ORR Tender Was A Result Of Strict Adherence To Rules: Official

It is known that, most recently, IRB Infrastructure Developers bagged the tender for the operation of Hyderabad's Outer Ring Road for a period of 30 years. The company clinched the deal on a Toll, Operate and Transfer (TOT) basis by paying Rs 7,380 crore. 

The TOT model has come in for criticism from several quarters. The critics have been reminded that the model, which has several advantages, has been favoured by the Centre's Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs itself.

In view of a controversy following some specific allegations, the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar has stated that everything was done in a fair and square manner. The norms put in place by the National Highways Authority of India were followed, he iterated. 

As per the Telangana administration, the room for criticism ought to be non-existent, because a period of 142 days was allowed for bidding so that more and more number of players enter the competition.

The ORR tender acquires legitimacy also because a credible player like Mazars, a France-based audit and tax advisory firm, was involved in the process, Arvind Kumar said. 

It is estimated that the TOT model is the most optimum for asset monetization.