Financial bids invited for 2 deep-draught berths

Kolkata: The Paradip Port Trust, according to its Chairman, Mr K. Raghuramaiah, hopes to conclude by March 31 the concessional agreements with the bidders to be selected for the construction of two deep-draught berths, one each of handling coal and iron ore, in the port.

Mr Raghuramaiah said, “we’ve called for price bids from the short-listed bidders and the last date for submission of the bids is February 12”.

Once the price bids had been submitted, the process of evaluation would start.

“We ourselves will do the evaluation but Ernst & Young, our consultant, will help us in the matter”, Mr Raghuramaiah said.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the construction of two deep-draught draft berths, one for handling coal and the other for iron ore at an estimated cost of Rs 1070.36 crore, Rs 479.01 crore for the coal berth and Rs 591.35 crore for the iron ore berth, allowing the PPT to invite the financial bids.

“Although a period of 36 months from the date of conclusion of the concession agreement has been stipulated for the completion of the projects, we’ll try to complete the construction before the stipulated period, if possible within 24 months”, Mr Raghuramaiah observed.

Meanwhile, Mr Raghuramaiah flagged off at Paradip railway station the long-awaited Paradip-Bhubaneswar Inter City Express to be run by the East Coast Railway.