Nov. 25: A leading construction company, Gammon India, which was debarred by Delhi Metro Rail, may bag two of the five packages in the Chennai Metro Rail project if authorities don’t step in.
Gammon India bid for the packages that involve a total length of 24 km tunnelling and 19 stations on the arterial Anna Salai and EVR Periyar Salai by quoting the lowest amount.
Just a fortnight ago the Delhi Metro Rail had debarred Gammon India for two years from participating in any contract after a site mishap that killed seven people because of a cantilever pillar collapse.
The firm was also slapped with a penalty of `5 crore for ‘deficiency’ in design and material. The authorities have found its reply to the show-cause notice ‘unsatisfactory’. Interestingly, the Delhi Metro is the prime consultant for Chennai Metro.
A high-level meeting chaired by the union urban development ministry secretary, Navin Kumar, who is also the chairman of Chennai Metro, has decided to send a notice to Gammon India seeking explanation why it should not be denied the work following the Delhi Metro fiasco.
However, Metro rail authorities have clarified that the tunnelling work would not be delayed as it is scheduled for commencement by March 2011. The 14.3 km long underground line covers the stretch from Washermanpet-Broadway-Anna Salai to Saidapet on Corridor 1 while a 9.7 km tunnelling from Chennai Central to Anna Nagar Second Avenue covers Corridor 2.
The underground line costs Rs 30 crore more for each km than the elevated stretch while the underground station costs Rs 100 crore as against Rs 30 crore for the elevated station.
Sources said the company had argued that the debarring was applicable only to Delhi. But, official sources say the stringent tender conditions would not allow them to award the work to Gammon India.