VIJAYAWADA: The state water resources department is set to open on Monday the commercial bids filed for the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) for evaluating the lowest bidder. After assessing the lowest bid, the officials in the afternoon will go for reverse auctioning with the lowest bid as the benchmark.
The assessment is likely to begin after 11 am, according to officials. For the record, three firms — Navayuga Engineering Company Ltd (NECL), a joint venture of SPML - NCC, and Max Infra (I) Ltd — filed their bids and the officials held the technical evaluation of the same on August 13.
Once the reverse auction is completed, the officials plan to complete the formalities of the tendering process by August 19.
The initial benchmark (IBM) value of the project, to be executed under Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) mode, as per the tender document is Rs 3,278.18 crore. The officials plan to complete the project, aimed at drawing three TMCft from Srisailam foreshore as a supplementing mechanism, in 30 months.
The launching of works would depend on the legal issues the project embroiled in as the Telangana government, which has been opposing it, moved the Supreme Court.