Courts put a spanner in Metro works

KOCHI: In a major setback for the Kochi Metro, the Delhi high court directed Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) not to award any contract for laying ballastless tracks for the project till the next date of hearing on a plea challenging the tender process on Tuesday.
Ballastless tracks facilitate movement of high-speed trains and require much less maintenance.Most high-speed railway networks across the world use this technology.
The Delhi high court passed the order while issuing notice to DMRC and Kochi Metro Rail Ltd (KMRL) seeking their replies by November 5 on a plea by Kalpataru Power Transmissions Ltd.
KMRL said that they would take steps to "get the Delhi high court's stay order vacated" to continue with the tender procedures for laying tracks for the Metro project.
KMRL managing director Elias George said the Metro agency was one of the respondents in the case and they "would submit a reply before the court within the stipulated time".
"We will try to get the stay vacated and proceed with the tender procedures," he said.
Though Kalpataru participated in the tender their technical bid was rejected. DMRC rejected it on the ground that the firm did not have experience in laying such tracks. They contended before the court that DMRC had itself certified that the firm had experience and completed such work in the past. However, DMRC maintained that the certificate was issued in collusion with some of its officials, who have been removed from service, and also added that it would withdraw the certification awarded to the company. But Kalpataru opposed DMRC's move to withdraw the certification.
As DMRC sought time to respond to the contentions of Kalpataru, the court listed the matter for further hearing on November 2 and directed not to award the contract for laying ballastless tracks till then.