Shapoorji Pallonji’s Lowest Bid for Redeveloping Delhi’s Rajpath
The Shapoorji Pallonji Group emerged as the lowest bidder for the Centre’s tender for the redevelopment and restructuring of the Central Vista Avenue after it quoted a financial bid of Rs 477 crore, nearly 5% lower than the estimated cost of the project pegged at Rs 502 crore. The redevelopment of the avenue — which comprises Rajpath, leading from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate — will involve restructuring the avenue, creating underground passes, landscaping the green areas and giving a commitment to comprehensive maintenance and operation of the same for five years. Four firms qualified for the financial bid that opened on January 1 to redevelop the avenue: ITD Cementation quoted Rs 490 crore, NCC Limited quoted Rs 601 crore and Tata Projects Limited quoted Rs 488 crore. This will be the second phase of redevelopment after Tata Projects Limited was tasked with the construction of the new Parliament complex on September 29, 2020. A letter of award will be given to the selected firm in a fortnight, it is likely to be awarded to the L1 bidder. L1 refers to the lowest bidder. The tender for the redevelopment of the Central Vista Avenue also mandates the firms to maintain it for five years from completion, and requires that the project be completed within 300 days. Work will also need to be carried out in sections to minimize the portion of the avenue that is cordoned off at any given time. The contractor may have to execute the work in three shifts with large manpower of workers, supervisors and professional engineers, The next phase will involve razing the buildings on either side of the avenue that house ministry offices to make the Central Secretariat: a set of 11 buildings that will house all the 51 central government ministries. The bid win comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s decision on Tuesday giving its nod to the project that included construction of a new Parliament Building and a common Central Secretariat by a 2:1 majority.
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