Hey there, Pune peeps! Here’s the latest scoop on the ongoing ring road project in our district. It seems like the issue of inflated tenders is causing quite a stir!
So, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has been waiting for weeks now to receive the scrutiny report from a third party appointed to look into the tenders. This delay is definitely raising some eyebrows and adding to the concerns surrounding the whole tender process.
The Pune Ring Road project is a big deal, aiming to ease traffic congestion in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. It’s a massive 127 km long and 110 meters wide project, divided into East and West phases.
Twelve contractors submitted bids for nine phases of the project, and things got interesting when the bids were opened in Mumbai. Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Limited and Navayuga Engineering Company Limited came out as the lowest bidders for six packages, while PNC Infratech Limited, Roadway Solutions India Infra Limited, and G R Infraprojects snagged the remaining three packages.
But here’s where it gets juicy – some companies involved in the election bond scandal also submitted tenders at inflated rates, making things even more complicated. This issue is expected to be a hot topic in the ongoing monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
The key concerns here are the overestimated costs, with bids coming in 40-50% higher than what MSRDC estimated. This could potentially jack up the project costs by a whopping 1.5 times! And let’s not forget about the delayed scrutiny – the report is MIA even though the process started three weeks ago. Yikes!
Originally priced at Rs 16,000 crore, the project’s cost has now skyrocketed to Rs 22,000-23,000 crore due to these inflated tenders. Accepting these bids could lead to some serious disputes, while re-tendering might set the project back by three to six months. The officials are definitely scratching their heads trying to figure out the best course of action.
So, buckle up, Pune folks – looks like we’ve got a bumpy road ahead with this ring road project! Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
Thanks For Reading Report of Punepress.com