The Kolkata Port Trust expects to sign the 30-year concession agreement with the private partner for its proposed Haldia Dock-II complex in January next year.

“We hope to select the partner-contractor for the project by the end of this year. And, the concession agreement with the partner should be signed in January,” Manish Jain, Chairman of KoPT, told Business Line on the sidelines of 55th AGM of the Calcutta Customs House Agents’ Association here on Saturday.

A private developer will construct and operate the dock complex and provide all the back-up facilities.

Project details

The Rs 2,000-crore PPP project, to be executed in two phases, will become fully operational by the end of 2013-14. The complex is to handle nearly 20 million tonnes of cargo.

According to Jain, the shortlist of the bidders would be ready by September 15. “Except for two to three among the 30 contenders, all are eligible to be shortlisted ,” he said.

Bidders list

The bidders’ list included Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure, Gammon India, JSW Infrastructure, Vadinar Oil Terminal Ltd, Megha Engineering, Jindal ITF and a consortium of Transstroy-OJSC.

The West Bengal Government has allocated 160 acres of land to KoPT second complex at Haldia.

> ayan.pramanik@thehindu.co.in