Mumbai: In a key development related to the legal wrangle around the multi-crore Thane Gaimukh–Bhayander tunnel and elevated road project, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has asked Larsen & Toubro (L&T) to submit detailed documentation of its financial bids. After the contention, MMRDA scrapped the tender process “in the interest of public transparency”. It has announced to reissue fresh tenders.
The move comes after the infrastructure major moved the court, alleging that the agency rejected its bid on technical grounds despite the quotation being significantly lower than others. In a letter dated June 10, a copy of which the FPJ received from a source, MMRDA has asked L&T to submit the original documents, including cost breakdowns, calculation sheets, rate analysis and explanatory notes, within seven working days. The letter read that these documents would be treated as part of the official record and are crucial for maintaining transparency in the tender process.
The development comes after L&T, during court proceedings, voluntarily disclosed the financial details of its bid for the two major infrastructure components of the project: Rs 5,554 crore for the elevated road and Rs 6,498 crore for the tunnel.
The company had challenged its disqualification in the Bombay High Court, which upheld MMRDA's decision citing concealment of information. The company later filed a special leave petition in the Supreme Court. The top court had welcomed the agency's retendering decision and dismissed L&T’s petition as infructuous, thereby affirming the legality of MMRDA’s original tender process.
