Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, May 15: The much-awaited widening of the national highway 17 between Suratkal and Kundapur and Nantoor and Talapady into four lane road, has been put off, as a single firm came forward to execute it. As per procedures, a single bid for any work can not be accepted, and the project therefore, will get delayed further by over a year, it is learnt.
The work should have begun by now, as per earlier plans. But, the tender got cancelled, as the companies whose names had been finalized, showed lack of interest in bidding for the work. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is learnt to have decided to review the cost of the project and related works before offering the same for tender again.
The Authority had invited tenders for the 75 kms stretch of the highway between Suratkal and Kundapur and another 15 kms stretch from Nantoor and Talapady under Public-Private Partnership. As per tender conditions, the works were to be completed within 30 months from the start and the companies were allowed to recover the amount invested by them, by levying toll charges on vehicles for a period of 20 years. The cost of works was put at Rs 677 crore, with additional Rs 244 crore set aside for land acquisition and other related expenditure. But, except Navayuga - KPCL from Hyderabad, no other company came forward to execute the road widening work.
19 companies had been listed as pre-qualified, but none of the 12 companies which were rated top in this round, came forward to offer any bids. The Authority is now considering deleting some works like under-passes, fly overs etc., besides meeting a part of the project cost, to make it more lucrative for the bidders.
It is expected, that the Authority will require a minimum of 12 months to come up with new terms and then complete the tender process afresh. The works will begin thereafter, to be completed in 30 months. As such, the general public can not hope to get the widened road earlier than four years from now.
Sources in the Authority said the Suratkal - B C Road highway widening project will be completed by December 2009, with the 11 cases filed against the Authority having been settled. Kuntikan Fly Over in the city will be ready for vehicular traffic soon and the Bikarnakatte Fly Over works will begin in a few days, they divulged.