Road Ministry Implements Changes in Tendering Norms
Under the new rules, the ministry will limit the maximum score awarded to bidders, even if they offer abnormally low prices. Additionally, there will be a restriction on the number of contracts any consultancy firm can undertake simultaneously, based on an assessment of its capacity.
The decision comes in the wake of two probe reports on the Silkyara tunnel collapse in Uttarkashi, commissioned by both the central and Uttarakhand governments, which highlighted deficiencies in the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR). This trend of poor DPRs has become a matter of concern for the government, as it results in deficient project planning, implementation delays, and frequent changes in scope, ultimately leading to increased costs for the government.
Under the revised norms, the weightage will be 80% for technical parameters and 20% for financial considerations, following the quality-cum-cost based selection (QCBS) method. Financial bids will only be opened for companies that achieve a minimum score of 80% on technical parameters. Subsequently, the average bid prices quoted by all bidders will be calculated, and any bidder offering a price 25% lower than the average will receive the maximum score. This approach aims to create a level playing field among bidders.
