BMIC: global tenders floated

BMIC: global tenders floated

Staff Reporter

NICE terms the action illegal





BANGALORE: The ongoing tussle between the State Government and Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), promoters of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, has taken a new turn with the Government floating global tenders to take over the controversial project under the ‘Swiss challenge’.
Invitation


Through a notification issued by the Public Works Department on September 17, the Government has invited competitive proposals from entities or consortiums for development of BMIC.

“The project development has not taken place as envisaged, and furthermore various legal disputes have arisen between the parties and some issues are pending before the Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court,” the notification said.

The notification, however, states that the award of contract is subject to the decisions of the Supreme Court and Karnataka High Court.

Referring to a suo motu offer by the Global Infrastructure Consortium (GIC) to take over the project from the existing promoter, the notification sought competitive and superior offers from the bidders.

The GIC, in an offer made to the Public Works Department on July 6, 2007, indicated its willingness to implement the project with several provisions such as monorail on a 17-km stretch, self-imposed penalty for delays and higher lease rental of government land at Rs. 1,180 per acre an year.

Incidentally, it had agreed Bangalore to be the place for arbitration as against London, the place of arbitration in the previous agreement between the Government and NICE.

Meanwhile, responding to the notification, a spokesperson of NICE told The Hindu that the whole process of calling a global tender when the matter was in court was illegal and it would be responded appropriately in the court.

“We would not like to comment on this issue,” the spokesperson said.