Adani meet with DKS sparks buzz as tunnel project awaits nod

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani’s meeting with chief minister DK Shivakumar has drawn attention, days after Adani Enterprises emerged as the lowest bidder for the proposed 16.75-km Hebbal-Silk Board tunnel road project in city. The contract, however, is yet to be awarded by the state government.HT ImageAdani reportedly met Shivakumar at the chief minister’s residence on Sunday after visiting the ashram of Sri Ravi Shankar Guruji in Kanakapura. The details of the meeting have not been disclosed. Neither the chief minister’s office nor the Adani Group has issued an official statement on the discussions.The meeting comes at a significant time as Adani Enterprises has emerged as the L1 bidder for the ambitious north-south tunnel road project aimed at easing traffic congestion in Bengaluru.The project, being implemented through Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE), has an estimated cost of ₹17,698 crore. Adani Enterprises has quoted ₹22,267 crore, which is around ₹4,569 crore higher than the government’s estimated project cost.The tunnel road is proposed to be developed under the Build-Operate-Transfer model. Under the proposed arrangement, the government would provide 40 per cent of the project cost as viability gap funding, while the private developer would bear the remaining 60 per cent.Adani Enterprises and Hyderabad-based Vishwa Samudra Engineering were the only companies to qualify during the technical evaluation. Following the financial bidding process, Adani Enterprises emerged as the L1 bidder.However, the higher bid has left the government with several options. The state cabinet will have to decide whether to accept the bid, negotiate with Adani Enterprises to bring down the quoted amount or cancel the tender and invite fresh bids.The proposed tunnel will run for 16.75 km between Hebbal and Silk Board, covering some of Bengaluru’s most congested stretches. The project is intended to create an alternative north-south corridor and reduce pressure on major arterial roads.Meanwhile, preliminary geotechnical investigations, including soil testing and surveys along the proposed corridor, have reportedly begun in accordance with the tender conditions, although the final contract is yet to be awarded.Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka questioned the meeting between chief minister DK Shivakumar and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani.Ashoka asked whether Shivakumar had sought Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s approval before meeting Adani, pointing to what he described as a contradiction in the Congress party’s approach towards the industrialist. “Congress opposes Adani in Delhi, while in Karnataka the same party appears to be welcoming him. Isn’t this a double standard?” Ashoka said.He alleged that the Karnataka government had “rolled out a red carpet” for Adani and questioned the ruling party’s stance on the business group.Ashoka also urged Shivakumar to convey to Rahul Gandhi that Adani was a businessman and was engaged in business activities, taking a swipe at the Congress leadership over its criticism of the industrialist.