The Hindu Business Line : Kochi port to re-tender capital, maintenance dredging contract

THE Kochi port has decided to re-tender the capital and maintenance-dredging contract in the channel for the financial year 2005-06 after the Board of Trustees rejected the tenders received for dredging work.

The Board of Trustees of the port, which met on last week, has turned down the only tender of Jaisu Shipping that had come up before it on the ground that it was the single tender received for the purpose.

Though the port had obtained four tenders from various private companies, three of them were technically disqualified in the initial stage.As last year's dredging contract had expired on March 31, sources in the port pointed out that the draught in the channel was getting reduced due to lack of maintenance dredging.

The port users, including Kochi Refineries Ltd, had expressed concern over the low draught, as it was likely to hinder the smooth movement of vessels through the channel.

However, the Port Chairman, Dr Jacob Thomas, maintained that the re-tendering process would not be a time consuming one, at it is expected to be completed within a month. If it takes time to re-tender, he said that the port is planning to make alternate arrangements by entrusting the task of maintenance dredging with the Dredging Corporation of India on a temporary basis.

Last year, maintenance dredging had commenced only after June 10 and the problem of low draught due to siltation would pose a threat only from the middle of June, especially after the onset of southwest monsoon.

To maintain the draught during that period, he said the port could deploy its own dredger Nehru Sathabdi for the work.

As against the Rs 28-crore dredging contract last year, the estimated cost of dredging this year would be Rs 50 crore as it involves capital dredging to maintain a comfortable draught of 11 metres in the container terminal, he added.

As part of the agreement with the Dubai Ports, which had taken over the terminal, the port had to provide a draught of more than 11 metres for a smooth vessel operation.

The steamer agents have also expressed concern over the low draught in the terminal on account of the ensuing raw cashew season.

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