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The Centre is likely to clear the first all-weather tunnel project connecting Kashmir valley to Leh on Monday, which will be built at a cost of approximately Rs 2,700 crore. Almost all top construction firms in the country and even a major foreign firm specializing in tunnel construction have submitted bids for this project. At present, Leh remains cut off from the rest of India for at least six months due to heavy snowfall.
Border Roads Organization (BRO), which will build the 6.5 km tunnel called Z-Morh on behalf of the highways ministry, has received bids from 22 firms. The final bidder will construct, operate and maintain the tunnel on NH1 (Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road). It will have a main tunnel and a parallel escape tunnel for emergencies.
Sources in the highways ministry said the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) will take up the project for clearance on Monday and financial bidding for the project would start soon. "We had fixed August last week for laying the foundation stone and are still trying for this. In the worst case, it will happen in September," said an official.
The project will take five years to complete. To ensure that the contractor finishes it in time, the government will start making the payment only after the work is done. "The contractor will get the entire amount in installments since the project is being executed on (BOT-annuity) mode," said an official.
Earlier, Planning Commission had raised questions on the manner in which BRO got the project report prepared by a consultant. Plan panel member secretary Sindhushree Khullar in her letter dated July 9 to expenditure secretary R Gopalan said the project formulation was based on "very preliminary conceptual design" and the cost estimate was based on the experiences of the consultant on a European project. She had also highlighted how the cost was calculated in euro and later converted into rupees.
"We have addressed all issues. A European consultant will obviously work out cost in euros. But since this project will be bid out and all the best companies are eyeing this tunnel, cost should not be an issue. Whoever quotes less will get the project. This is a major project and has huge significance. This will bring major changes in the entire Leh region," said an official.
The ministry and BRO swung to action recently after Rahul Gandhi reportedly showed interest in this project. The 13-km Zojila Pass tunnel on this stretch would be bid out later by BRO.
Government may clear all weather tunnel to Leh today - The Times of India
Border Roads Organization (BRO), which will build the 6.5 km tunnel called Z-Morh on behalf of the highways ministry, has received bids from 22 firms. The final bidder will construct, operate and maintain the tunnel on NH1 (Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road). It will have a main tunnel and a parallel escape tunnel for emergencies.
Sources in the highways ministry said the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) will take up the project for clearance on Monday and financial bidding for the project would start soon. "We had fixed August last week for laying the foundation stone and are still trying for this. In the worst case, it will happen in September," said an official.
The project will take five years to complete. To ensure that the contractor finishes it in time, the government will start making the payment only after the work is done. "The contractor will get the entire amount in installments since the project is being executed on (BOT-annuity) mode," said an official.
Earlier, Planning Commission had raised questions on the manner in which BRO got the project report prepared by a consultant. Plan panel member secretary Sindhushree Khullar in her letter dated July 9 to expenditure secretary R Gopalan said the project formulation was based on "very preliminary conceptual design" and the cost estimate was based on the experiences of the consultant on a European project. She had also highlighted how the cost was calculated in euro and later converted into rupees.
"We have addressed all issues. A European consultant will obviously work out cost in euros. But since this project will be bid out and all the best companies are eyeing this tunnel, cost should not be an issue. Whoever quotes less will get the project. This is a major project and has huge significance. This will bring major changes in the entire Leh region," said an official.
The ministry and BRO swung to action recently after Rahul Gandhi reportedly showed interest in this project. The 13-km Zojila Pass tunnel on this stretch would be bid out later by BRO.
Government may clear all weather tunnel to Leh today - The Times of India
