Why 3 key infra projects failed to take off in city

Noida: Three key infrastructure projects in the city have not been able to take off for months because cost estimates prepared by the Noida Authority have failed to attract any construction company. Work on these three projects — Parthala Chowk flyover, Convention Centre in Sector 94 and the second Golf Course in Sector 151A — were supposed to begin in August.
Of these three, the flyover project seems to have been hit the hardest by the Authority’s cost estimates. Tenders for the project have had to be recalled thrice in three months and officials are planning to float it the fourth time.
The Authority had hired the services of Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) to prepare the design of the flyover project and the cost it would incur.
The estimates were prepared in 2016, and the Authority was then willing to offer Rs 80.4 crore to the construction company that would take up the project. The cost hasn’t been revised in four years. However, half a dozen companies that have shown interest in the project through the past three tenders have quoted between Rs 84 crore and Rs 112 crore.
Authority officials said that their hands were tied and the amount being demanded by the companies could not be approved since they would have to justify the escalated cost during the annual audit.
“During discussions with the officials, we had told them several times that the cost needed to be revised to match up to the expenses under the current situation. But they are unwilling to reason with us,” said a senior engineer of a Delhi-based company that had participated in the bids.
The companies have pointed out that the cost of labour and construction material has increased manifold between 2016, when the estimates were prepared, and now. Also, since the Parthala flyover has been planned as a cable-stayed bridge having a length of 700 metres, the agencies pointed have towards the wide gap in the cost of TMT steel bars then and now.
Apart from facilitating movement between Noida and Noida Extension, the flyover will also ensure better connectivity towards the Delhi-Meerut Expressway in Ghaziabad.
Officials are, however, confident of finding agencies for the Convention Centre and the Golf Course projects since their estimates have been prepared in the past year itself. For the Parthala flyover, they said a fourth tender would be floated within a fortnight.
For the Convention Centre, tenders have already been issued thrice. The evaluation process of the agencies, which participated in the bidding, is underway. Tenders for developing horticulture facilities for the second golf course were floated the second time on October 7.
Ritu Maheshwari, the chief executive officer of Noida Authority, said the tenders are under various stages. “Projects have to meet guidelines of the Noida Authority. Agencies will be finalised soon. The selection process is underway.”