The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finalised the same company for the operation and maintenance of the penguin enclosure that was involved in a controversy during procurement. It has finalised M/s Highway Construction for a ₹11-crore contract to maintain the penguin enclosure for the next three years. The company had allegedly forged documents and the BMC had levied heavy fines on it in 2016.
Byculla Zoo’s project to bring Humboldt penguins to India for the first time ran into trouble that year after questions were raised on the contractor’s competence. Following an uproar, the BMC had scrapped the contractor’s work with the corporation, limited him to the penguin enclosure and forfeited his deposit of ₹1.5 crore as penalty, but fell short of blacklisting it.
The company has bid for subsequent contracts ever since. In August, it won a ₹59-crore contract to construct enclosures for 10 animals that will be coming to the zoo. It includes animals like jackal, hyena, leopard, wolf, otter, sloth bear, snakes. Work on construction of enclosures for other animals like tiger, lion, sambar, barking deer, Nilgai swamp deer and two bird aviaries is in progress
The corporation has now finalised the same company for a ₹11.91-crore contract for the operations and maintenance of the penguin exhibit for the next three years at 21% higher rates than estimates. The BMC’s estimate was ₹9.47 crore. When the BMC invited bids, it received a response from two bidders; Highway quoted 30.4% more whereas the other company quoted 36% more. Following the bidding process and negotiation, Highway Construction was finalised. “The contractor had initially quoted even more. We brought him down to 21%. It’s a specialised job,” said Deputy Municipal Commissioner Sudhir Naik.