Mumbai’s BMC Softens Tender Criteria for CC Roads

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revised its tender conditions for the second phase of cement concrete (CC) road projects, significantly altering the stringent requirements enforced in 2023. This policy shift has enabled a broader range of companies to compete for tenders, including those previously deemed ineligible under the stricter criteria.

RPS Infraprojects, a firm previously blacklisted in 2016 due to its involvement in a road scam with BMC, is one of the beneficiaries of the new tender conditions. Despite having its blacklisting reduced to a three-year period, which concluded in 2019, RPS Infraprojects has now won a substantial INR 1,566 crore contract for CC road construction in Mumbai’s western suburbs.

The rigorous tender requirements imposed by BMC in 2023 aimed to exclude contractors with problematic histories. These conditions included demanding significant experience in similar projects. However, the updated tendering guidelines have relaxed these requirements, broadening eligibility. Contractors now need to demonstrate experience with projects valued at 20% of the current tender’s estimated cost and cumulative experience amounting to 100% of the project value over the past decade, an extension from the previous seven-year timeframe.

A BMC official attributed the change to a corrigendum designed to make the tendering process more inclusive. This adjustment was intended to attract more bidders and foster a competitive environment, potentially leading to cost reductions. RPS Infraprojects has endorsed the new tender conditions, asserting that they are in line with standards set by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH). The company contends that the revised criteria have enhanced the competitive nature of the bidding process.