Title - Churchgate-Virar Corridor Project in Limbo

The Churchgate-Virar Elevated Corridor hit a major hurdle again on Wednesday as the Railways ministry withdrew its Request For Qualification (RFQ) documents. The ministry also notified that a fresh RFQ process documents would have to be undertaken to carry forward the much-coveted rail project.

According to experts, after the bidding debacle of Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), where the project did not manage to get a single bid, this might be the next city infrastructure project that will end up stuck in endless limbo.

As per fresh documents posted on the Railway Board’s website, the Schedule of Bidding Process has changed now and the last date for receiving queries has been fixed as August 16 with authority response to the queries to be completed by September 2. The sale of bidding documents would start on October 11 and first pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for November 8, while second pre-bid meeting will take place on December 31.

Experts feel that this might have happened because the rail ministry could not resolve the issues related to resettlement, rehabilitation and land acquisition with the state government. The Railway and the government have already failed to sign the State Support Agreement (SSA). “If the SSA was signed, then it would be the state’s commitment to help Railways in land acquisition, shifting utility services on time, attaining more FSI to help generate funds and waive charges that would be levied for bringing in equipment to the city,” said an officer from Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, adding, “No consensus could be achieved between the ministry and the state government regarding the execution of the SSA and this is a major factor as to why the rail ministry had to issue fresh RFQ.”

However, a senior official from a company considered a front-runner for the contract, said, “Lukewarm response from the industry in the bidding process might have forced the rail ministry to take a step back, and now the cost of the project may further escalate.”

However, a senior official from WR denied that this was due to the Railways’ slow approach and said, “Fresh qualifications have been issued just to push forward the project in better and viable way and to restructure the financial model of the project.”