Larsen & Toubro (L&T) on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the Bombay High Court's refusal to stay the opening of financial bids for two projects worth Rs 14,000 crore. These involve the design and construction of a road tunnel stretching from Gaimukh to Fountain Hotel Junction and an elevated road along the Thane-Ghodbunder Road in Maharashtra.
The apex court has scheduled the hearing for Friday, where the arguments from both sides will be presented.
The matter was being heard by a bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala. During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, requested an adjournment until Friday, citing commitments to the ongoing waqf issue. Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi is also supporting the state government, while senior counsel AM Singhvi and Ranjit Kumar are representing L&T.
What is the L&T case against MMRDA?
On Tuesday, the Bombay HC dismissed L&T petitions challenging the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) decision to open financial bids for two major infrastructure projects: the Thane-Ghodbunder to Bhayandar tunnel and elevated road.
The division bench, consisting of Justices Kamal R Khata and Arif S Doctor, ruled that the price bids submitted electronically by L&T must be preserved in a sealed cover for two weeks, allowing the company time to approach the Supreme Court.
The dispute originated from two tenders issued by the MMRDA last year for the design and construction of an elevated road from Fountain Hotel Junction at Thane-Ghodbunder Road to Bhayander, estimated to cost around Rs 6,000 crore, and for an underground road tunnel from Gaimukh to Fountain Hotel Junction, estimated at Rs 8,000 crore.
L&T filed two separate petitions through law firm AVP Partners, alleging a lack of communication regarding the status of its bids, while other bidders were informed.
In its ruling, the court denied L&T's request for a stay on the opening of bids for the elevated road project and dismissed its plea regarding the tunnel project, citing that L&T had approached the court with ‘suppressed’ material.
L&T’s technical and financial bids were submitted on December 30, 2024, and while the technical bids were opened on January 1, 2025, L&T claimed it had not received any updates. MMRDA countered that it was not obligated to inform L&T about the unresponsiveness of its bid prior to opening the financial bids, arguing that the public interest justified their actions.
These road projects represent the final phase of the ambitious coastal road initiative aimed at alleviating traffic congestion and reducing travel time between the northern suburbs and the central and southern regions of Mumbai. The proposed bridge in one of these projects is set to be the second largest after the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) bridge, known as Atal Setu.
The apex court has scheduled the hearing for Friday, where the arguments from both sides will be presented.
The matter was being heard by a bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala. During the proceedings, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the state government, requested an adjournment until Friday, citing commitments to the ongoing waqf issue. Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi is also supporting the state government, while senior counsel AM Singhvi and Ranjit Kumar are representing L&T.
What is the L&T case against MMRDA?
On Tuesday, the Bombay HC dismissed L&T petitions challenging the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) decision to open financial bids for two major infrastructure projects: the Thane-Ghodbunder to Bhayandar tunnel and elevated road.
The division bench, consisting of Justices Kamal R Khata and Arif S Doctor, ruled that the price bids submitted electronically by L&T must be preserved in a sealed cover for two weeks, allowing the company time to approach the Supreme Court.
The dispute originated from two tenders issued by the MMRDA last year for the design and construction of an elevated road from Fountain Hotel Junction at Thane-Ghodbunder Road to Bhayander, estimated to cost around Rs 6,000 crore, and for an underground road tunnel from Gaimukh to Fountain Hotel Junction, estimated at Rs 8,000 crore.
L&T filed two separate petitions through law firm AVP Partners, alleging a lack of communication regarding the status of its bids, while other bidders were informed.
In its ruling, the court denied L&T's request for a stay on the opening of bids for the elevated road project and dismissed its plea regarding the tunnel project, citing that L&T had approached the court with ‘suppressed’ material.
L&T’s technical and financial bids were submitted on December 30, 2024, and while the technical bids were opened on January 1, 2025, L&T claimed it had not received any updates. MMRDA countered that it was not obligated to inform L&T about the unresponsiveness of its bid prior to opening the financial bids, arguing that the public interest justified their actions.
These road projects represent the final phase of the ambitious coastal road initiative aimed at alleviating traffic congestion and reducing travel time between the northern suburbs and the central and southern regions of Mumbai. The proposed bridge in one of these projects is set to be the second largest after the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) bridge, known as Atal Setu.
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