MMRDA to re-tender twin infra projects for Thane-Bhayandar

The development authority on June 10 had sought detailed financial estimates, rate justifications and supporting documents from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the projects.

MUMBAI: Two big ticket infrastructure projects to improve road connectivity between Thane and Mira-Bhayander will soon be re-tendered by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The development authority on June 10 had sought detailed financial estimates, rate justifications and supporting documents from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the projects.

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L&T’s bid for the two projects combined - ₹3,130 crore - was less than the lowest bidder declared by the MMRDA. Hence, the engineering company had moved the Bombay high court as well as the Supreme Court, challenging the decision to award the contracts to Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited (MEIL).

During the hearing of the petition challenging its disqualification in the two high-value tenders, L&T had asserted before the Supreme Court that it had quoted ₹6,498 crore for the Gaimukh to Fountain Hotel Junction Twin Tunnel and ₹5,554 crore for the Fountain Junction to Bhayander Elevated Road.

“We gave L&T seven working days to respond, a deadline that has now passed. As of June 19, no reply has been received. This silence raises questions about the seriousness of L&T’s courtroom claims,” shared an MMRDA official. “When a firm makes financial claims in the Supreme Court, it has the responsibility to back those up. Especially when it involves public money and a government agency formally requests it for details.”

The apex court dismissed L&T’s petition as “infructuous” after MMRDA voluntarily chose to cancel and re-tender the projects. MEIL had submitted quotes of ₹9,019 crore for the elevated road and ₹6,163 crore for the tunnel project, a total sum of ₹15,182 crore as against ₹12,052 crore by L&T.

“With the tender process set to restart now and the bids legally sealed under tendering rules, MMRDA has asked L&T to share the estimates it had openly mentioned in court (even though it has been disqualified). The intent is to allow the MMRDA’s Tender Review Committee, which has members from IIT and finance backgrounds, to objectively assess if L&T’s figures can serve as benchmarks for more competitive base rates,” said the official.

An email sent by HT to L&T for a comment on this development did not elicit any response.