MMRDA announces re-tender of Ghodbunder–Bhayandar project after legal victory

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has decided to re-tender the Thane`s Ghodbunder–Bhayandar project after securing legal victories in both the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court of India, an official statement said on Friday.

The Thane-Ghodbunder to Bhayandar tunnel and elevated road project is the second longest proposed flyover after Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), also called as the Atal Setu which is the longest sea bridge in India.

The decision comes after Larsen & Toubro (L&T) challenged the tender process, claiming unfair disqualification. However, the Bombay High Court ruled in MMRDA’s favour, and the Supreme Court chose not to interfere with that decision, it said.

The L&T had filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, seeking to appeal the High Court’s ruling and asking for interim reliefs, such as staying the opening of financial bids and blocking the issue of any Letter of Award, the official statement said.

The Supreme Court, however, did not grant any of L&T’s requests, and it refused to stay the High Court’s judgment. Justice B.R. Gavai, during the final hearing, clearly stated that the Court would not intervene in the High Court’s ruling, thereby upholding the legality of MMRDA’s actions, it further said.

According to the statement, the MMRDA had disqualified L&T for failing to meet a key eligibility requirement. The condition required bidders to confirm that no bridge or barrage built by them had collapsed within two years of completion. L&T’s disclosure did not meet this standard, which made their bid ineligible. As a result, their financial bid was never opened.

Despite winning in court, MMRDA, through its legal representatives Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, informed the Supreme Court that it would cancel both tenders and start a fresh tender process. This move, according to the authority, was not out of legal compulsion but to uphold its commitment to ethical governance and transparency, it stated.

MMRDA also stated it is considering a downward revision of the project cost by Rs 3,000 crore, based on bid data revealed during court proceedings, to ensure better use of public funds, the statement said.