Mantralaya revamp: Two top bidders opt out of race

Revamp of the fire-ravaged Mantralaya is in limbo as two top bidders have opted out after the state asked them to reduce their cost estimates.

Revamp of the fire-ravaged Mantralaya is in limbo as two top bidders have opted out after the state asked them to reduce their cost estimates.

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The only bidder – Unity Infrastructure, which had quoted the lowest sum of Rs 162crore for repairing Mantralaya – is willing to do the job for even less. The state’s own estimate is Rs110 crore.

The other two bidders L&T (Rs167 cr) and Shapoorji Pallonji (Rs177 crore) have refused to revise their cost estimates.
Unity Infra submitted its new quotation to a high-powered committee headed by chief secretary JK Banthia on Thursday.

Refusing to reveal Unity’s revised quote, Banthia said the committee would negotiate with the company. “The government wants to save public money.”

But a senior official who knows the developments said Unity had reduced the cost by 20%-25%. He said that chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had expected either of the two companies to do the job. “Now, it would be interesting to see whether he approves Unity Infra for the job or asks for re-tendering.”

The three companies were shortlisted last month to work on the top three floors of the main building, which were destroyed in a fire on June 21. These three floors will be repaired and renovated in the first phase. Work on the lower floors will be taken up later. The state wants the renovation work completed in eight months.