private developers at the expense of Mumbai residents.
Properties highlighted during the discussion included the Century Mill plot in Lower Parel, CSMT Market and the Worli asphalt plant.
BMC Defends Land Leasing Decisions
The civic administration rejected allegations of arbitrary allocation and said some properties had been leased through competitive bidding.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Avinash Dhakane cited the Andheri Sports Complex as an example, saying the property was offered through a public advertisement and attracted three competitive bids before the qualified bidder was selected.
650 Mill Worker Families to Get Homes
The rehabilitation of former mill workers also emerged as a major point of contention.
According to the civic administration, around 650 former Century Mill worker families will receive 405-square-foot homes at the Worli site as part of the redevelopment arrangement.
The clarification came after opposition leaders raised concerns that affected families could be displaced from Mumbai.
PPP Debate Could Impact Mumbai's Prime Land
The controversy highlights the growing debate over how Mumbai's valuable civic land should be developed.
While the administration maintains that PPP arrangements and competitive bidding can help unlock the value of underutilised public assets, opposition parties are demanding greater scrutiny over land-use changes, leases and rehabilitation commitments.
The issue is likely to remain significant as more BMC-owned properties are considered for redevelopment or leasing under PPP models.