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Five major port operators have responded to the global tender floated by Vizhinjam International Seaport Ltd (VISL).
They are Gammon Infrastructure Projects; the Hyundai-Concast consortium; Essar Ports; Adani Ports; and Srei-OHL, a consortium of Srei Infra and Spanish construction company Obrascón Huarte Lain.
VISL had earlier called for Requests for Qualification (RFQ) to build the port superstructure and operate the proposed deepwater port and container transhipment terminal at Vizhinjam, 16 km from here. The same players have also responded to the other RFQ for engineering, procurement and construction works floated separately. The deadline for the first tender (building superstructure and operating the port) ended on Monday, while that for the second runs till June 30.
VISL had indicated that the same entity take up work indicated under both RFQs apparently on cue with the Centre’s new thinking with respect to implementing mega projects.
Sources told Business Line that the intention was to avoid a situation that had come about in the Delhi airport metro project involving a Reliance Infra subsidiary.
Meanwhile, the RFQs would be examined by VISL’s technical and legal consultants and their reports referred to an empowered committee led by the Chief Secretary, Kerala. The entities clearing this round would in turn be served the request for proposal documents.
AS Suresh Babu, MD and CEO of VISL, told Business Line that the mega project, estimated to cost Rs 5,000 crore, has come right back into global reckoning. The fact that it has attracted the attention of five leading port operators is itself a major advertisement for the project.
Cabotage exemptionStrong recommendation of the Planning Commission for relaxation in Cabotage rules is another. Babu did not expect the model code of conduct to come in the way of a formal announcement in this connection.
This is because Vizhinjam has been a work in progress for a long time and any incremental decision on it would only be matter of routine procedure.
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