4 firms vie for Vallarpadam project

Four companies have emerged as the top contenders for the Vallarpadam International Transshipment Container Terminal (VITCT) project.

The deadline for submitting bids for the construction of VITCT, Kerala's biggest infrastructure project, ended on August 29.

The companies selected for final evaluation are Afcons Infrastructure, Simplex Infrastructure, ITD Cementation and LNG Infrastructure, an official of Dubai Port World (DP World) said, DP World is the BOT (build, operate and transfer) contractors of the project.

The commercial and technical bids of these companies will be evaluated by DP World and Royal Haskoning, Netherlands, consultants of the project. Contract for the same will be awarded by October 2007 and work on the Rs 2,200-crore project is scheduled to begin in the same month itself.

Though the DP World had shortlisted six companies for submitting the final bid, only four responded. Meanwhile, the earth-filling work that started in March has been completed and 275,000 cubic metres of land has been filled.