BL reported that Hyderabad Metro Rail Ltd’s INR 12,000 crore metro rail project will call for global bids in a few days to appoint independent engineers to evaluate the design for the project. The report said that the independent engineers would have 200 to 250 engineering professionals with expertise in assessing and scrutinizing a variety of aspects that would go into the totally elevated project.

Mr NVS Reddy MD of HMRL told Business Line that “We will be floating global bids for short-listing and selecting the IE group to take up the assignment that is estimated at INR 120 crore. Being a neutral body, it will study the project and submit its report.”

He said that the independent engineers group could either be one single company, or, it could be a consortium comprising not more than three firms, which developed expertise in this particular area.

Mr Reddy said that the Maytas-Nava Bharat Ventures consortium, which would implement the project under the design, build, finance, operate and transfer mode, would appoint its own general consultant for the design part. It said that the design prepared by this consultant would go for scrutinizing to check whether it has met the basic specifications agreed upon.

The mass rapid transport system, which is being built in a unique model where the Government will earn money for awarding the project to a private party, would have a total of five broad agencies to assess, advice, supervise and implement the 71.16 kilometer project.