Mumbai, May 30 (PTI) The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on Friday said it was scrapping two tenders associated with the Gaimukh-Ghodbunder-Bhayandar project and would start the process of inviting bids anew "to safeguard larger public interest".
In a release issued here, the MMRDA said the decision to scrap the existing tenders and initiate a fresh process was conveyed to the Supreme Court.
The step was being taken voluntarily to reinforce public trust and ensure optimal use of taxpayer funds, the MMRDA release said, adding the state-run authority was actively considering a downward revision of the base cost by approximately Rs 3,000 crore based on financial bids revealed during the litigation.
The MMRDA, earlier in the day, apprised the Supreme Court of its decision to scrap the tender process for two marquee infrastructure projects in Mumbai.
The top court was hearing a plea of Larsen & Toubro (L&T) against a decision of the MMRDA to disqualify the infrastructure giant from bidding for the projects.
The two high-value projects in question include the approximately Rs 6,000-crore Mumbai Elevated Road Project — a 9.8-kilometre bridge along Vasai Creek — and the Rs 8,000-crore Road Tunnel Project, which involves the construction of five-kilometre twin tunnels from Gaimukh to the Fountain Hotel Junction on Thane's Ghodbunder Road.
Mocking the MMRDA, NCP (SP) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase, in a post on X, said, "Finally, @MMRDAOfficial had to scrap the Mumbai/Thane/Ghodbunder elevated road & twin tunnel tender. Hope MMRDA will follow a more transparent bid evaluation process & save public money."