New-Delhi-based Rodic Consultants Non-public Restricted, entrusted with the duty of making ready a Detailed Mission Report (DPR) for the controversial 18-km tunnel street, has accomplished the report in three months amid criticism from city mobility specialists and opposition leaders.
Rodic Consultants was one of many six companies that submitted bids for making ready the DPR for the tunnel street challenge, an formidable initiative led by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D Ok Shivakumar. The DPR was ready at a big value of Rs 9.5 crore.
Controversies Surrounding the Choice Course of
Some city mobility specialists spotlight considerations that Rodic Consultants was awarded the DPR preparation contract amid a number of purple flags concerning the agency and the tendering course of. For example, the agency had been blacklisted by Devoted Freight Hall Company of India Restricted (DFCCIL), a Ministry of Railways enterprise, in 2021.
A duplicate of the notification is obtainable to indianexpress.com however the cause for the blacklisting stays unclear. Makes an attempt to contact the DFCCIL for a clarification went unanswered.
Whereas Rodic Consultants filed a petition within the Delhi Excessive Courtroom towards the blacklist order, DFCCIL lifted the ban on July 2, days earlier than the agency was chosen for the DPR preparation. Subsequently, Rodic Consultants withdrew its petition from the court docket.
Nonetheless, in keeping with BBMP’s consultancy eligibility standards for the tunnel street challenge, “blacklisted consultants in authorities, quasi-government boards, or BBMP should not eligible to take part, and such tenders can be rejected.” Regardless of this, BBMP proceeded to award the Rs 16,500 crore tunnel street challenge to Rodic Consultants.
Questions About Previous Efficiency
Not solely has Rodic Consultants confronted points with DFCCIL, however the agency was additionally criticized for its work because the Mission Monitoring Company (PMA) on the Saubhagya Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir. The scheme goals to offer last-mile electrical energy connections to un-electrified rural households.
In keeping with a court docket order from the Courtroom of Particular Choose Anti-Corruption Jammu, the consultants displayed a “indifferent and informal strategy” in inspecting the challenge. The court docket noticed that Rodic Consultants didn’t flag discrepancies or certify payments submitted by the executing companies, which had been then uploaded to the Public Monetary Administration System (PFMS) for fee with out verification. This failure to make sure scrutiny and certification, the court docket famous, led to monetary losses and situations of collusion and negligence within the scheme’s execution.
Requires Transparency and Accountability
Bangalore Central MP and BJP chief PC Mohan criticized the DPR tendering course of as “arbitrary” and “missing transparency.” He argued that BBMP’s justification for awarding a Rs 9.45 crore contract to a single bidder “insults Bengaluru’s public.”
Mohan questioned the contract’s inflated value and raised considerations concerning the challenge’s speedy escalation from an estimated Rs 8,000 crore in June 2024 to Rs 12,690 crore simply two months later. Mohan stated, “The BBMP’s justification for awarding a Rs 9.45 crore tunnel street DPR contract to a single bidder is a blatant insult to Bengaluru’s public. They declare the contract is beneath their estimate of Rs 15 crore, whereas conveniently ignoring that the tender doc lists the challenge value as Rs 8,000 crore, the place 0.1 per cent could be Rs 8 crore — not the inflated Rs 9.45 crore that has been contracted.”
He added, “Much more alarming is the speedy escalation of the challenge’s estimated value from Rs 8,000 crore in June 2024 to a staggering Rs 12,690 crore simply two months later. Was this executed to justify awarding the one tender? Why had been KTPP tips ignored, and the Least Price Primarily based Choice (LCBS) technique adopted as a substitute of the High quality and Price Primarily based Choice (QCBS) technique for such a fancy challenge? How can this be justified? BBMP Chief Secretary has misplaced all sense of probity and accountability. An intensive investigation into its arbitrary tendering course of is urgently wanted. The general public deserves nothing lower than full transparency.”
In the meantime, BBMP officers didn’t reply to indianexpress.com on the blacklisted order and the marketing consultant’s alleged botched up work in reference to Saubhagya scheme.
City mobility professional Satya Arikutharam criticised the Directorate of City Land Transport (DULT) for allowing a challenge that isn’t a part of Bengaluru’s Complete Mobility Plan. “BBMP has achieved a world report in tunnel street DPR preparation in three months. DULT, are you sleeping on the wheel? Is there a deficiency of regulatory competence and importantly skilled values? How can the residents be taken for a trip on a challenge concept that’s not even within the CMP?” he requested.
The 18-km underground vehicular tunnel challenge, a part of the Model Bengaluru initiative, connects the north-south hall from Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board KSRP Junction. The challenge entails 4 connecting stretches with varied entry and exit factors. The DPR specifies that the marketing consultant should conduct site visitors and infrastructure surveys, in addition to social and environmental impression assessments, to boost security, operational effectivity, and minimise native impacts.
