Mumbai, August 15: It is being claimed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has imposed only INR 5,000 in penalties on the contractor for the two-year delay in completing the INR 87-crore Gopal Krishna Gokhale bridge in Andheri. The claim has sparked outrage, as earlier statements had suggested fines of over INR 3 crore.

The figure of INR 5,000 comes from an RTI appeal filed by advocate Godfrey Pimenta, which revealed a payment bill dated September 19, 2024, mentioning “Penalty of INR 5000/-.” This contradicts earlier public claims that 5–6% of the project cost would be charged as penalties. Pimenta argued that such a nominal fine on a major delay could set a poor precedent for civic contracts. Has India Introduced the ‘QuantumAl’ Investment Platform? PIB Fact Check Reveals Truth Behind Viral Facebook Ad.

RTI Reveals Only INR 5,000 Fine for Gokhale Bridge’s Two-Year Delay

Gokhale Bridge

BMC Says INR 5,000 Is Provisional, Final Penalty to Be Calculated Soon

BMC officials have clarified that the INR 5,000 shown in the bill is not the final penalty amount. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar stated that the contractor was given an extension subject to penalties, which will be calculated strictly as per contract conditions. He added that final payments to the contractor are yet to be made and will be processed only after deducting the applicable penalties. Fact Check: Did EC Overlook 50 ‘Sons’ of a Single Man in Varanasi? Congress’ Claim Is Misleading, Ram Janaki Math Saints Reveal the Truth.

A senior BMC bridges department official said penalty amounts vary based on the nature and severity of delays, and severe delays typically attract heavier fines. The civic body, in a statement, confirmed that concerned staff have been instructed to work out the exact penalty for the Gokhale ROB project within 2–3 days.

The claim is accurate for now—only INR 5,000 has been recorded as penalty so far. However, the BMC maintains this is provisional and the final amount could be significantly higher once the calculation is complete.

Fact check

Did BMC Impose Only INR 5,000 Penalty on Contractor for Delayed Construction of Gokhale Bridge in Mumbai’s Andheri? Here’s What Fact Check Revealed
Claim :

An RTI reveals that only INR 5,000 has been fined for the two-year delay in the INR 87-crore Gopal Krishna Gokhale bridge project.

Conclusion :

True as of now, but BMC says this is provisional and the final penalty could be much higher.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 15, 2025 09:27 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).