BMIC Fresh Global Tenders
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Written By tsubba - 23 September, 2007
BMIC
Bangalore
NICE
Road Works
Media Reports
Transportation
Infrastructure
The ongoing tussle between the State Government and Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), promoters of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, has taken a new turn with the Government floating global tenders to take over the controversial project under the ‘Swiss challenge’. Through a notification issued by the Public Works Department on September 17, the Government has invited competitive proposals from entities or consortiums for development of BMIC. “The project development has not taken place as envisaged, and furthermore various legal disputes have arisen between the parties and some issues are pending before the Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court,” the notification said. The notification, however, states that the award of contract is subject to the decisions of the Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court.
Referring to a suo motu offer by the Global Infrastructure Consortium (GIC) to take over the project from the existing promoter, the notification sought competitive and superior offers from the bidders. The GIC, in an offer made to the Public Works Department on July 6, 2007, indicated its willingness to implement the project with several provisions such as monorail on a 17-km stretch, self-imposed penalty for delays and higher lease rental of government land at Rs. 1,180 per acre an year. Incidentally, it had agreed Bangalore to be the place for arbitration as against London, the place of arbitration in the previous agreement between the Government and NICE.
Meanwhile, responding to the notification, a spokesperson of NICE told The Hindu that the whole process of calling a global tender when the matter was in court was illegal and it would be responded appropriately in the court. “We would not like to comment on this issue,” the spokesperson said.
This is going to take more than a crore and more time too..with the effect of:
1.An over crouded ring road
2.Polluted junctions
3.overall traffic
4.dangerous roads
etc..
Govt. really desperate about this
and is cutting all rules. If it is so transparent, wouldn't this get shot in the courts?
The global bid floated by the State Government inviting companies/consortiums to take over the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMICP) on the Swiss Challenge Method appears to have been done in a hurry. The Public Works Department, that has invited bids, has given only a week’s time for applications.
The first stage of the tendering process will be completed on Monday.
Last date
While the notification inviting global bids for the takeover of Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project from Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE) was issued by the Public Works Department (PWD) on September 17, the last date for receiving application from the bidders is September 24, and the Request for Proposal (RFP) document will be issued to the bidders from September 26. The last date for submission of the same is October 18.
A Public Works Department official, who did not want to be named, told The Hindu that the whole process has been initiated in a hurry, and invitation for global bids issued by the department was in violation of its rules. The Public Works Department Codal Rules and Tender Rules formed under Public Works Department Act stipulate a period of 90 days for all global tenders and 60 days for other projects.
Time period
In fact, for any tender that involves an amount of over Rs. 10 lakh should be provided a period of 60 days to enable participation of bidders, the official said.
No publicity
Besides, the official said that the State Government has not given wide publicity through the media inviting bidders to participate in tender process, nor has a tender bulletin been published.
A project of this enormity should have been provided nation-wide publicity so as to attract the best players in the industry, the official said.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that the State Government has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court informing the court of cancellation of the original agreement signed with Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise, the current executor of the project.
Preparation
In a project of this size companies or consortiums are given at least three months time to prepare detailed project report (DPR) and feasibility report.
Opportunity lost
A spokesperson of an infrastructure development company said that many companies from abroad may miss participating in the project. “The last date for application is Monday, and many companies from the United States may not be able to meet the deadline due to a difference in time zone. Besides, one week is too short a period to form a consortium and participate in the bidding process,” he said.
Govt Spent 1 crore fighting BMIC
don't whether to cry or to laff.
ps:
folks.. please feel free to post links to news items you read. like the proverbial blind men we all see only parts of the elephant. share the grief, we can all crib together. :)
If history is any guide, then Yedi is all set to become Dharam Singh part II. It would be too obvious for JDS to pull the rug from under BJP's chair right now. As we say in kite-flying lingo they will give BJP some deela and then cut the sootra.
They will give them power 5-6 months, perhaps a year, enough to show that JDS transferred power but BJP misruled.
Meanwhile they will keep hacking at the chair & keep issuing docs and open letters like they did during Dharam Singh's regime.
In the meanwhile, yedi will do to shimoga what hdk did to ramanagara and hasana(you've got to check hasana's airport plans, second biggest in the state, MRO and all, A380 ready.)
Meanwhile HDK has silently the ball rolling on generic projects like PRR, BM road, grama vasthavya, cycle etc. etc.
BJP cant be seen pulling the plug out on BMIC, JDS cant be seen letting it go. JDS has already done the needful(annulment, hasty call for global tenders etc) to prevent BJP from doing any damage to JDS' BMIC plans. Courts will prolly rule against global tenders. But annulment is murky will take longer. so there is a lot of time for them to say, see we gave them power but they misused it and went against farmers, we could not have sat silent so we said goodbye. time for elections.
Now it is revealed by RTI that, 1 Crore is spent by the Govt. in fighting the battle for BMIC. Such a waste. If it could have been spent on laying roads, then the money would have been of some use.
This hard earned money is spent recklessly towards unwanted goals. Is there no value for bangalorean's money. Is there no value for every citizen. Citizens in bangalore struggle hard and pay up their taxes only to feed, these money hungry and people having selfish motives.....
If this continues, then i would recommend, people not to dream of any infrastructure being completed in near future. I would also urgue IT companies in bangalore to start looking out to other places, as it would be hard in future to retain talent......
Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!
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