BMC invites tender again

Five months since then and after a cost escalation of Rs 500 crore, the BMC has invited tenders for the elevated road again. The project is to take 36 months to finish. Additional Municipal Commissioner P Velrasu said, “There were some technical changes in the project. Earlier, a normal bridge was considered above Hancock Bridge at Masjid Bunder. Later, we understood that only a cable stay bridge is feasible. The shifting of utilities was not considered in the earlier tender. In this tender, these aspects were studied and included.” According to BMC documents, the elevated road will reduce commuting time from the current 45 to 50 minutes to 10 to 12 minutes. 

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‘This is a scam’

Meanwhile, former corporator of Samajwadi Party, MLA Rais Sheikh slammed the BMC over the cost escalation. “It seems contractors are framing the BMC tender. This is a big scam. How is it possible that BMC was not aware of the challenges involved in the project before it issued the tender the first time,” Sheikh said. Transport expert Kamlakar Shenoy had a similar response. “Why is there always an escalation in projects? Why can’t the BMC come up with a fool-proof plan before publishing a tender?” Shenoy said.