Mumbai Metro Two

Within just three weeks of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure announcing financial closure to build the first corridor of Mumbai Metro, the MMRDA has asked its seven shortlisted consortia to submit detailed financial bids for the 38-km second Mumbai Metro line between Charkop and Mankhurd via Bandra. A pre-bid meeting will be called by MMRDA on November 5 to discuss the proposed Rs 7,660-crore project with the seven consortia consisting three players each. The consortia, including two led by the Ambani brothers and Tatas, have been given the pre-qualification documents for the project. They would be asked to submit further details and clarifications within 10 days of the pre-bid meeting, MMRDA officials said. The Metro II line, with 27 stations, is being built on public-private partnership (PPP). It is expected to receive Rs 1,532 crore viability gap funding (VGF) from the Centre. “An empowered committee at the Centre has principally approved the financial estimates of the project,” informed MMRDA spokesperson. Officials said the bidder, which expects the minimum share from the government, will win the bid. If things go fine, the bid could be closed financially by December and the work will begin in January 2009. Around 14,000 people, to get affected by the Metro project on this line, would be rehabilitated on 50 hectares of a car depot plot in Charkop.Bidders in the final round include a consortium of L&T Infrastructure Development Projects, GE India Infrastructure and Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles; another one having Infratech, Mitsubishi and Tata Power; a consortium of GVK, Yeoh Tiong Lay of Malaysia, and Bombardier Transportation (USA); a syndicate of Reliance Industries (Mukesh Ambani), Siemens, and Gammon India. Another one comprises Essar, Alstom, and Lanco; a consortium of Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services, IL&FS Transportation Networks and Punj Lloyd; and a group of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Energy, Reliance Communication and SNC Lavalin.