Move follows government decision to replace the build-operate-transfer model for contractors with reportedly less rewarding design-build-transfer modelu00a0u00a0

Neither Mukesh nor Anil Ambani appears to be keen on bagging the contract for constructing the 22-km Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) anymore.

The competitive bidding for the project by the brothers had assumed an acrimonious note last year.

The recent cooling of interest follows a decision by the state government's sub-committee on infrastructure to replace the build-transfer-operate model for the project with a design-build-transfer one in September last year.

The decision to change the model to the design-build-transfer model was made after the committee sanctioned Rs 6,000 crore for MTHL, which freed the MSRDC from dependence on private funds for building the link.

"The build-transfer-operate model would have allowed us to earn handsomely by levying toll. We withdrew because we did not think designing, building and handing over the bridge over to the government would be as profitable," explained a senior RInfra official.u00a0u00a0

Neither brother has purchased Expression of Interest (EoI) forms that were given out in September 2008, and to be submitted by February 27.

A senior MSRDC official also pointed out yet another reason why neither the Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) nor the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra) are interested in the project.
"Neither RIL or RInfra have the 25 years experience in building bridges that the tender calls for. So, their chances of bagging the contract were zero anyway," explained the MSRDC official.u00a0u00a0u00a0

Satish Gavai, managing director, MSRDC, said MTHL continued to be a profitable venture.
"We will pay the contractor even under design-build-transfer model after making necessary calculations," said Gavai.

The spokespersons for Reliance Infra and RIL refused to comment on the issue.

MTHL Sea Link
The eight-lane MTHL will connect the eastern side of Sewri railway station via Shivaji Nagar and terminate at NH4 in Navi Mumbai. The sea link will cut the distance between the two locations by 15 km and reduce travelling time from two hours to 30 minutes.
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Ambani vs Ambani
In July, the cabinet sub-committee on infrastructure rejected the unrealistic bids submitted by the Ambani brothers. Anil Ambani's Reliance Infra proposed to complete the MTHL within nine years and 11 months, u00a0while Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries had announced that it would take 75 years to finish the project.