Bids open, Gujarat firm likelyto get Tribune flyover project in Chandigarh

Now, the approval of Tender Evaluation Committer of the Union government will be taken, and after that, if the company fulfils all parameters, work will be allotted

The financial bids for the construction of the Tribune flyover and underpass, received after the revised tender, were opened here on Thursday.

A Gujarat-based company, DRAIPL-DMR (JV), was the lowest bidder, said a senior UT official, privy to the matter. The company had the lowest bid among the four companies, which were cleared by the Union ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) after the UT administration opened the technical bids.

Now, the approval of the Tender Evaluation Committer of the Union government will be taken and, after that if the company fulfils all parameters, the work will be allotted. “It is likely to take another month before all the procedures are followed and work is finally allotted to the lowest bidder,” said the official.

ELIGIBILITY CONDITION RELAXED IN REVISED TENDER

The UT engineering department had to float a revised tender after no firm could qualify the technical ground. The department had received four bids for the construction of the flyover (civil works) in response to the first tender, but no company had the mandated experience of completing a six-lane flyover, which was one of the eligibility criteria of the tender. Bidders also failed to meet the experience requirement for the type of construction required for the project.

Significantly, in a later communique from the MoRTH, the words “six-lane” were dropped.

After the revised tender was floated, the department received four bids from DRAIPL-DMR (JV), Ceigall India Private Limited, Ashoka Buildcon and SP Singla Construction Company. “All the four firms met the eligibility conditions, set by the MoRTH,”said the official.

On March 3, UT administrator VP Singh Badnore had laid the foundation stone of the flyover project. The administration had then set a deadline of 15 months for completion. The construction was to start in July, but was delayed as no bidder could pass the technical bidding stage after the first tender was floated. The engineering department had to put on hold the work allotment for shifting of sewage, drinking water and rainwater drainage p-ipelines after the process was postponed.