Not lowest, the best bidder will get Byculla zoo revamp project

The tenders for the second phase, which includes construction of 17 animal enclosures to house Asiatic lion, jackal, Bengal Tiger, and sloth bear, were floated in August.

Instead of awarding contract for the second phase of Byculla zoo revamp to the lowest bidder, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in a first, plans to give it based on merit.

Earlier, Highway Constructions was to handle the entire revamp project. But after the death of Dory in October 2016, a part of it was scrapped. (FILE)

Highway construction, which got into trouble with the BMC following the death of one of the penguins at Byculla zoo, for submitting forged experience certificates, is the lowest bidder for the Rs120-crore project. The tenders for the second phase, which includes construction of 17 animal enclosures to house Asiatic lion, jackal, Bengal Tiger, and sloth bear, were floated in August.

A senior civic official from the tenders department said, “We are assessing other bids on merit. Considering Highway Construction’s history with the BMC, we may not award the contract to them, even though they have bid the lowest. We are preparing a report on the documents submitted by all bidders. It will be submitted to the senior officials concerned, who can then take a call on how to award the contracts. It has never happened before.”

Earlier this month, Rais Shaikh, Samajwadi Party corporator from the area, wrote to Mehta, demanding the tenders be scrapped the second time, owing to the participation of Highway Constructions. “According to the procedure, the lowest bidder bags the contract. What is the point of spending so much time and money, and awarding contracts to someone whose contract was scrapped a year ago,” he asked.

Officials are preparing a response to Shaikh’s letter, with information on the merits of each bidder.