Will re-float tender for smart poles: NDMC to HC

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) today told the Delhi High Court that it has decided to re-float the tender to provide free WiFi and set up CCTVs on 18,500 street poles in areas under the civic body's jurisdiction.
NDMC made the submission before a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva which on May 27 had restrained Indus Towers, to which letter of intent (LoI) had been issued, and the Council from entering into a contract.
The municipal body's submission was not welcomed by Indus Towers which questioned the NDMC's decision to make such a statement without first informing it in writing.

The court, however, dismissed as withdrawn the petition of Reliance Jio Infocomm, which had sought quashing of the LoI issued to Indus on March 18.
It also said that Indus was at liberty to challenge NDMC's decision.
On May 27 the court had observed that the tender for the project did not prescribe specifications of the LED lights and CCTV cameras that were to be installed.

It had also since there were no specifications, there was no standard methodology for comparing the bids of Indus and Reliance Jio Infocomm.
Reliance, in its plea, had sought a stay on award of contract for the Rs 220 crore project which also includes replacement of streetlights with LED bulbs and putting up CCTV cameras.

The project was expected to be fully commissioned in three years, but the tender was for a 10-year period, according to the plea.
Reliance had challenged the tender on the ground that Indus was held as successful as it had submitted a bid for 20 years, while the contract period was for 10 years. "After 10 years, it is the discretion of NDMC to extend it for another 10 years or not," Reliance had told the court.