Civic body relieved as Indian firm wins bid for Gargai dam project

Contractors from China and Turkey are out of the bidding process for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) ambitious Gargai dam project in Palghar. With an

Contractors from China and Turkey are out of the bidding process for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) ambitious Gargai dam project in Palghar. With an Indian firm bagging the consultancy project, BMC does not need to seek security clearance from the Union home ministry.

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For the Gargai dam project, BMC was looking to hire contractors, at an estimated cost of around ₹22 crore, who will prepare bidding documents and also act as a project management consultant during construction. Hindustan Times had reported in November 2019 how BMC was in a fix due to contractors from Turkey and China bidding for the project. If either of the two firms were selected, BMC would have had to take security clearance from the Central government.

A BMC official said, “Of the four proposals received, two were from Indian firms and the other two were from contractors from Turkey and China with their Indian partners. However, in the financial bid stage, an Indian firm quoted the lowest, and due to this, the contractors from Turkey and China have been disqualified. The Indian firm quoted ₹15 crore, much below the quotations by other contractors.”

All government agencies require a security clearance from Union home ministry if the contractors involved in a project are from foreign countries, especially if the relation between India and the foreign country is strained. In case of such clearances, the home ministry consults the Intelligence Bureau and ministry of external affairs before deciding on the matter.

Of the two countries from where contractors had bid for the project, India had a fallout with Turkey after it publicly condemned the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. In the case of China, India has been practising caution when it comes to awarding civil construction contracts.

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