BENGALURU: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is re-running the e-auction for 76 corner sites that faced a technical glitch during the previous bidding process.
The glitch occurred just as the auction was nearing its conclusion, prompting numerous complaints from bidders. The BDA hopes to realise over Rs 100 crore from the re-auction.
The live bid will take place over a two-day period, from 9 am on Tuesday until 5 pm on Wednesday, on the e-governance portal.
The corner sites, located in prime areas such as Banashankari VIth Stage, RMV IInd Stage, HRBR Layout, and HSR Layout, were among those up for auction.
A senior BDA official told TNIE, "During the first phase of our auction held on September 9 and 10, which covered these 76 sites, the site developed a technical glitch towards the end. While the bidding was supposed to conclude by 5 pm, the site crashed by 4.30 pm. The minutes leading to the closure are extremely crucial as the bids keep going higher."
The glitch led to significant disruption, with over 50 e-mail complaints sent to the BDA head office. The authority decided to schedule a re-bid after obtaining the necessary permissions for a redo on the e-procurement portal. The re-auction has been set for September 17 and 18.
Regarding the possibility of deliberate interference, another source stated, "That used to happen in the past. However, the newer upgraded portal is quite robust and it is a technical glitch. This is the second time this year that this has happened." The source added, "In the previous incident, the auction did not shut down after the prescribed delta time (5 minutes after the last bid). This time, it is a different issue in that it shut down before the prescribed bidding time."
In the second phase of the e-auction, 72 sites were up for grabs, and 52 sites were allotted, generating over Rs 100 crore.