Uttar Pradesh again scraps bidding process for Poorvanchal Expressway
NEW DELHI: Almost a year after inviting fresh bids to build the country’s longest expressway, the Uttar Pradesh government scrapped the entire process on Tuesday, citing higher-than-expected costs.
This is the second time that the plan for Poorvanchal Expressway has been derailed. Companies including Larsen & Toubro, Afcons Infrastructure and Reliance Infrastructure had bid for the project.
The UP Cabinet headed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath took the decision, saying the bids received for the 341-km project, which was offered in eight segments, exceeded the state’s estimated cost of construction by 11%.
While the government had projected the cost at about Rs 11,718 crore, the lowest bids received for the project were to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore.
“The bids we have received are on the higher side. Our expectation is that the bid price can be brought down further.
We will initiate a fresh ‘singlestage’ bidding process in one more round in the next one or two days and will complete the same in minimum 45 days,” said Avanish Kumar Awasthi, CEO of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to lay the foundation stone of the expressway project in Azamgarh this month.
Earlier, companies including L&T had bid for the project under the Akhilesh Yadav regime.
This is the second time that the plan for Poorvanchal Expressway has been derailed. Companies including Larsen & Toubro, Afcons Infrastructure and Reliance Infrastructure had bid for the project.
The UP Cabinet headed by chief minister Yogi Adityanath took the decision, saying the bids received for the 341-km project, which was offered in eight segments, exceeded the state’s estimated cost of construction by 11%.
While the government had projected the cost at about Rs 11,718 crore, the lowest bids received for the project were to the tune of Rs 13,000 crore.
“The bids we have received are on the higher side. Our expectation is that the bid price can be brought down further.
We will initiate a fresh ‘singlestage’ bidding process in one more round in the next one or two days and will complete the same in minimum 45 days,” said Avanish Kumar Awasthi, CEO of Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to lay the foundation stone of the expressway project in Azamgarh this month.
Earlier, companies including L&T had bid for the project under the Akhilesh Yadav regime.