JICA approves terms and conditions of tenders for Mula-Mutha restoration project

PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) can finally complete its tendering process for the Mula-Mutha river rejuvenation project, as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has approved the terms and conditions

PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) can finally complete its tendering process for the Mula-Mutha river rejuvenation project, as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has approved the terms and conditions.

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Pune Mayor Murlidhar Mohol said, “JICA has accepted all the terms and conditions in the tendering process and even cleared all the hurdles. As JICA sent the approval letter on Tuesday, it will help to start the much-delayed project.”

PMC is executing the Rs980 crore river rejuvenation project with the help of JICA. The project aims to improve the state of the Mula-Mutha river.

The then environment minister Jairam Ramesh visited Pune city and expressed unhappiness over the status of Mutha river and called it a gutter’. Then he instructed the PMC to submit the proposal and the central government would fund it under the river development project.

Later, JICA approved the funds and gave a soft loan to the central government. The process of JICA’s loan was completed when the BJP government came into power in 2012. Then union environment minister Prakash Javadekar signed the agreement with JICA.

As the tenders were inflated, the PMC scrapped the tendering process.

Union transport Minister Nitin Gadkari held a meeting in Delhi a few months ago. Later BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis also asked PMC office bearers to speed up the tendering process.

The mayor said, “As the PMC got the approval from JICA, now we will speed up the process and hope to kick start the work on ground.”