Underground Colaba-Seepz metro construction tendering will proceed to next stage

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) has got consent from the Japanese International Co-operation Agency (JICA) to proceed to the next stage of the tendering process for the construction of Colaba-Bandra-Seepz underground metro rail.

As per the agreement, nod of the funding agency (in this case JICA) is required during the bidding stage. Also, the agency has to be updated of the project's progress.

The Rs23,136-crore metro project is being partly funded by JICA, with the agency giving around 56% (Rs13,235 crore) of the total cost.

According to a source, JICA on November 4 gave the approval for the Request For Qualification bids for the 32.5-km-long metro, which was part of pre-qualification stage for private players interested in the project's construction.
MMRCL's board had shortlisted nine construction firms. Bids for the same were floated over a year ago, in September 2013. The nine players will now be allowed to participate in the Request For Proposal stage.

As per the current plan of action, the firm to build the underground structure is likely to be finalised in March 2015.

The former Congress-led state government had organised a bhoomipujan, or foundation stone-laying ceremony, on August 26 to gain political mileage from the proposed project. Code of conduct for assembly elections was announced in September.

MMRCL has begun the process of recruitment to fill vacancies for several positions for implementation of proposed metro rail projects in Mumbai, including the underground Colaba-Bandra-Seepz corridor.