A global tender to choose an Independent Engineer (IE) to oversee the implementation of the Rs. 12,132-crore elevated public, private, partnership metro rail project for the capital.

A three member-committee consisting of Finance Secretary T. Satyanarayana Rao, Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) Managing Director M. Jagadeeshwar and Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy was formed to vet the Request for Quotations to be received from reputed global firms or consortia (not exceeding three firms) for the bids.

Infrastructure and construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has already bagged the contract for the biggest ever PPP project being taken up in the country last month by seeking just Rs. 1,850 crore as viability gap funding from the government available to the extent of 40 per cent of the total project cost.

Metro rail is to be built across three of the dense traffic corridors of little over 71 km. Senior officials said that six firms or consortia are likely to be shortlisted to go for the next stage of financial bids and technical evaluation. Eighty per cent marks will be given for technical capabilities and 20 per cent for the financial aspects in selecting the IE.

Safety
The firms should not only have experience in taking up similar metro rail works but should also have at least 20 experts from various fields like civil engineering, traction, signalling, rolling stock, track, structural safety during construction, etc., on its rolls. The contract is worth Rs. 80 crore and the cost would be borne equally by the government and L&T.

The IE during the five year construction period would play the role of the honest broker.

All the designs, plans and specifications made by L&T and submitted to HMR, will in turn be evaluated by it for proof checking.

And IE's recommendations would be the basis on which the project construction would take place at each stage, said senior officials.