30 foreign forms bid for 27 port projects in privatisation drive
Huma Siddiqui
New Delhi, Dec 28: Thirty international companies have bid for about 27 port services projects at various stages of implementation in different ports all over the country, as part of the privatisation drive.
Even as the cabinet nod is awaited for ports privatisation, the ministry is accepting enquiries from domestic companies too keen to participate in the sector.
These projects, mostly based on build, operate, transfer (BOT) basis, are likely to entail an investment of Rs 5,000 crore in the next two years, including construction of fresh berths, leasing of existing assets, creation of storage facilities, creation of dry docks, ship-repair facilities and ship-breaking and capital dredging.
The bigger projects among these include creation of crude handling and POL product facilities by MRPL at New Mangalore Port. The port will also have a new LPG facility by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and a captive jetty to be constructed by Nagarjuna Fertilisers.
The Kandla port has been allowed two virtual jetties for POL products, one by Indian Oil Corporation and the other by HPCL. Approval has also been accorded for a liquid jetty at Kandla to be constructed by Iffco.
Some of the major national and international companies amongst them are Port Authority of Singapore, Hutchiston and Company, P&O Line of Australia, CEINVEST Company of Belgium -- these firms have bid for terminal construction at Chennai port. The others include Reliance, Samsung India, Marubeni, ABG of Mumbai -- they have bid for construction at the Goa terminal -- Tata Electric Supply -- which has bid for the JNPT terminals and jetties -- and Essar Oil, which is involved in the construction of captive- board jetty at Kandla Port).
According to ministry sources pre-bid meetings for some of the projects have already taken place in November.
However, not many domestic companies have come forward to participate in the privatisation process as they lack the expertise.
Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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