CHENNAI : Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras’s Centre for Urbanisation, Buildings and Environment (CUBE), one of the Centres of Excellence for Tamil Nadu government, is vying to prepare the project report for second phase of development of Grid of Road Network plan for Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA). This comes as Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) is scouting for consultants to prepare project report for development of Grid of Road Network Plan for 143 villages in CMA under the second phase.
Sources said Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited (TNUIFSL) has been hired to appoint consultant to formulate and evolve an efficient Grid of Road network plan providing better connectivity and access to major arterial and sub arterial roads along Outer Ring Road and fast-growing areas in southern sector of CMA. However, the hitch is the pre-qualification criterion which stipulates a minimum of five years experience with two similar assignments.
It is learnt that CUBE has asked TNUIFSL to relax the criteria for participating in the tender. Sources said the tender stressed on the need for minimum criteria of experience of three such assignments in the last five years and CUBE has requested for a waiver.
However, a top CMDA official told Express that CUBE can participate in the tender process.
The CUBE is being modelled on the lines of General Services Administration of United States and got the administrative approval of the State government to establish it at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
CUBE is registered under the Societies Act with funding support worth `10 crore from Tamil Nadu Housing Board, CMDA, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department.
It has a 12-member governing body headed by IIT Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi, who is its chairman. It has also nominees from State finance, housing and urban development and municipal administration and water supply departments, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, IIT professors as well as technocrats.
Qualification criteria
The criterion to participate in the tender is that the company should have five-year experience with two similar assignments. However, it is likely to be relaxed for the CMDA, sources said