The much-touted passenger water transport project, that promised an alternative to cut short the travel time , may well be delayed by at least two years.
Fresh tenders to be invited for water transport project
MUMBAI: The much-touted passenger water transport project, that promised an alternative to cut short the travel time between Nariman Point and Borivili to barely 50 minutes, may well be delayed by at least two years.
A high-power committee, headed by chief secretary Johny Joseph, has asked the nodal agency — the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) — to cancel the tender awarded to Satyagiri Shipping-led consortium after studying the legal aspects and invite fresh tenders for the project.
MSRDC minister Anil Deshmukh confirmed the development pointing out that he had received written directives from the committee but said the final decision will be taken by the board within a week. Deshmukh said as per committee’s directives the ministry had asked for a legal opinion on the matter.
Joseph said the committee felt the act of a few consortium participants to back out and rejoin was not acceptable, as per the norms set by the committee.
Satyagiri’s consortium partners Videocon and KGMC had initially backed out of the project but later Videocon reportedly rejoined it. The consortium later also got new partners namely Gammon India, Uttam Galva Steel of Rajendra Miglani, and Moreshwar Trading Company of Shrinivas Pawar, nephew of Sharad Pawar.
Top sources in MSRDC said Dalal Mott Macdonald, which was asked to study the technical feasibility of the consortium, had given the thumbs down to it in its report. However, the Crisil has certified that the consortium is financially feasible.
Nitin Joshi of Satyagiri Shipping said, “Tender was awarded to us because we qualified financial, technical and legal criteria.” When asked of the cancellation of the tender, Joshi said he was unaware of any such move and claimed that it was ready to take up the project since the consortium had overcome all legal wrangles.
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