NHAI has deferred bid deadlines for road construction projects of about 1,000 km in length by a month amid the second wave of Covid-19. The deadlines for these projects, worth Rs 50,000 crore, have been extended because of restrictions that could hamper site visits and due diligence by potential bidders, a senior government official said.
The directive was issued by road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, the official said.
While new bids will continue to be invited, the postponement of existing bid deadlines could hurt the authority’s target of awarding about 2,500 km of road projects in the first quarter of FY22.
“We have deferred receiving existing construction bids by a month,” a senior official told ET, requesting anonymity. “Cases are increasing and companies will find it difficult to do due diligence and site visits during this time.”
Most of these projects are being offered on engineering-procurement-construction and hybrid annuity models, the official said.