NCC wins ₹1,300 crore tender for SoBo road concretisation

NCC Ltd wins ₹1,300 crore tender to concretise 215 roads in Mumbai's island city. Delays expected due to monsoon and state election code of conduct.

Mumbai: The Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd (NCC Ltd), which is currently engaged in road concretisation in the western suburbs, has won the ₹1,300 crore tender to concretise 215 roads in the island city. However, citizens of South Mumbai may have to wait longer as the already delayed project will be pushed further due to the monsoon and model code of conduct for the state assembly election.

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In January 2023, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) awarded the contract to Roadway Solutions India Infra Ltd (RSIIL) to carry out works on 212 roads in the island city that would cover eight municipal wards. However, the ₹1,687 crore contract was terminated on November 8, 2023, owing to inadequate progress in work, and RSIIL was subsequently fined ₹64.6 crore.

The cost of the new tender bagged by NCC Ltd is 10% less than the earlier one. Abhijit Bangar, additional municipal commissioner (projects) told HT, “During monsoon, road works cannot be started. We will have to wait for the rainy season to get over. In the meantime, we will have to decide on prioritisation of road sequence and utilities shifting along with obtaining traffic NOCs. These works will begin.”

The retendering process of the fresh tender began at least six months after the termination of the earlier contract. Two firms then responded to the BMC retendering to concretise 215 roads in the island city.

A civic official from the roads department said that contractors were reluctant to bid for the fresh, ₹1,300-crore tender after the previous contract was terminated.

Among the two firms which responded to the tender, NCC Ltd was already engaged in road concretisation works in the western suburbs, while APCO InfraProjects had considerable experience in the construction of state and national highways, but NCC was the lowest bidder.

HT had reported about the two bidders on April 30. The allocation of the work, however, will take place only after the model code of conduct is withdrawn.