Despite red flags around Rodic Consultants, firm completes Bengaluru tunnel road DPR in just 3 months

Controversies Surrounding the Selection Process

Some municipality mobility experts item concerns that Rodic Consultants was awarded the DPR mentation declaration amid respective reddish flags astir the steadfast and the tendering process. For instance, the steadfast had been blacklisted by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a Ministry of Railways enterprise, successful 2021.

A transcript of the notification is disposable to indianexpress.com but the crushed for the blacklisting remains unclear. Attempts to interaction the DFCCIL for a clarification went unanswered.

While Rodic Consultants filed a petition successful the Delhi High Court against the blacklist order, DFCCIL lifted the prohibition connected July 2, days earlier the steadfast was selected for the DPR preparation. Subsequently, Rodic Consultants withdrew its petition from the court.

However, according to BBMP’s consultancy eligibility criteria for the passageway roadworthy project, “blacklisted consultants successful government, quasi-government boards, oregon BBMP are not eligible to participate, and specified tenders volition beryllium rejected.” Despite this, BBMP proceeded to grant the Rs 16,500 crore passageway roadworthy task to Rodic Consultants.

Questions About Past Performance

Not lone has Rodic Consultants faced issues with DFCCIL, but the steadfast was besides criticized for its enactment arsenic the Project Monitoring Agency (PMA) connected the Saubhagya Scheme successful Jammu and Kashmir. The strategy aims to supply last-mile energy connections to un-electrified agrarian households.

According to a tribunal bid from the Court of Special Judge Anti-Corruption Jammu, the consultants displayed a “detached and casual approach” successful inspecting the project. The tribunal observed that Rodic Consultants failed to emblem discrepancies oregon certify bills submitted by the executing agencies, which were past uploaded to the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) for outgo without verification. This nonaccomplishment to guarantee scrutiny and certification, the tribunal noted, led to fiscal losses and instances of collusion and negligence successful the scheme’s execution.

Calls for Transparency and Accountability

Bangalore Central MP and BJP person PC Mohan criticized the DPR tendering process arsenic “arbitrary” and “lacking transparency.” He argued that BBMP’s justification for awarding a Rs 9.45 crore declaration to a azygous bidder “insults Bengaluru’s public.”

Mohan questioned the contract’s inflated outgo and raised concerns astir the project’s accelerated escalation from an estimated Rs 8,000 crore successful June 2024 to Rs 12,690 crore conscionable 2 months later. Mohan said, “The BBMP’s justification for awarding a Rs 9.45 crore passageway roadworthy DPR declaration to a azygous bidder is simply a blatant insult to Bengaluru’s public. They assertion the declaration is beneath their estimation of Rs 15 crore, portion conveniently ignoring that the tender papers lists the task outgo arsenic Rs 8,000 crore, wherever 0.1 per cent would beryllium Rs 8 crore — not the inflated Rs 9.45 crore that has been contracted.”

He added, “Even much alarming is the accelerated escalation of the project’s estimated outgo from Rs 8,000 crore successful June 2024 to a staggering Rs 12,690 crore conscionable 2 months later. Was this done to warrant awarding the azygous tender? Why were KTPP guidelines ignored, and the Least Cost Based Selection (LCBS) method adopted alternatively of the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method for specified a analyzable project? How tin this beryllium justified? BBMP Chief Secretary has mislaid each consciousness of probity and accountability. A thorough probe into its arbitrary tendering process is urgently needed. The nationalist deserves thing little than afloat transparency.”

Meanwhile, BBMP officials did not respond to indianexpress.com connected the blacklisted bid and the consultant’s alleged botched up enactment successful transportation with Saubhagya scheme.

Urban mobility adept Satya Arikutharam criticised the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) for permitting a task that is not portion of Bengaluru’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan. “BBMP has achieved a satellite grounds successful passageway roadworthy DPR mentation successful 3 months. DULT, are you sleeping astatine the wheel? Is determination a deficiency of regulatory competence and importantly nonrecreational values? How tin the citizens beryllium taken for a thrust connected a task thought that’s not adjacent successful the CMP?” helium asked.

The 18-km underground vehicular passageway project, portion of the Brand Bengaluru initiative, connects the north-south corridor from Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board KSRP Junction. The task involves 4 connecting stretches with assorted introduction and exit points. The DPR specifies that the advisor indispensable behaviour postulation and infrastructure surveys, arsenic good arsenic societal and biology interaction assessments, to heighten safety, operational efficiency, and minimise section impacts.