Central Vista revamp: Fate of lowest bid for Executive Enclave project hangs in balance

NEW DELHI: The fate of lowest bid for the Executive Enclave project, which is part of the mega Central Vista revamp plan, hangs in balance even nearly two months after the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) had opened the financial bids.
Sources said some decision is expected within days about giving finality to the lowest bid quoted by a construction major.
TOI has learnt that there have been a series of meetings on this issue including one on Friday and there is a possibility of the CPWD cancelling the bid and floating a fresh tender with additional scope of work. Questions sent to the housing and urban affairs ministry spokesperson went unanswered. Source said there will be a decision next week to clear the air.
Ahluwalia Contracts India Ltd had quoted the lowest price for the construction of the Executive Enclave, which will have a new Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Cabinet Secretariat, India House and the National Security Council Secretariat. The Delhi-based company had submitted a bid of around Rs 1,119 crore, nearly 3.5% less than the Rs 1,160-crore estimate made by the CPWD.
Tata Projects and NCC Ltd had the second and third lowest price for the project respectively. During the pre-qualification round two firms — Shapoorji Pallonji and Ahmadabad-based PSP Projects Ltd — could not qualify for submission of financial bids.
Meanwhile, the Delhi State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) has recommended to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for grant of environmental clearance to the Executive Enclave project with some suggestions.
The Enclave will come up on the south side of the South Block on plot number 36/38 in the high-security Lutyens’ Delhi.