MUMBAI: The BMC is likely to retender the Rs 1,200-crore road works which additional municipal commissioner P Velrasu, who heads the roads department, had red-flagged last week after contractors bid as low as 30% below the actual cost.
Officials have been told to initiate the retendering exercise departmentally and short tenders are likely to be invited so that the process could be completed in a month’s time. Multiple works may be clubbed together in the retender, said sources. However, the opposition pointed out that by doing so only major contractors would be able to place bids.
"Inviting fresh bids is fine, but it will not solve the age-old problem of powerful civic contractors manipulating the system in connivance with officials and elected representatives. Unless the nexus is broken, public money will continue to be frittered away in shoddily built roads.-TimesView"
Last week, Velrasu, in an internal file note before the roads department, had said the rate analysis is unlikely to justify the possibility of doing proper quality of road works. The department was also asked to justify how the quality of road works would be maintained by bidders in case they are subcontracted and if any mechanism has been put in place to ensure the cement mixture used for the works is of good quality.
In its reply, the roads department pointed that works are given to lowest bidder as per the central vigilance commission guidelines, and in case there are violations, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India raises queries during audits. In the quality control query, the department is likely to reply that surprise visits could be held and concrete testing taken up at municipal laboratories, when required.
Samajwadi Party leader in the BMC Rais Shaikh said the delay is acceptable if the quality of work is good. “If short tenders are called, the process can be completed faster. But it would be interesting to see what stringent conditions are put up by the BMC in case of new works.”
Pointing out that the tender process had been on for months, standing committee member Asif Zakeria said: “The BMC waited till the last minute to flag off how contractors have bid below the estimates. Now too, a decision on whether or not to retender is taking time.”
But corporator and BJP group leader Vinod Mishra alleged that BMC is delaying the process as it does not have funds to take up such large-scale works. “All funds have been diverted for the upgrade of specific areas, while issues, like road works, are being pushed back,” he said.
