7 pass 1st round Vallarpadam terminal bidding

Seven companies have qualified for further biding to set up the Rs 2,000 crore Vallarpadam International Container Transshipment Terminal in Kochi.

A total of 14 companies had bid against a global tender issued on January 1 to set up the project on a build-operate-transfer basis. The deadline for submission of bids was January 15.

A CPT spokesperson said the companies that have qualified are Dubai Port International, Dubai, Maersk A/s, Denmark, P & O Ports Pvt Ltd, International Container Terminal Services Inc, Manila, PSA India Pte Ltd, Singapore, Adani Exports, Ahmedabad and Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Chennai.

In the case of the remaining seven companies, more details have been called for and their applications are under further evaluation, he added.

CPT had held a meeting with the representatives of the prospective bidders on January 27 under the chairmanship of A Janardhana Rao, deputy chairman of CPT.

Rao said, "All the queries raised by the bidders were clarified and they have been given time up to January 31 to raise any further query regarding the project."

"From the way things are moving, we feel that the project will come to fruition within the set time schedule," the spokesperson added.