MMRDA Withdraws Proposals Of Mumbai Metro Line 6 Project

On Wednesday, October 18, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) suspended tenders for rolling stock and fire safety associated with Metro Line 6. The tender documents did not meet the Central Vigilance Commission's (CVC) necessary guidelines, leading to the decision being made.

The route for Metro Line 6 is from Samarth Nagar to Kanjurmarg.

A high-ranking official verified the development under the condition of anonymity. The officer stated, "Although we have canceled the bids, it won't delay the Metro Line 6 projects because we will float new tenders with standard conditions and policy within 10 days."

This has called into question how well the internal departments of MMRDA are operating.

For the Mumbai Metro Line 6 procurement process, the authority hired a consultant, and the project's estimated cost was INR 6700 crore. A few months ago, the rolling stock and other technical system tenders were put out. A senior MMRDA official examined the documentation pertaining to each contract after MMRDA officials discovered errors in the tenders.

As per officials, in the last month, the appointment of the contractor and Project Management Consultant were approved.

It was then discovered that the established protocols had not been adhered to. Furthermore, no provision was made to evaluate the procedure, which places the onus of accountability for the system's guarantee as well as any damage and repairs on the supplier. Following this, the tender was terminated and MMRDA began an internal investigation into the officers who had been involved in the process with the consultant.

The presented materials demonstrated a disregard for international procurement norms and CVC rules. Important parts on whole-life cost analysis, asset replacement, and value engineering were absent. Basic contract management issues including document priority, upkeep, safety, and payment conditions also need to be fixed. Another significant error was the lack of observation and corrective action from the Commissioner of Metro Railway Safety (CMRS). Now that these errors have been corrected, MMRDA is putting a policy in place to improve the procurement process's clarity and openness. The consultants and personnel in charge have been sent show-cause notices," an MMRDA official stated on the condition of anonymity.

In order to advance the Mumbai-Thane Metro network, the MMRDA took a few crucial steps. It appointed a contractor for the construction of Mogharpada Depot in Thane. This stop will serve as a hub for Metro 4 & 4A lines. It will seamlessly facilitate Mumbai’s transportation by connecting Wadalo to Gaimukh with significant stops at Ghatkopar, Mulund, Thane, and Kasarvadavli.

According to the official statement, “The Mogharpada depot construction has been awarded to M/s. SEW-VSE (JV) L1, which submitted the lowest bid of INR 905 crore. A variety of necessary facilities, including stabling yards, an operational control centre, administrative buildings, maintenance and workshop structures, an auxiliary substation, staff quarters, and other crucial infrastructure elements, will be housed within this sizable depot, which will cover approximately 42.25 hectares in Mogharpada. The depot will have 64 stabling lines (32 for current use and 32 for expansion), 10 inspection bay lines, and 10 workshop lines, among other things.”