The Hindu Business Line : JNPT to consider revised bids for box terminal project on Feb 27

THE board of JNPT will be meeting on February 27 to consider the revised technical bids submitted by the five consortia in the race for the Rs 1,000-crore third container terminal project.

All the five consortia had submitted their final list of members on December 16 and the revised technical bids on Friday, the last date set by the port to fill in the deficiencies in their earlier bids. The board, at its earlier meeting on January 20, had given the five bidders a one-month period to correct technical errors in the bids, if any.

Informed sources said the board is likely to take a final decision at its February 27 meeting, as the port has already lost some precious time in the bidding process for the project.

The container terminal project has attracted the attention of major shipping lines and terminal operators, as it has a ready market, what with congestion continuing to constrict the operations of the neighbouring Nava Sheva International Container Terminal and JNPT's own terminal. The sources say that in the current fiscal at least 5 lakh TEUs of incremental cargo that could have been available to the JNPT terminal and NSICT is being forced to find alternative gateways for export and import, as the two terminals are already choked.