BMC for known contractors and smoother roads

In a move which could rid the city of small-time contractors, who bid low and then cut corners to make profits while you suffer a bumpy ride, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now introducing drastic changes in the way it selects contractors.

In a move which could rid the city of small-time contractors, who bid low and then cut corners to make profits while you suffer a bumpy ride, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is now introducing drastic changes in the way it selects contractors.

HT Image

The aim is to ensure major and reputed infrastructure companies get involved in the repairs and maintenance of Mumbai's roads.

After constantly burning its fingers by allotting work to the lowest bidder, the BMC now plans to give more weightage to the bidder's technical qualification rather than his quoted financial bid.

Called the Quality-cum-cost-based (QCCB) system, this method of tender evaluation gives preference to the contractor's work experience, his turnover, and whether he owns batch-mix plants, over his bidding cost.

Bodies like the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), which follow this system, give 70% weightage to the technical qualifications and 30% to the quoted financial bid.

Additional municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta said this system will be tried out in a few contracts on a pilot basis.