Navi Mumbai Metro project deadline moved to April 2019

Even after facing four years of delay and escalated costs, the Navi Mumbai Metro continues to go off-track. In the latest, CIDCO has pushed the deadline further to April 2019, after deciding to blacklist contractors for 'inefficiency and unprofessionalism. Contractors have threatened to take this to court.

Contractors San Jose, Mahavira Road and Infrastructure (Navi Mumbai) and Supreme Infrastructure (Mumbai) will be blacklisted for "not completing work on time" and "unprofessional manner of work". CIDCO spokesperson, Mohan Ninave told mid-day, "We have started the process of blacklisting these contractors because of their unprofessional and inefficient work. Once we blacklist them, they would not get any government work in India."

Totally unprofessional
A senior CIDCO official said, "The Navi Mumbai Metro project, initially scheduled to be ready by 2014, has been further delayed to April 2019, because of contractors who did not work on time. It is totally unprofessional. We have already terminated services of a contractor who has built six of the eleven stations in the Metro's first line between Belapur and Pendhar. The reason being their delay in work that has escalated our project costs drastically."

The official added, "Work on six stations, which is 62% complete, is now being looked after by M/S Prakash Constrowell Limited, while the tendering process for the remaining five stations is on, " the official added.

The contractors, in turn, have threatened to move court. Anjan Mukharjee of Supreme Infrastructure said, "We have got summons from CIDCO. I think this is debarment and not blacklisting. In this case, we cannot bid for CIDCO until and unless the existing work is completed."

This is a unique situation where despite us depositing the money as required by CIDCO in an escrow account, they didn't utilize it for the project but opted for new bidding at higher costs and lesser-known or capable contractors.
Also, we have already completed 80% of the work and CIDCO is trying to re-tender for just 20 per cent of the balance work. We have replied to their show-cause notice and will be taking up the matter in court," he added.

Didn't ask for extension
Calls and messages to Jitendra Kikavat, MD of Mahavir Construction, remained unanswered. Mahavir Constructions' project manager VK Singh said they will be fighting this out in the court, "There was no contract condition that leads to debarring like this. They gave us three extensions and all of them were without penalty or our fault. We never asked them for any extensions. We would have completed this project by now, but they have terminated us. They themselves have extended the completion date by a year. We are fighting against them in court."

Meanwhile, San Jose did not respond to mid-day's e-mails. The Metro project in Navi Mumbai of four lines started in 2011. After the completion of the first line, the extension of Line 3 will be undertaken on a cost sharing basis between CIDCO and Taloja MIDC.

21.45 km
Length of the Metro line

Also read: Navi Mumbai Metro: Belapur bus stop poses key hurdle in Metro work

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