The blueprint is out: How Mumbai civic body, India’s richest, will house 330 corporators

“The hall will have a semi-circular layout similar to the new Parliament. The Mayor will occupy an elevated dais with an unobstructed view of the House. The Leader of the House and the ruling alliance will sit on the Mayor’s right, while the Leader of the Opposition and opposition members will be seated on the left,” Khankar told The Indian Express.

BMC’s civic house doesn’t have the space to accommodate 227 municipal councillors. The hall, which is regarded as a Grade I heritage structure, was built in 1893 when the BMC’s civic headquarters was constructed in south Mumbai’s Fort area. During that time, the strength of corporators was limited to 64. (Express Photo by Amit Chakravarty)

He said the design also provides for glass-enclosed public viewing galleries, a dedicated press gallery and wider aisles, unlike the existing House where corporators have to walk across rows of benches to reach their seats.

Every desk in the proposed chamber will be equipped with a digital voting system similar to those used in the new Parliament. Benches will accommodate no more than three corporators, a significant improvement over the existing House, where five to six members often share a single bench during proceedings.

The need for a larger, purpose-built chamber has become increasingly evident over the years. Built when Mumbai had just 64 corporators, the existing council hall now serves a House of 237 members, including 227 elected corporators and 10 nominated members, resulting in chronic overcrowding.

The problem came into sharp focus on February 11 during the election of Mumbai’s 78th Mayor, when 26 corporators were left without seats inside the chamber. The shortage of parking for elected representatives also became contentious, with several corporators receiving traffic challans after parking on nearby roads. The new building will include basement parking for 70 to 100 vehicles.

According to civic officials, the existing House can comfortably accommodate only 150 to 175 people, including corporators, civic officials, support staff, journalists and personal assistants. Even when attendance is below full strength, space inside the chamber remains severely constrained.

Officials said earlier proposals to expand seating capacity within the existing chamber never materialised because the hall forms part of the Grade I-listed BMC headquarters, making structural alterations difficult.

The new building will also house offices for the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Leader of the House and Leader of the Opposition on the third and fourth floors, along with conference rooms and meeting spaces for elected representatives. Recreational facilities for civic employees will be retained on the lower floors, including the existing badminton court, which will be modernised.

Khankar said he had recommended reducing the number of staircases in the original design to create additional floor space for the House. “We have suggested retaining one staircase instead of two so that more space is available for the chamber. The final blueprint will be ready this month and will then be placed before the Standing Committee. We have set ourselves a two-year deadline to complete the project,” he said.

The proposed chamber will also incorporate the National Emblem, the Ashoka Chakra and artwork depicting Maharashtra’s history and culture as part of its architectural design.

The existing corporation hall, inaugurated in 1893, is one of the most distinctive spaces inside the BMC headquarters. Inspired by the town halls of Glasgow and Birmingham, it features Burma teak ceilings with gold leaf detailing, Minton tile flooring, colonial-era chandeliers and busts representing Mumbai’s communities. It has remained the venue for annual budgets, mayoral elections and every major civic debate for more than a century.