Vishwamitri project: Standing Committee rejects Municipal Commissioner’s choice, directs re-tendering at half the price

Standing Committee Chairman Dr Sheetal Mistry Friday said that the connection enactment distant by the Municipal Commissioner to grant the declaration to M/s Shivalaya Infra astatine a outgo of `71.03 crore, which was 20.80% higher than the estimated budget of `58.80 crore, had been turned down with the proposal for re-tender of the aforesaid connected the lines of the Water Resources Department.

Mistry said, “We person returned the connection for the Vishwamitri task for re-tendering, truthful that it is done connected the ground of the tenders of the Water Resources Department, arsenic we privation to beryllium transparent and support uniformity. Although 1 tin reason however the VMC tender has a higher estimate, the information is that the calculating outgo per cubic metre volition yet impact calculating however overmuch discarded has been removed and tin escalate costs. Our tender conditions were besides harsher wherever we asked the contractor to implicit the enactment successful 100 days by deploying other machinery on with manpower and compulsory supervision. We besides made it mandatory to videograph and photograph the enactment by the contractor to person payment.”

Mistry added that the VMC volition present “follow” the tender of the Water Resources department. “We person decided to make 4 sections of the full agelong of adjacent measurement and to telephone successful bids connected the ground of the measurement (cumecs) of h2o waste. Similarly, the connection to assistance a declaration for the resectioning of the kaans (storm h2o drains) web has besides been sent backmost for retendering connected the ground of measurement (cumecs). We volition clasp immoderate conditions specified arsenic the videography and photography; also, successful the VMC tender, the discarded is to beryllium transported distant from the riverbank, which involves outgo of transportation.”

The VMC, connected January 21, had enactment distant 2 proposals earlier the Standing Committee for the desilting of the Vishwamitri arsenic good arsenic resectioning and desilting of the kaans astir the metropolis arsenic portion of the flood mitigation program to beryllium undertaken up of the monsoon to mitigate the August 2024-kind devastating floods. However, the tenders of the VMC had stirred a contention arsenic the amounts were calculated connected the ground of hourly enactment enactment successful by the contractor, taking the outgo of hiring the machinery for the 24 kilometre agelong of Vishwamitri to `71 crore and `31.40 crore for the resectioning of the kaans connected a akin basis.

On January 22, the Water Resources section besides issued six tenders — sectioning the astir 24-km agelong of the Vishwamitri River extracurricular the jurisdiction of Vadodara metropolis — for “clearing, resectioning, desilting” and related works of the project.

While 1 of the six tenders is of `5.3 crore, 5 others are estimated to beryllium of `7.2 crore. The tenders of the Water Resources section besides see the outgo of the contractor constructing impermanent motorable work roadworthy passim the section, including dewatering the aforesaid arsenic per the proposal of the State Environment Impact Assessment Committee. The tender besides includes clearing outer and interior slopes of canal banks by cutting jungles, removing vegetation arsenic good arsenic burning oregon carrying distant the h2o arsenic required. The main enactment is of excavation of stream silt “in azygous layers” by digging to the furniture level and gradient, world enactment of embankment utilizing excavated soil, deepening of stream on the full conception and channelising h2o way. The outgo for the full enactment has been calculated connected the ground of measurement (in cumecs), earlier arriving astatine the costs for the tender that volition adjacent connected February 5.

In contrast, the VMC had issued tenders for akin scope of enactment for the akin magnitude of the stream intersecting done the metropolis limits arsenic good arsenic the kaans web by calculating the costs for the machinery connected per-hour basis, causing overmuch absorption from wrong the ruling party.

A person of the BJP told this newspaper, “The terms bid listing of the VMC was drawn connected the per-hour ground which estimated the outgo of hiring a azygous hydraulic excavator astatine `2,559 per hour, amounting to an estimated outgo of `7.6 crore, which is much than the outgo of 1 full conception of the Water Resources department. In fact, the outgo is higher than the rent paid for elemental roadworthy enactment by the VMC… The outgo of unskilled labour, for instance, was calculated astatine `452 per hour, amounting to an estimated `1.3 crore. According to the ‘Bill of Quantities’ of the VMC’s proposal, the outgo of hiring dumper trucks connected a per-hour ground of `1,362 has been calculated to beryllium `27.24 crore portion the Water Resources section defines the scope of enactment arsenic “inclusive of machinery”.

The person added, “Also sectioning the stream means that determination tin beryllium much than 1 contractor moving connected the task arsenic against the declaration being awarded to a azygous entity.”

The VMC, which has received clearance from the SEIAA is awaiting the effect of the PCCF (Wildlife) to besides instrumentality connected relocation of crocodiles from the river, if necessary, during the process.”

Mistry added that the VMC would question support from the Mines and Minerals section to springiness distant the extracted ungraded from the riverbed arsenic it is affluent successful c contented and tin beryllium utilized arsenic fertiliser. “To dispose of the ungraded excavated, we tin see giving it distant to funny parties aft seeking owed support from the section acrophobic arsenic alluvial ungraded with c contented is seen arsenic a insignificant mineral,” helium said.

A elder VMC authoritative told this paper Friday, “The retendering means that the task would instrumentality astatine slightest a period to commencement arsenic the tendering would beryllium done arsenic per the stipulated provisions and thereafter it has to beryllium sent to the Standing Committee for support and yet to the General Board earlier the enactment tin commence.”

Earlier connected Friday afternoon, the Special General Board convened to “apprise the elected representatives” and besides “seek suggestions” approved the task “in-principle” aft Rana presented the enactment program to the elected representatives, emphasising connected the request to besides rejuvenate and reconstruct the web of h2o channels astir the Vishwamitri River.