The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has decided to call for a fresh round of tenders to appoint consultants for its proposed Rs. 100 crore Science City project here.
The urban planning body’s earlier Request For Proposals (RFP) attracted five firms, but their submissions were not found proper resulting in another round of tendering process.
The firms that submitted bids in December last included Price Water House Coope-rs, Crisil Risk & Infrastructures Solution, Jones Lang Lasalle, KPMG India and IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation.
‘Bids unqualified’
HMDA officials said the bidders for consultancy did not qualify in the absence of required documentation in some cases and confusion on qualification required for the task, in others.
“The submissions were basically not proper. We are now inviting bids and issuing revised qualification criteria,” he said.
The concept to be developed jointly by the union and State government on 25 acres to 30 acres site has been mooted as part of the Ministry of Culture’s promotion of science cities across the country. These have been proposed for State capitals and major cities with a population of not less than 50 lakh.
To be developed on public private partnership (PPP) mode, it seeks to portray the growth of science and technology and their applications in industry and human welfare.
“The basic idea is to use it to develop scientific enquiry, not only among students, but also among the general public,” said the official.
The Science City would hold exhibitions, seminars, popular lectures, science camps and programmes aimed at supplementing science education offered in schools and colleges.
Some of the key components of the project include Nuclear Science Fair, technologies of future with presentations on subjects such as Time Machine, Space Science and Future Cities. A large planetarium and interactive multimedia on solar power apart, it would be equipped to offer exposure on science related to natural disasters like earth quakes, volcano eruption, breaking of glaciers and global warming.
