The cancellation of tenders for Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) – Nidamanur corridor of Vijayawada Metro Railway has set the officials of Amaravati Metro Rail Corporation (AMRC) pondering over the circumstances that led to the process coming to a grinding halt.
According to official sources, the prices quoted by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Afcons Infrastructure Limited (AIL), whose technical bids were through late last year, could be one of the reasons for the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) annulling the tenders. It is also blamed for the delay in acquiring land for the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS) – Nidamanur corridor, which has been prioritised over the other one planned from PNBS to Penamalur.
Tenders for the second corridor are being evaluated. The DMRC announced on Tuesday that it cancelled the said tender for reasons being ascertained by AMRC Managing Director N.P. Ramakrishna Reddy.
The delay in acquiring about 70 acres of land for both the corridors, which had been allocated ₹100 crore, is cited as a factor that weighed down on the DMRC to drag its feet on selecting the competent bidder.
It may be noted that 60 acres of land is required for constructing a coach depot as part of the PNBS-Nidamanur corridor at Nidamanur and its residents have refused to give their lands demanding enhancement in their registration value.
About five acres are needed for building the elevated stations along the 13.27 km-long corridor, most of them passing through Eluru Road. The cancellation of tenders has come as a setback for the prestigious project as it would have paved the way for the final approvals by the Central government.
An AMRC official said the hurdles in land acquisition might have sent signals to the DMRC that the government has no sense of urgency about taking the project forward while the likelihood of high financial bids playing the spoilsport could not be ruled out.
Details including a fresh schedule for re-inviting tenders are awaited from the DMRC.
