The Andhra Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation (APMRC) has floated a Request for Proposal (RFP) to appoint a general consultant for Phase One of the Visakhapatnam Metro Rail Project.
This follows the recent approval by APMRC’s Board of Directors to implement both Vizag and Vijayawada metro projects under the EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) model by engaging general consultants, Times of India reported.
According to APMRC officials cited in the ToI report, the move to engage general consultants instead of interim consultants will result in significant cost savings.
If interim consultants were appointed instead, they would charge approximately 0.2 per cent of the project cost, around Rs 20 crore for a 12 month period to assist with preliminary activities until the general consultants were engaged.
The EPC model is expected to save Rs 20 crore across both metro projects.
The selection process for the consultant is being conducted in compliance with guidelines set by multilateral funding agencies, including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
Additionally, the regional office of APMRC will be shifted to the VMRDA premises in Visakhapatnam’s Siripuram area, where operations are expected to begin within the next few months.
A separate tender has been issued for furnishing and installation works at the new office location.
Officials highlighted concerns over the turnkey model, noting that this could lead to objections from multilateral funding agencies, increased costs due to turnkey overheads, limited control over procurement and quality, and potential delays arising from coordination with local stakeholders.
As such, the EPC model has been selected to ensure transparency, cost efficiency, and stronger oversight.
The selected general consultant will assist with procurement, design, construction management, supervision, system integration, interface management, and the testing and commissioning of the Vizag Metro.
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