Several top infrastructure companies are set to lose out on their chance to bid for the Rs 4,717-crore project works related to the Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh due to the short time given to submit specifications and participate in the tender.

The process of providing necessary information, acquiring labour licences and getting the technical reports done before submitting the tenders requires a couple of months, argue these companies.

However, the Government tender which closes on August 31 has not provided for enough time.

Among the major infrastructure companies that have evinced interest are Jayprakash Associates, Soma Enterprises, IVRCL, NCC Ltd, SEW Infrastructure, L&T, IL&FS, HCC, Italian-Thai Development, Gayathri Projects, Gammon India, Madhucon, Patel Engineering, Ramky Infra, Simplex and Sunway Engineering, Malaysia.

The companies feel that at least a two-month extension for submission of bid documents is necessary, especially to firm up verification of designs and formation of joint venture company to execute works for the large contract.

The tender notice issued by the Superintending Engineer of Dowlaiswaram, East Godavari district called for investigation, survey, preparation of designs and drawings, construction of earth dam gaps, split channel, construction of spillway, excavation of foundations of 960 HW hydro electric power house, switchyard etc of the Polavaram Project on EPC.

Interested companies have to conduct investigation, survey, prepare designs, have machinery required to be shifted etc in a short period.

The monsoon season and the river Godavari in full spate for the past one and half months makes any investigation or survey is difficult.

The short time given for submitting tenders clearly shows an effort to eliminate many competitors from the initial process, they alleged, while urging that a reasonable time frame be fixed to allow for a “fair and competitive” bidding process which gave maximum opportunities.

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