Mumbai: Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde has sought a dedicated assistant municipal commissioner for the BMC’s public relations department, citing the need to improve the civic body’s public image and make public awareness campaigns more effective. She has also expressed dissatisfaction with the department’s functioning.The demand comes amid BMC having placed before its Standing Committee details of a Rs 25.12 lakh contract for handling the social media of the mayor’s office, bringing the expenditure into the civic body’s statutory disclosure process. The contract, listed under the public relations department, is for extending the social media handling services of the mayor’s office for one year, from Aug 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027. The work has been awarded to M/s Runtime Solutions Pvt Ltd. The document states that no tender process was implemented for the contract.The mayor’s office, however, clarified that the amount was not meant for a separate publicity campaign or a new agency for the mayor. It said the BMC had already appointed Runtime Solutions Pvt Ltd through a tender process to provide technical manpower for handling the civic body’s social media platforms, and that the same agency was being used for the mayor’s office.However, civic sources said that in letter to the BMC commissioner in Feb 2026, the Mayor had requested for three dedicated personnel — a social media expert, photographer and videographer — for her office to document and publicise field visits, inaugurations and other programmes. She said these activities need to be widely publicised to create greater public awareness and sought one social media expert, one photographer and one videographer for the mayor’s office.“These activities need to be widely publicised and public awareness created,” Tawde said in her letter, stressing that the requirement was urgent.However, speaking to TOI Tawde said she had already raised questions on why a letter was being separately asked from her in Feb 2026. “I was asked by the public relations department for a request letter and had in turn questioned why a separate letter was requested when there is already an agency for social media in place,” said Tawde.Opposition party leader and UBT Shiv Sena corporator Kishori Pednekar said, “The BMC functions on taxes paid by Mumbai residents and the money should be spent on basic amenities, infrastructure and public services. If lakhs of rupees are being spent on reels and social media publicity showing where the mayor went, whom she met, where she sat and what she saw, it is an outright waste of Mumbaikars’ money.”
