No foreign firm submits bid for Central Vista revamp project

NEW DELHI: According to official sources, no foreign firm has submitted a consultancy bid for architectural and engineering planning of the Centre’s ambitious plan to redevelop Central Vista, Parliament and develop a common Central Secretariat.

Sources in the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said that six Indian architectural firms have submitted bids for the project being executed by the Central Public Works Department.

On September 2, the ministry had invited request for proposal (RFP) from national and international design and planning firms for the Modi government’s ambitious project. The last date of submitting bids was September 30.

“We were also expecting foreign architectural firms to submit bids as it is a very big project of the central government. However, no international firm has submitted bids for it,” the sources said.

There was no immediate reaction available from the Central Public Works Department. A committee of experts will now evaluate the technical proposals submitted by firms. Financial proposals of only those bidders qualifying in the technical proposal will be opened. The government has so far not publicly shared the estimated cost of its project. According to the plan, the government would redevelop the 3 kmstretch of the Central Vista spanning from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. The ministry said the entire project will be completed by 2024.