Five companies have expressed interest in developing a new master plan for Belagavi. The Belagavi Urban Development Authority (BUDA) issued a tender to award the contract for this crucial task. It has been reported that five tenders have been submitted, and the technical verification process is currently underway.
The scope of the master plan extends beyond Belagavi city to include 55 villages in the taluka. On October 21, BUDA released a tender worth Rs 1 crore 80 lakh to award the contract for this significant undertaking. Originally, the tender process was scheduled to conclude in November. However, BUDA made some adjustments to the timeline. The deadline for tender submissions was extended to November 27, and the opening of technical tenders was rescheduled for November 28. Due to the ongoing legislative session, BUDA officials are currently occupied with their duties.
The existing master plan, which was approved in 2014, expired on March 31, 2021. As no new master plan has been prepared, the old plan remains in effect. The process of developing a new master plan began in 2020, with the EGIS Company initially awarded the contract. However, the state government later revoked the company’s contract, leading to the responsibility for the master plan falling to a different contractor.
It is important to note that the verification process is still ongoing and will only be completed after the conclusion of the legislative session.
BUDA will only consider the most competitive tender among the eligible bids for the crucial task of developing the master plan. This plan holds the key to securing the contract for the concerned company. We have received information from the BUDA office, indicating that the contractor will be selected by December.
Presently, the master plan of Belagavi encompasses 27 villages, including the city itself. However, BUDA has recently expanded its jurisdiction to include an additional 28 villages in the taluka. Consequently, the total number of villages within the BUDA area has risen to 55, encompassing Belagavi.
This expansion may potentially cause a delay in the preparation of the master plan. Previously, BUDA had successfully developed a master plan for the 27 villages and Belagavi city within its jurisdiction.