The long-delayed Kharghar-Nerul Coastal Road project, estimated at Rs. 1,100 crore, has found itself at the centre of a controversy after Uran MLA Mahesh Baldi raised concerns over the tender conditions set by CIDCO. Baldi has lodged a complaint with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging that certain conditions in the tender were deliberately crafted to favour a specific contractor.

One of the most contentious aspects of the tender is the restriction preventing joint ventures (JVs) from participating. Additionally, only contractors with at least seven years of experience in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) sector are eligible to bid. Baldi claims these conditions are arbitrary and have been inserted to disadvantage well-established contractors from other regions of India, particularly those with experience in coastal infrastructure projects.

In his complaint, Baldi urged the Chief Minister to intervene and relax these restrictive conditions, calling for a fairer bidding process that would allow more contractors to participate. He also requested that the deadline for submitting tenders be extended to ensure a transparent process.

The Kharghar-Nerul Coastal Road project, which has been hindered by delays, has faced several challenges, including concerns over its impact on local mangrove ecosystems. The Union Ministry of Forests and Environment had recommended submitting three different options for the road's alignment to minimize damage to the mangroves, with one of these options ultimately gaining clearance.

CIDCO had issued the tender for the project in September 2024, but the new conditions have raised doubts about the fairness and transparency of the bidding process. MLA Baldi has questioned why contractors with similar experience in other coastal regions like Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Trivandrum are excluded from the bidding process.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Fadnavis has directed CIDCO's Managing Director to review the complaint and take appropriate action. As of now, CIDCO officials have not responded to queries regarding the allegations.

In a related development, the CIDCO board recently approved the inclusion of joint ventures in tenders for projects over Rs. 100 crore, raising further questions about the consistency of policies in different tenders. Baldi has criticized the exclusion of joint ventures in this particular tender as inconsistent with CIDCO's broader policy.