Varanasi: The process of finalizing the bid for the ambitious ropeway project for public transport in the old and congested parts of Kashi will resume from March 16.
The process was put on hold for more than two-and-a-half months due to various reasons including the assembly elections.
Speaking to TOI on Sunday, the chairman and divisional commissioner of the Varanasi Development Authority Deepak Agarwal Said “Officers of WAPCOS Limited, a recognized Public Sector Enterprise under the Union Ministry” Jal Shakti Which has finalized the project for the pilot phase of the ropeway, will be in the city on March 16 with multiple bidders. They will discuss their issues of concern before finalizing the bidding process.
VDA, the agency implementing the project in Kashi to be the first city in the country to use the ropeway as a public transport system, has already extended the date for completing the tender filing process repeatedly due to various reasons, including assembly elections. Was.
The ropeway system was selected as the MRTS component after the rejection of the Metro Rail plan for Kashi in June 2018. All the basic exercises for the project were finalized by WAPCOS in August 2021 and VDA also convened a pre-bid meeting with the bidders. November 2021. On December 15, 2021, the state cabinet gave final approval to the proposed 3.65 km ropeway project in the pilot phase for the old city area of Kashi, which would come between Varanasi Junction (Cantt Railway Station) and Church Crossing (Godovaliya). through the chariot
At last year’s pre-bidding meet, several leading global ropeway and ski-lift manufacturers from the US, Austria, France and Malaysia participated in the process and expressed interest in executing the ambitious Rs 410 crore ropeway venture in Kashi . Agarwal The said that initially the last date for submission of tender was fixed as December 23, 2021. But, the filing of tenders by the companies required massive paperwork and could not be completed within the stipulated time due to Christmas holidays. He said, on the demand of companies, the last date has been extended till January 31.
However, since the process of assembly elections also started in January, the participating companies preferred to wait to participate in the tender process. Perhaps these companies may have preferred to wait for the formation of a new government in the state before filing tenders in view of the massive changes made in the transport system component by the Bharatiya Janata Party government after it came to power in the state in 2017 by rejecting the Metro. did. The rail proposal for Varanasi was approved by the previous Samajwadi Party government, sources said, adding that the participating companies wanted to ensure that no changes would be made once the process was initiated.
Aggarwal said that the model code of conduct was implemented for the assembly elections in the state, the last date for filing the tender for the ropeway project has been revised again and extended till March 31. This time the officials are confident of completing the tender process for the ropeway project. Since the BJP retained power, the ropeway project, which began on a public-private partnership model, has virtually lost its chances of any change.
This trust of the nodal agency for the implementation of the ropeway project is backed by the participation of representatives of six companies, including Malaysia’s ECL Management Sdn Bhd. doppelmayr garventa Austrian and French firm . Of Poma Ropeway In the pre-bid meeting, which was convened by the VDA in November 2021 and also their requests for extension of the last date for submission of tenders.
The service will start with 220 cable cars, which will be available at stations equipped with escalators at intervals of 90-120 seconds. Officials said each cable car would take 15 minutes to complete the journey from start to finish.
The process was put on hold for more than two-and-a-half months due to various reasons including the assembly elections.
Speaking to TOI on Sunday, the chairman and divisional commissioner of the Varanasi Development Authority Deepak Agarwal Said “Officers of WAPCOS Limited, a recognized Public Sector Enterprise under the Union Ministry” Jal Shakti Which has finalized the project for the pilot phase of the ropeway, will be in the city on March 16 with multiple bidders. They will discuss their issues of concern before finalizing the bidding process.
VDA, the agency implementing the project in Kashi to be the first city in the country to use the ropeway as a public transport system, has already extended the date for completing the tender filing process repeatedly due to various reasons, including assembly elections. Was.
The ropeway system was selected as the MRTS component after the rejection of the Metro Rail plan for Kashi in June 2018. All the basic exercises for the project were finalized by WAPCOS in August 2021 and VDA also convened a pre-bid meeting with the bidders. November 2021. On December 15, 2021, the state cabinet gave final approval to the proposed 3.65 km ropeway project in the pilot phase for the old city area of Kashi, which would come between Varanasi Junction (Cantt Railway Station) and Church Crossing (Godovaliya). through the chariot
At last year’s pre-bidding meet, several leading global ropeway and ski-lift manufacturers from the US, Austria, France and Malaysia participated in the process and expressed interest in executing the ambitious Rs 410 crore ropeway venture in Kashi . Agarwal The said that initially the last date for submission of tender was fixed as December 23, 2021. But, the filing of tenders by the companies required massive paperwork and could not be completed within the stipulated time due to Christmas holidays. He said, on the demand of companies, the last date has been extended till January 31.
However, since the process of assembly elections also started in January, the participating companies preferred to wait to participate in the tender process. Perhaps these companies may have preferred to wait for the formation of a new government in the state before filing tenders in view of the massive changes made in the transport system component by the Bharatiya Janata Party government after it came to power in the state in 2017 by rejecting the Metro. did. The rail proposal for Varanasi was approved by the previous Samajwadi Party government, sources said, adding that the participating companies wanted to ensure that no changes would be made once the process was initiated.
Aggarwal said that the model code of conduct was implemented for the assembly elections in the state, the last date for filing the tender for the ropeway project has been revised again and extended till March 31. This time the officials are confident of completing the tender process for the ropeway project. Since the BJP retained power, the ropeway project, which began on a public-private partnership model, has virtually lost its chances of any change.
This trust of the nodal agency for the implementation of the ropeway project is backed by the participation of representatives of six companies, including Malaysia’s ECL Management Sdn Bhd. doppelmayr garventa Austrian and French firm . Of Poma Ropeway In the pre-bid meeting, which was convened by the VDA in November 2021 and also their requests for extension of the last date for submission of tenders.
The service will start with 220 cable cars, which will be available at stations equipped with escalators at intervals of 90-120 seconds. Officials said each cable car would take 15 minutes to complete the journey from start to finish.