Navi Mumbai International Airport Project: CIDCO extends deadline for submission of bids

“We have received only one bid. So, we have extended the deadline up to February 13 to give a chance once again to all of them. This will be the last extension and then we will have to close the bidding process irrespective of the responses,” Bhushan Gagrani, vice president and managing director of CIDCO, told The Indian Express.

Senior CIDCO officials said they are hopeful of getting more responses. “One of the major reasons for these bidders not turning up was that two firms – Hiranandani and Tata – are having issues with partners and want to change their partners. We have learnt that the process of changing the partners is on,” said the official.

Earlier, the bidders had raised issues about the challenges in pre-development work, delay in land acquisition and rehabilitation, conflict of interest in award of pre-development work, and others.

Officials said that they have resolved some of the issues, including pre-development work conditions. “We have agreed not to levy a penalty on the bidder if the work is delayed by the contractor for pre-development work. Other issues, some of which are procedural, have also been resolved. Now, for the remaining issues raised by the bidders, we will have to change the entire tender document which is not possible. The tender conditions are there since beginning and the bidders are well aware of it,” explained an official.

CIDCO officials continue to maintain that a single runway can be made operational by 2019 despite the delays and extensions for bid submissions. “The resettlement and rehabilitation of families is being carried out simultaneously. By June, we will be able to shift all affected families. This will help in completing the work on time,” said another official.