The Public Works Department(PWD) has qualified three leading companies --L&T, Tata and Shapoorji Pallonji to carry out redevelopment of the Nariman Point's Manora hostel meant for MLAs and MLCs. Last year in September it had floated tender inviting interested companies for pre-qualification, wherein the PWD expected to select the efficient and competitive ones. It is the project implementing authority.
The Manora MLA hostel redevelopment project pegged at Rs 900 crore.
According to an official from PWD who did not wish to be named confirmed and said, "Now an offer tender will be floated, of which the lowest bid amount quoted by any of these three companies will be awarded the contract. The final tender for work will be issued in next 10 days." The redevelopment project will be carried out in the EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) model.
The Free Press Journal has been reporting about the Manora MLA hostel redevelopment project from the onset. The PWD had reinvited the request for qualification (RFQ) tender following cold response it had received in first attempt. Moreover, the earnest money deposit had been reduced to Rs 2.5 crore (0.25 per cent ) from the previously proposed Rs 4.5 crore (0.5 per cent) of the total project cost.
Besides, the PWD had sent a revised floor space index (FSI) proposal to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on August last year. Since the later is the planning authority of the area. The official was quoted the then as, “Nearly 40 per cent of the MLA hostel land falls in CRZ ambit. For this area, as per the CRZ norms, 1.33 per cent FSI is acceptable. For the rest of the 60 per cent, 5.4 per cent of FSI is acceptable. Therefore, a revised proposal has been sent."
The MLA hostel redevelopment was first proposed in 2018. 14-storeyed towers were demolished in 2019 by the previously appointed agency, National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC), which is a central public sector undertaking. The NBCC was supposed to carry out the project but failed to do so for want of CRZ permissions. Later in 2020, the project was handed over officially to the PWD.
As per the proposed redevelopment plan, two high rise towers, one of 25 storey and the other of 45 storey will be built. Besides, there will clinic and shop, three dining rooms, an air-conditioned yoga hall, gymkhana, library, mini-theatre, a conference hall, and two canteens will be developed.
Meanwhile, the state government has made a rent provision of Rs 50,000/flat for the MLAs. The official had explained, when the Manora MLA hostel building existed, everyone used to get two flats. However, now such is not the case. Therefore, if an MLA is provided one flat, they are given a rent of Rs 50,000. If no room has been provided, they are given Rs 1 lakh as rent (the rent of two flats). On these, Rs 15,000 and Rs 30,000 as tax is deducted, respectively. The rent disbursement started from March, 2019, following the demolition of the hostel structure.
