the goan I network
MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council’s ambitious multi-level parking project has hit a block once again for want of bidders.
For the second time in a month, MMC’s invitation to prospective bidders to take up execution of the Rs 5.58 crore multi-level parking project has come a cropper for the simple reason that contractors have shied away from placing their bids. Left with no option, and with the previous two attempts going abegging, the civic body has extended the time limit for the prospective bidders to submit their bids for the third time.
Margao Municipal engineer Arsekar told The Goan that not a single bid has been received by the civic body for the multi-level parking project even after the time limit was extended by 15 days. “We have further extended the time limit by another 15 days after obtaining the validity extension from the PWD,” Arsekar said, while keeping his fingers crossed whether any bidders will take up the project.
What has caused worry amongst the City Fathers as well as civic officials is that there may not be any takers for the ambitious project for the simple reason that the Goa Scheduled of Rates (GSR) are no longer attractive for any contractor to take up public utility projects.
The Margao Municipality had invited bids for the ambitious projects around November-December, with the hope that the contractor will complete the project well before May 30 so that the project is commissioned on Goa Statehood Day. Sadly, the project seems to have not found favour with the contractors, with officials in the know attributing the unprecedented situation to the GSR rates.
What’s interesting to note is that the multi-level parking project, an initiative of former Margao Municipal chairperson Arthur D’Silva, has not remained confined to the papers since the foundation stone for the ambitious project was laid behind the Municipal building around four years in 2015.
The project was initiated out of the funds received by the Margao Municipal Council out of the golden jubilee funds amounting to Rs 3 crore received by the civic body from the State government during the tenure of then Congress Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to create assets in the Municipal jurisdiction.
The project, however, had hit a road block from day one as the foundation stone was laid without completing the necessary formalities and sans floating a tender. And, when the new Council headed by incumbent Chairperson Babita Angle Prabhudesai took charge of office in December 2015, finally floated a tender, the project was hit by the GST tangle as the lone bidder raised queries on the payment of GST.
While the intervention of TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai raised hopes of reviving the project with the same contractor, the contractor backed out of the project, apparently because of the time factor and the GSR rates, forcing the civic body to refloat the tender, only to now find there are no takers for the ambitious project.
