Mumbai’s Suburban Guardian Minister and Maharashtra’s Minister for Electronics, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence, Ashish Shelar, has instructed the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to streamline the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) tendering process. This move aims to eliminate human intervention, ensuring enhanced transparency. AI-driven systems are expected to enhance efficiency and accountability by monitoring tender variations.
With the Maharashtra State Cabinet’s approval of the Artificial Intelligence Policy, the Department of Electronics, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence has initiated specific actions for its implementation. Minister Shelar recently chaired a high-level meeting at the Sahyadri Guest House to discuss this matter. The meeting was attended by BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, MahaIT Director Sanjay Katkar, Information Technology Department Director Bhuvaneshwari, and other civic officials.
During the meeting, BMC officials presented the current AI applications in their daily operations. AI is currently utilized to ensure transparency in drain-cleaning operations and enhance efficiency and accountability in civic services. Additionally, AI-powered chatbot systems are being used to collect citizens’ complaints at ward offices.
Minister Shelar emphasized the expansion of AI usage in civic administration and proposed a system where citizens’ complaints are video-recorded upon submission and automatically forwarded to the relevant department for prompt action. He also advised BMC to implement paperless administration through “e-file” and “e-signature” systems, similar to the model at Mantralaya under Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Furthermore, Minister Shelar stressed the importance of transparency in the tendering process, highlighting the frequent introduction of variations in BMC tenders. He urged the use of AI tools to monitor and regulate these variations, enabling citizens to access information on completed works and ensuring the justification of decisions related to variations. The Minister also suggested organizing a “Hackathon” to engage youth in BMC administrative processes and infuse modern perspectives into city governance.
