MUMBAI, Oct. 13 -- In a letter to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Mihir Kotecha raised serious concerns over the repeated extensions granted in the tender process for the Mulund bird park project. Kotecha called for a formal investigation and alleged that the chief engineer of the building maintenance department is deliberately stalling the tender to favour some contractors. The original tender for the project was issued on August 29, with a submission deadline of September 19. While nine bidders attended the pre-bid meeting held on September 10, the deadline has since been extended twice, first to October 3 and again to October 17. Kotecha criticised the department for not responding to queries raised during the pre-bid meeting, nor preparing its minutes, even after four weeks. The MLA accused the chief engineer of attempting to benefit two contractors, Highway Corporation and Skyway, both of whom he alleged had dubious track records. The two contractors have been accused of financial mismanagement in the construction of a penguin enclosure at the Byculla zoo, although the allegations against them are unproven. "This appears to be a calculated move to favour tainted firms. It signals a disturbing nexus between BMC officials and certain private players, undermining the integrity of what should be one of the civic body's landmark projects," Kotecha added. Kotecha claimed the current tender process was "compromised" and urged the BMC to shift the responsibility of the tender to a different department to ensure transparency and prevent further manipulation. "There's a complete lack of due diligence and fair play. Vested interests are clearly attempting to hijack the process," he added. The BMC's chief engineer, maintenance, when contacted, refused to comment on the tender process....