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After a gap of close to two years, roads in Mumbai's eastern suburbs will finally undergo a revamp, as a proposal to concretise 11 important stretches here has been forwarded to the civic standing committee. The work, estimated to cost roughly INR 73 crore, will concretise major arterial routes in L ward, the largest administrative ward of the city comprising Kurla, Chunabhatti and Sakinaka, M-East ward (Deonar, Govandi, Mankhurd) and T ward (Mulund). The roads include V N Purav Marg in Deonar, Gulmohar Road in Chunabhatti, S L Road in Mulund, Pipeline Road, Sakinaka, and Belgrami Road in Kurla (W).

Among the bidders, only M/s Supreme Infrastructure India Ltd. qualified on all technical counts and bid the lowest, six per cent lower than the estimated cost at INR 67.9 crore.

"As per the tender conditions, the contractor must complete the works on these roads in 12 months, barring the four months of monsoon," the proposal reads.

If the standing committee approves the proposal on Wednesday, the work is likely to begin in February. Meanwhile, despite promising the Bombay High Court during its suo motu hearing on the poor condition of Mumbai's roads that all road tenders would be awarded by the end of 2013 the administration is yet to float tenders for asphalting more than 100 roads here.

Prior to this, fresh road works in this part of Mumbai were taken up only at the end of 2011. Since the start of the 2012-2013 fiscal, no new works have been undertaken. Till October 2013, 30 per cent of the eastern suburbs' road works taken up in 2011-2012 were yet to be completed.

Work orders based on the new tender were initially to be handed out by the corporation in October, but bids were only invited in November. Additional Municipal Commissioner SVR Srinivas blamed the delay on the new unified schedule of rates created for the BMC in consultation with Tata Consultancy Services.

In March 2013, the corporation became embroiled in a lengthy legal battle at the Bombay High Court with the lowest bidding firms for road contracts collectively worth INR 253 crore for the eastern suburbs. These were for constructing 191 roads, of which 24 were planned as concretised and 106 as asphalt roads. Till date, the corporation has been unable to re-tender on account of the court case, as the firms quarrel with the civic administration over the terms for disqualification.

"The proposal may be passed quickly, taking into account the pitiable condition of roads in the suburb. Also, the contractor has not bid an outrageously low amount," said standing committee member Manoj Kotak (BJP) and corporator of T ward.

Source-On Request