The proposal for road concretization in the eastern and western suburbs for Phase 2 is in the final stage of approval. Contractors who ianitially quoted between 4 and 9 percent above the estimated rate have now agreed to work at the BMC's rates, according to a civic official. However, the controversial proposal for road concretization in the island city for both phases is still under negotiation.
The city has a road network of 2,050 km, with 1,200 km currently being concretized. The remaining 1,000 km will be concretized in two phases. Phase one, involving 397 km of roads, was allotted last year. However, as of June 10, only 30% of the work has been completed. The remaining work is expected to progress more rapidly after the monsoon. Meanwhile, the tendering process for another 400 km of work in Phase 2 was delayed due to the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections, which was in effect until June 5.
'The contractor who initially quoted between 4 and 9 percent above the estimated rate for the roads in the western and eastern suburbs has agreed to work at the estimated rate. The proposal is awaiting final approval, after which the contract will be allotted to these bidders. Meanwhile, the contractor for the island city, who initially quoted more than 9 percent above the estimate, has reduced their quote to 4 percent. We have not yet finalized the contract," said a senior civic official.
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The BMC had previously scrapped a Rs. 1,600 crore contract with Roadway Solutions India Infrastructure Ltd (RSIIL) for road concretization in the island city due to delays. After inviting fresh tenders, concerns have emerged regarding the potential allotment of the contract to a company that was blacklisted in 2016 for substandard work. To accelerate the project post-monsoon, the civic body has devised a special plan to complete it between October 2024 and May 2025. Additionally, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has been engaged to ensure stringent quality control.
