The Hindu Business Line : Bidding date for Vizhinjam terminal project extended

THE last date for submitting technical and financial bids for the development of the Vizhinjam international container transhipment terminal has been extended to October 15.

The earlier deadline was August 15 and this has been extended by two months at the request of foreign companies that have expressed interest in the project, according to officials in the Ports Department.

They said that as many as seven companies have obtained request-for-proposal documents from the department for submitting the technical and financial bids. Of them, four are domestic entities and the remaining three from overseas.

The four Indian companies that have obtained the requests for proposal are IL&FS and Hilico consortium, Afcons Infrastructure Ltd, Adani Exports and Gammon India Ltd. In the list of the foreign companies are the National Port Authority of South Africa, Hili Company of Malta and Beckett Rankine and Company, London.

The Government has announced that a registered company will be formed to look after the development of the transhipment terminal.

Meanwhile, Universal Lubricants of Sharjah has reiterated its interest in the development of the Rs 1,750-crore Azhikkal port, officials said. The project has been hanging fire after three of the four companies that had expressed interest in it withdrew from the scene.

In the case of the Beypore port development project also, there has been good progress, the officials said. The Kozhikode-based Parrisons group has submitted a proposal prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers for the department's consideration. The department has now roped in IL&FS to help it examine the proposal in detail, they said.