Dinesh Kamath's news item 'IRB withdraws from bidding for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link' that was published in Newsband

IRB withdraws from bidding for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link

By Dinesh Kamath 

NAVI MUMBAI: IRB Infrastructure Developers Ltd has withdrawn from bidding for the Rs 9,630-crore Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, a sea-link from the city to neighbouring Navi Mumbai, citing lack of confidence in investing in the State’s infrastructure projects.

The Mumbai-based company, which had roped in Korea’s Hyundai Engineering as consortium partner for the 22-km sea bridge, was ready to place bids after it completed technical and financial studies.

The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) was supposed to connect Sewri in Mumbai and Nhava in Navi Mumbai.

In 2009, IRB won the road project on a build operate and transfer (BOT) basis and was preparing to start the tolling process. But the locals protested against toll collection and the Government suspended the toll notification. IRB was also accused of coming up with a poor quality work. However, IRB denied that their work was of inferior class. But their confidence was shattered.

The MTHL project was being considered for the past three decades but it just wouldn’t start. Five organizations were short listed for taking up the work of this project and they included IRB Infrastructure-Hyundai too. But IRB has withdrawn stating the reason that they lacked confidence owing to no support coming from state government and also due to their shattered confidence in urban infra projects in Kolhapur.

The deadline for submitting the bids for the 22-km Mumbai TransHarbour Link (MTHL) is August 5.The other four qualified consortia are Cintra-Soma-Srei, Gammon Infrastructure Projects-OHL Concessions-GS Engineering, GMR Infrastructure-Lamp; T- Samsung Camp; T Corpn and the Tata Realty and Infrastructure-Autostrade Indian Infrastructure Development-Vinci Concessions Development.