Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metro Phase 2 has moved closer to the appointment of two general consultants. The Telangana government and HMRL have accelerated preparations to take the project forward.
The government recently held a meeting to secure required No Objection Certificates from various departments. HMRL has also started the process to appoint consultants to oversee the proposed metro works.
A pre-bid meeting took place on August 19. Twelve companies participated in the meeting, according to the project details.
The government has proposed seven corridors under Hyderabad Metro Phase 2. The planned network will cover 122.9 kilometres at an estimated cost of Rs. 38,595 crore.
HMRL plans to appoint one general consultant for four corridors. It will appoint another consultant for the remaining three corridors.
The first group will cover the Nagole-Shamshabad Airport, Raidurg-Kokapet, MGBS-Chandrayangutta and LB Nagar-Hayatnagar corridors.
The Nagole-Shamshabad Airport corridor will extend 36.8 kilometres. Raidurg-Kokapet will cover 11.6 kilometres, while MGBS-Chandrayangutta will span 7.5 kilometres.
The LB Nagar-Hayatnagar corridor will cover another 7.1 kilometres. HMRL plans to place all four corridors under one general consultant.
Hyderabad Metro Phase 2 consultant selection follows quality-based evaluation
The second consultant will oversee three proposed corridors. These include Miyapur-Patancheru, JBS-Medchal and JBS-Shamirpet.
The Miyapur-Patancheru corridor will cover 13.4 kilometres. The JBS-Medchal and JBS-Shamirpet corridors will extend 24.5 kilometres and 22 kilometres respectively.
HMRL has decided to use the Quality and Cost Based Selection method to choose the consultants. The evaluation will carry a total of 100 marks.
Officials plan to allocate 70 marks based on the companies’ previous project experience and performance. Factors will include project quality, construction materials and the time taken to complete earlier works.
The remaining 30 marks will depend on the expertise of professionals employed by the bidding companies. HMRL will assess the qualifications and experience reflected in the experts’ CVs.
Officials have decided to give greater importance to quality during the selection process. HMRL also wants to complete the consultant appointment process at the earliest.
Earlier, HMRL had issued a tender for general consultancy for the MGBS-Chandrayangutta corridor. However, officials cancelled that process after receiving only one bid.
The latest approach groups four corridors under one consultant instead of appointing an agency for a single corridor. HMRL expects this arrangement to help move the project forward more efficiently.
Meanwhile, financing arrangements for the Hyderabad Metro project have also received attention. Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC) had signed an agreement in Delhi on May 25 for refinancing of up to Rs. 13,600 crore.
The agreement’s original validity was due to end on August 25. IRFC has now renewed the agreement document, according to the information provided.
The renewal indicates that IRFC remains prepared for the proposed Rs. 13,600 crore refinancing facility. The facility relates to refinancing requirements associated with the first phase of Hyderabad Metro.
IRFC CMD and CEO Manoj Kumar Dubey and former Telangana Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao had signed the earlier agreement. The latest renewal provides further continuity to the financing arrangement.