Tainted contractor to build 15 bridges in city

A contractor who was disqualified for concealing crucial information while bidding for road contracts was on Monday appointed by the civic body to build 15 foot-over bridges (FOBs) across the city.

A contractor who was disqualified for concealing crucial information while bidding for road contracts was on Monday appointed by the civic body to build 15 foot-over bridges (FOBs) across the city.

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RP Shah Infra Projects Ltd (RPS Infra), while submitting its tender for construction of major road contracts worth Rs 570 crore, had not mentioned that it had projects worth over Rs100 crore already in its kitty, which would have disqualified it from bidding. The firm had to forfeit its deposit for the omission.

On Monday however, the general body of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) cleared a proposal awarding RPS Infra the contract to build the FOBs in exchange of advertisement rights on them for 16 years. Under the contract, the company will build the FOBs for free and maintain them for 16 years, and will also give Rs 2 crore to the BMC every year. The re-entry of the firm has raised eyebrows in civic circles, especially since the decision has come just a few days before the code of conduct for civic polls comes into force.

Nitin Shan of RPS Infra denied any wrongdoing, and said, “The BMC had invited bids and we got qualified. There is nothing wrong in this contract.”