Reliance, L&T, J&P of Cyprus, Group 5 from South Africa and Ben-Hafeez from the West Asia are the five shortlisted bidders for the four-laning of Jaipur-Kishangarh highway (NH8).
The National Highways Authority of India has issued the tender documents for these companies, asking them to submit their bids within two months.
The NHAI also plans to float an array of special purpose vehicles for establishing connectivity between major ports and national highways.
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The 93km NH8 project will be undertaken under the build-operate-transfer basis. The project cost has been estimated at Rs 600 crore and it has a concession period of 15 years. One senior NHAI official told Business Standard, the five players have been asked to submit the bids within 60 days.
According to the official, the selection criteria is the amount of capital grant sought by each player. The government under model concession agreement can give a capital grant of 40 per cent of the project cost. The firm asking for the least amount of capital grant would be awarded the project, the official said.
NH8 is a part of golden quadrangle project connecting four metro cities. The project has been merged with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's north-south and east-west corridor to be known as National Highway Development Project.
The official said the NHAI was also contemplating to float a series of special purpose vehicles for establishing road connectivity between major ports and national highways of golden quadrilateral project and also with state roads.
The revenues of the SPVs would come from toll on high-value cargo on these linkage routes. NHAI expects a high-volume cargo traffic via these routes.
In SPVs NHAI would put in equity and raise money from the market. The debt would be serviced by tolls. The authority has already floated two SPVs Moradabad Toll Company and Ahmedabad-Vododhara Expressway Company. The former is executing a two-lane bypass to be completed by October 23, 2001.
The official said feasibility studies were on and the consultants would submit the reports within eight months. NHAI has roped in Consulting Engineering Services for Calcutta and Haldia ports and The Netherlands-based DHV for Mumbai and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. The consultancy assignments have also been awarded for New Mangalore Port in Karnataka and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu.
Other ports identified for setting up linkages are _ Paradip in Orissa, Visakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Chennai and Ennore in Tamil Nadu Mormugao in Goa and Kandla in Gujarat.