BDA flouts procedure, calls for tenders worth Rs 675 cr

The BDA skipped taking mandatory approval from a committee headed by a retired judge in calling for the tenders

The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has violated due process and floated tenders worth Rs 675 crore.

It has bypassed a critical step—taking mandatory approval from a committee headed by a retired judge—in calling for the tenders.

That's not all. It has also concealed the contract value of the short-term tenders pertaining to electrical works in its newest development project, Dr K Shivaram Karanth Layout. The tenders close on March 9.

It invited short-term tenders on February 23 for establishing a substation and providing underground cabling for its housing estate in northern Bengaluru.

While the notification published in newspapers states that the document will be available for download on February 24, the BDA is yet to make the documents available on the state government's e-procurement website.

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In that notification, the BDA neither disclosed the contract value nor the earnest money deposit (EMD) it was seeking. These details are essential for eligible firms to arrive at a bidding price.

Highly placed sources said that the total value of the electrical works was a whopping Rs 675 crore and that the works had been divided into two packages.

Most importantly, the tender documents were not vetted by the Justice Rathnakala-headed State Pre-Tender Scrutiny Committee, constituted to review all public works costing more than Rs 50 crore, DH has learnt.

The committee was formed in July 2022 following allegations that those running the state government were taking a 40 per cent cut to sanction projects.

The electrical works are part of the Rs 5,337-crore project involving the formation of BDA’s newest layout, named after legendary Kannada novelist Dr Shivaram Karanth.

First notified in 2008, the under-construction layout is spread over 17 villages. Among its standout features are its proximity to the Kempegowda International Airport and the proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR). Farmers have opposed the BDA's efforts to acquire their land for the project.

An authoritative source said that there was no urgency to float a short-term tender for electrical works because the BDA had just begun civil works. "The BDA should instead have opted for a regular and long-term tender, which attracts fair and competitive bidders,” the source said.

Reached for comment, BDA Commissioner G Kumar Naik said that he was not aware of the tender but promised to check with the engineers on Monday.

BDA Chairman S R Vishwanath did not respond to phone calls.