Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ameet Satam
In letters to Mayor Ritu Tawde and municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide, Satam said that while providing tablets to students in civic schools was a welcome initiative, the equipment being supplied was not from established brands and had attracted complaints over quality. “Some companies supplying these items seem to be dubious and part of a nexus to supply low-quality items at high prices to BMC,” Satam alleged, referring to both tablets and digital interactive panels installed in civic schools. Mumbai: Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ameet Satam has alleged that an internal nexus within BMC’s education department is influencing the procurement of digital learning equipment for civic schools.
He said procuring equipment from established brands would help ensure better after-sales service and provide students with a better digital learning experience. Satam further alleged that certain individuals exercised undue influence over BMC’s education department and claimed that they had played a role in drafting the school plot public-private partnership (PPP) policy, which has since been cancelled. Calling for a review of the procurement process, Satam urged the civic administration to source tablets and interactive learning equipment from globally reputed manufacturers that also manufacture their products in India, in keeping with Centre’s Make in India initiative.