Pune Central Railway invites solar power project bids for Maharashtra

14 May 2024 CW Team

The Pune Division of Central Railway has called for bids to enlist agencies for implementing grid-connected rooftop solar power projects in Maharashtra on a state-wise basis. The projects will operate through public-private partnerships and follow a design, build, finance, operate, and transfer model. The projects will fall under two capacity ranges: (i) above 10 kW and up to 100 kW, and (ii) above 100 kW and up to 500 kW. Bidders have the option to quote for either or both capacities. The projects are expected to be operational within 240 days from receiving the work order, with developers responsible for comprehensive operation and maintenance services for 25 years. Bid submissions are due by June 24, 2024, with bids opening on the same day. The bid document cost is Rs 34,810, and bidders must provide an earnest money deposit of Rs 1.07 million/MW of the quoted capacity. Upon selection, bidders must furnish a performance security of Rs 1.6 million/MW and a bid process management fee of Rs 75,000 /MW within 30 days of signing the power purchase agreement. The empanelment will be valid for one year, extendable for another year based on performance and requests from zonal railways. Solar power generated will be utilised by Indian Railways through the net metering system. The chosen bidder will sign a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Railways, potentially at a divisional level if requested by public utilities or zonal railways. Bidders must have experience installing a minimum aggregate capacity of 200 kW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems or 1 MW of any grid-connected systems as a developer or EPC contractor. They should also have had an average annual turnover of Rs 15 million over the past three years and maintained a positive net worth during the same period. The projects will not receive central financial assistance and must use domestically manufactured modules listed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Additionally, the Sonpur Division of the East Central Railway recently invited bids to empanel vendors for installing 1.1 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar power. (Source: Mercom)

Infrastructure Transport

15 Sep 2025

Cabinet Approves Key Highway and Rail Projects in Bihar Region

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the four-laning of the 84.2-km Mokama-Munger section of the Buxar-Bhagalpur high-speed corridor, a key industrial region in poll-bound Bihar. The Cabinet also sanctioned the doubling of the 177-km Bhagalpur-Dumka-Rampurhat railway line, which passes through Bihar, Jharkhand, and West Bengal, at a cost of Rs 31.7 billion.The Rs 44.5 billion highway project will be constructed under the hybrid annuity model, a variant of public-private partnership. The Mokama-Munger stretch was the only remaining two-lane section of the 363-km Buxar-Bhagalpur corridor. Fou..

NGT Issues Notice on Bengaluru Twin Tunnel Project

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday issued notices in response to a petition filed by Bengaluru Praja Vedike and others, challenging the Bengaluru twin tunnel road project. Petitioners claim the project was “hastily announced” and bypassed mandatory environmental impact assessment procedures.Notices have been served to the Karnataka Government, Greater Bengaluru Authority, State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and project consultants.The 16.74-km twin-tube..

India’s Residential Sales to Dip Slightly in FY26

Residential sales in India’s seven major cities are projected to decline by up to 3 per cent year-on-year in FY26 to 620–640 million square feet (msf), amid a moderation in sales velocity, according to ratings agency Icra.In FY25, sales stood at 643 msf, down 8 per cent YoY, following a sharp contraction in new launches and moderated demand in the affordable and mid-income segments. This slowdown came after the sector posted a robust compound annual growth rate of 26 per cent in area sales between FY22 and FY24.Icra noted: “Having seen a strong upcycle, the sector entered an equilibrium ..