the goan I network
MARGAO
Ambitious plans by the government to bring the grounded Western bypass work back on the tracks have again hit a roadblock “ this time due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Rs 143 crore tender floated by the PWD, National Highways, to take up the balance work on the 2.75 km stretch of the bypass between Seraulim and Benaulim, has gone haywire following the over month-long lockdown.
While the PWD had floated the tender before the lockdown came into force a month ago, the intervening circumstances, which forced companies to shut corporate offices, has left the PWD with no option but to postpone the tender.
The PWD had set April 23 as the date to open the tender and to set in motion the process, including holding pre-bid meetings with the bidders before opening the bids, both technical and financial.
With the lockdown still in force and the possibility of it continuing in certain areas in other parts of the country, the PWD will take a call on the refloating the tender by inviting prospective bidders to bid for the project.
PWD, NH, Executive Engineer, Laxmikant Naik informed that bidders from all over the country were supposed to bid for the project. “The PWD had no option but to postpone the entire project in view of the ongoing lockdown. We cannot expected bidders to place their bids when the corporate offices of major contractors across the country are all shut because of the lockdown. We will refloat the tender once the lockdown restrictions are eased and relaxed across the country,” he added.
Naik, however, said that work on the bypass on the Navelim-Benaulim stretch up to the River Sal and other sections has resumed with permission from the authorities.
He said while the tender for the 2.75-km missing portion went haywire, the existing contractor had resumed work on certain stretches where work has reached an advanced stage.
With the tendering process for the 2.75 km missing portion facing a roadblock, PWD officials pointed out that the government will be left with no option but to set a fresh deadline for the completion of the 11-km, Dramapur-Verna western bypass.
To a question, the PWD NH Executive Engineer pointed out that the Rs 143 crore missing section works include construction of four underpasses at the Seraulim-wholesale fish market junction, Colva-Mungul junction, Khareband-Benaulim junction and the Benaulim-Varca road junction.
“There was no provision for underpasses at Seraulim, Khareband and Benaulim earlier, but the government has made a provision for same in the tender,” Naik added.
The 2.75 km missing stretch of the bypass between Seraulim and Benaulim was left out in the scheme of things after villagers made a strong demand for the construction on stilts to prevent flooding of the flood plains of River Sal.
