Centre zeroes in on three firms for new Parliament
nNEW DELHI: The government has narrowed the list of choices for building a new Parliament complex to three Mumbai-based construction companies -- Larsen & Toubro Limited, Tata Projects Limited and Shapoorji Pallonji & Company Private Limited -- after disqualifying four other entities that bid for the contract, bringing it a step closer to tendering out the project.
The three bidders have qualified for submission of financial bids. According to documents reviewed by HT, Mumbai-based construction and civil engineering company ITD Cementation India Limited, Hyderabad-headquartered NCC Limited , PSP Projects Limited of Ahmedabad, and Uttar Pradesh state government’s UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam Limited were disqualified from the project by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
CPWD invited pre-qualification bids in a two-bid system to construct the triangular shaped building on a built-up area of around 60,000 square metres on plot number 118 of the Parliament House Estate, adjacent to the current Parliament building. Seven companies evinced interest in the construction of the new parliament building as part of the Narendra Modi government’s ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project, HT reported on July 15.
“The bid documents as submitted by the agencies on-line were processed and scrutinized as per initial eligibility criteria as laid down in the subject pre-qualification document. After obtaining clarifications from bidders and their clients as mentioned in their bid documents, evaluation has been done for all the bidders wherever feasible on the basis as prescribed in the said pre-qualification document,” a circular issued by CPWD on Tuesday.
The bid document estimated the cost of the project at roughly ₹889 crore. It laid out strict eligibility criteria based on a firm’s past work — such as having constructed an assembly hall with a minimum capacity of 1,000 people and a building with a basement — as well as ongoing projects, average monthly turnover, and net worth, among other factors.
Construction of the new Parliament building, which will comprise halls with a bigger seating capacity for the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, offices for members of Parliament, as well as a courtyard, dining facilities and a lounge for lawmakers, is likely to begin after Parliament’s winter session and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022. CPWD has specified that the existing Parliament building shall continue to function during the execution of this project.
Bidders had to specify similar work completed in the past seven years, ongoing projects, as well as tentative plans to meet their manpower requirement, source of construction materials, and establishment of facilities such as those meant for fabrication.
Based on an evaluation, CPWD disqualified four companies for reasons including non-fulfilment of the criteria mentioned in the bid document.
“Out of total seven works submitted by the agency, the criteria for satisfactory completion of similar work of required magnitude as per minimum eligibility criteria prescribed in…bid document is not fulfilled,” it noted as the reason for disqualification of ITD Cementation.
On PSP Projects, CPWD said: “the agency has submitted details of only one work, which has not been completed and is still in progress. Thus, the agency has not satisfactorily completed similar work of required magnitude as per minimum eligibility criteria.”
The proposed work is of very prestigious nature and is required to be completed strictly within the prescribed time limit of 21 months with the highest standards of quality and workmanship, the bid document said. The bid document also specified that 50% of the workers will need to be skilled for work of stone masonry, carving, fresco, furniture, and adequate health and safety measures would need to be taken in view of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.
“…agencies are to be qualified on the basis of individual marks secured in various parameters including aggregate total. Further minimum eligibility criteria require satisfactory completion of similar work of required magnitude in one agreement… the agency has also failed to secure minimum qualifying marks i.e. 24 marks under criteria of ‘Quality after inspection of work carried out by the nominated Joint Committee,” CPWD said in the case of UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam
On NCC Limited, CPWD remarked that it “failed to secure minimum qualifying marks i.e. 12 in criteria of Time Over Run’ in any of the work and also failed to secure aggregate qualifying marks i.e. 75.”
NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police on Tuesday filed a case against more than 100 Asha workers as well as members of Central Trade Unions for holding a protest at Jantar Mantar on Sunday in contravention of the Unlock 3 guidelines in effect to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Accredited Social Health Activists (Asha) have been crucial in the fight against the disease, and a majority of them in the city have been on strike since July 21, demanding better wages.
They were booked for holding protests without permission and “violating social distancing norms” at the protest.
The FIR was registered at the Parliament Street police station under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 3 of the Epidemic Disease Act and Section 51B of the Disaster Management Act, said deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal.
While the protesters claimed they had got permits from authorities concerned, police refuted this.
“When the protesters were asked to produce the permission letter they failed to do it. They were convinced, and they left Jantar Mantar after around half an hour, assuring they would submit the letter on Monday. However, nobody turned up on Monday, after which the FIR was registered,” Singhal said.
Kavita Yadav, Delhi coordinator for Asha workers, All India United Traders Union Centre (AIUTUC), said, “We have not been informed by the Delhi Police about any FIR registered against us, and are trying to find out details. If the police have registered a FIR, it is extremely unfortunate and we condemn it.”