MUMBAI, June 20 -- Two big ticket infrastructure projects to improve road connectivity between Thane and Mira-Bhayander will soon be re-tendered by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). The development authority on June 10 had sought detailed financial estimates, rate justifications and supporting documents from Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the projects. L&T's bid for the two projects - Rs.3,130 crore - was less than the lowest bidder declared by the MMRDA. Hence, the engineering company had moved the Bombay high court as well as the Supreme Court, challenging the decision to award the contracts to Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited (MEIL). During the hearing of the petition challenging its disqualification in the two high-value tenders, L&T had asserted before the apex court that it had quoted Rs.6,498 crore for the Gaimukh to Fountain Hotel Junction Twin Tunnel and Rs.5,554 crore for the Fountain Junction to Bhayander Elevated Road. "We gave L&T seven working days to respond, a deadline that has now passed. As of June 19, no reply has been received. This silence raises questions about the seriousness of L&T's courtroom claims," shared an MMRDA official. He further added, "When a firm makes financial claims in the Supreme Court, it has the responsibility to back those up. Especially when it involves public money and a government agency formally requests it for details." However, the apex court dismissed L&T's petition as "infructuous" after MMRDA voluntarily chose to cancel and re-tender the projects. MEIL had submitted quotes of Rs.9,019 crore for the elevated road and Rs.6,163 crore for the tunnel project, a total sum of Rs.15,182 crore as against Rs.12,052 crore by L&T. "We are awaiting Larsen &Toubro's reply to our letter dated June 10. Once that is received, we intend to verify the information provided in it and rework the estimates, said the MMRDA official. "This we will do with the help of top experts in the field, so as to be aligned with the spirit of transparency and fairness," he added. An email sent by Hindustan Times to L&T for a comment on this development did not elicit any response....