MARGAO
Margao Municipal Council’s ambitious Rs 6.57 crore multilevel car parking project has found no takers, forcing the civic body to extend the deadline for submission of bids for the project.
The last date for online submission of bid was fixed for October 21 and the online tender was scheduled to be opened on October 22.
However, with the online tender receiving no bidders, the civic body has now extended the date for submission of tender by 15 days.
Margao Municipal officials are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that bidders would participate to build the parking facility.
Sources in the know informed that the sudden increase in the rates of construction material, including steel, may be one of the reasons behind the lukewarm response to the tender from prospective bidders.
“We have no idea why prospective contractors from the state and outside have not responded to the tender and come forward to bid for the project. May be the increase in the rates of the construction material, including steel have dissuaded bidders from placing their bids”, remarked a civic official.
Given the lukewarm response to the prestigious project, which was intended to address the burning issue of parking in the commercial capital, officials said the civic body may have to persuade prospective contractors with capability and experience to take up the project. “The project has got all the approvals and the funds are all available with the civic body. There should be no issue for the contractors to take up the work”, the official said.
Last time around, a contractor from Kolhapur was shortlisted to execute the project, but the work could not commence after the GST regime came into force. The contractor later decided to withdraw on the plea that it would not be possible to execute the work since the GST was not part of the project cost. Non-revision of the GSR rates also made the contractor withdraw from the project in view of the rising cost of construction raw material, including steel and cement.
Officials feared that failure by bidders to take up the work of construction of the multilevel parking project may only cause further delay in implementing the project.
For, the foundation stone for the project was laid six years ago, but the multilevel parking lot is yet to see light of the day.
