Shivaji Nagar, near Gavan interchange (4,900 crore), and a viaduct including interchanges at SH 52, SH 54, and NH 4B near Chirle, Navi Mumbai. The MMRDA received 11 pre-qualification bids each for the first and second package, and 17 bids for the third package. The agency stated that a single party would not be awarded the first and second packages together, although any other combination of the three packages would be permitted. The MMRDA appointed a consortium formed by AECOM Asia Co Ltd, Padeco India Pvt. Ltd, Dar Al-Handsah, and TY Lin International as the general consultant for the project on 26 November 2016. According to UPS Madan, Metropolitan Commissioner, MMRDA, "The General Consultants appointed for the MTHL project will engage in various activities such as to help MMRDA organise pre-bid meetings, examine bid documents, secure various permissions from government, semi-government, examine concept designs, monitor construction of the project and ensure quality of the work among other things." After evaluating the bids, in January 2017, the MMRDA shortlisted a total of 29 contractors for the three packages and floated tenders for the request for proposal (RFP) stage, the final stage of the bidding process. The agency fixed 5 April 2017 as the final date for submissions of the RFP bids. The submission date was later postponed to 5 June. However, the agency received over 3,000 queries from the short-listed bidders and was forced to postpone the date to 17 July in order to respond to all queries. The MMRDA applied for security clearance from the Union Home Ministry to carry out construction near the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Mumbai Port Trust and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. These facilities have restricted areas that are covered by the Official Secrets Act. The MMRDA also submitted the names of all companies that bid for the project to the Home Ministry. The Ministry will grant clearance after consultations with other ministries such as the Foreign Ministry and the intelligence agencies. The Home Ministry denied security clearance to a bid from China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group in a joint venture with Gayatri Projects Limited, and also to a consortium of IL&FS Engineering Limited and Ranjit Buildcon Limited. Both consortia were subsequently disqualified from the bidding process by the MMRDA. The MMRDA stated that Home Ministry had not provided the agency with any official reason for denying security clearance. IL&FS Engineering filed an