7 firms bid for pre-qualification for Parliament project

CPWD had called for pre-qualification instead of inviting financial, technical bids due to security concerns

A view of the Parliament House and Central Vista in New Delhi. File

Seven construction companies, including a Uttar Pradesh government undertaking, submitted bids for pre-qualification for the contract to build a new Parliament building , according to Central Public Works Department’s records on Tuesday.

The pre-qualification bids were opened on Tuesday afternoon, after the 3 p.m. deadline. According to the CPWD’s online tender portal, the bids received were from ITD Cementation India Limited, Larsen and Toubro Ltd., NCC Ltd., PSP Projects Ltd., Shapoorji Pallonji and Co Ltd., Tata Projects Ltd. and Uttar Pradesh Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Ltd., an undertaking of the Uttar Pradesh government.

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Between them, the bidders have constructed Metro rail projects, ports, stadiums, industrial complexes etc in the past. The CPWD had called for pre-qualification of firms for the new Parliament project instead of inviting financial and technical bids, as is the norm, due to security concerns, a spokesperson for the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry had said recently.

A Ministry official had said that drawings for the new building, that is to be developed adjacent to the existing Parliament, would only be shared with those that pre-qualify.

21 months

A part of the government’s proposed redevelopment of the Central Vista, the construction of the new Parliament is expected to take 21 months to complete and cost an estimated ₹889 crore, according to the CPWD’s notice inviting pre-qualification bids.

As per the design drawn up by HCP Design, Planning and Management, the CPWD’s consultant for the Central Vista revamp, the new Parliament will be triangular in shape and accommodate a larger number of MPs, anticipating future delimitation and increase in constituencies.