Maharashtra minister asks BMC to use AI for monitoring tender variations
Mumbai, May 6
Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister and Maharashtra Minister for Electronics, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence Ashish Shelar on Wednesday directed that Artificial Intelligence technology be used to make the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's tendering process free from human intervention, thereby ensuring greater transparency.
He said AI-driven systems would help monitor "variations" in tenders and significantly improve efficiency and accountability in project execution.
Following the State Cabinet's approval of Maharashtra's Artificial Intelligence Policy, the Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence has initiated focused measures for its effective implementation.
In this context, Minister Shelar convened a high-level joint meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House.
The meeting was attended by BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, MahaIT Director Sanjay Katkar, Information Technology Department Director Bhuvaneshwari and other concerned civic officials.
During the meeting, the BMC gave a presentation on the current use of AI in its day-to-day operations.
Officials explained that AI is being used to bring transparency to drain-cleaning operations and improve efficiency and accountability in civic services.
BMC officials also informed the meeting that citizens' complaints are being collected at ward offices through AI-enabled chatbot systems.
Minister Shelar directed officials to further expand the use of AI in civic administration.
He proposed a system in which a citizen's complaint, once spoken, would be video-recorded and automatically forwarded to the concerned department for immediate action.
He also instructed the BMC to adopt "e-file" and "e-signature" systems to move towards paperless administration, on the lines of the model implemented at Mantralaya under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
The Minister laid special emphasis on transparency in the tendering process, observing that "variations" are frequently introduced in BMC tenders.
He directed that AI tools be used to monitor and regulate such variations.
According to him, this would allow citizens to access information on completed works while also enabling AI systems to verify whether decisions relating to variations were justified.
Minister Shelar also proposed organising a "Hackathon" to encourage greater participation of youth in BMC administrative processes and bring fresh and modern perspectives into city governance.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Yes! The e-file and e-signature system at Mantralaya has actually reduced paperwork delays. If BMC adopts same, at least common man won't have to run from pillar to post for approvals. But video-recording complaints? Sounds good but what about privacy? Hope they have safeguards. Still, a step forward 👏
Interesting approach. As someone working in tech in Bangalore, I can say AI for tender monitoring is feasible if the data is clean. But BMC has notoriously messy data—old records, missing files, manual entries. They need to clean up first. Still, kudos to Shelar for thinking ahead. Wish our state governments were this proactive.
Hackathon idea is brilliant! Instead of sitting in AC offices, let young techies solve real civic problems. I've seen such hackathons in Pune work wonders for traffic management. But BMC needs to provide real data and APIs—not just make it a PR stunt. Also, AI for tender variations? Sounds good, but who audits the AI? 😅
I'm skeptical. India has a history of grandiose tech announcements that fizzle out. Remember the "smart city" dashboards? Most are now gathering dust. AI needs constant maintenance and skilled staff—does BMC have that? But if they actually implement it, it could be a game-changer for transparency. Let's hope it's not just another "Digital India" photo op.
Yeppadi irukku! Finally someone addressing the "variation" scam—it's like every BMC
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