Work on Vizhinjam trans-shipment terminal by 2008

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 17 (UNI) The work on India's first international deepwater container trans-shipment terminal at Vizhinjam will start next year.

''The national and international companies which attended the Vizhinjam International Port Investors Meet have envisaged keen interest and the construction of the Port would begin in December 2008,'' Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan told reporters here today after the meet.

He said 43 companies, including 12 international companies had participated in the meet.

The participants had raised many concerns, including the Built Operate Transfer (BoT) period of 30 years and also relating the project with tourism, he said.

State Port Minister M Vijayakumar said all the tender formalities would be completed by this year.

The conditions in the tender were the same as that of the previous one and the only addition was in regard to security clearance. It had been specified in the conditions that the bid would be given in respect to security clearance only, he added.

State public sector Vizhinjam International Seaport Company Ltd CEO L Radhakrishan said the Request for Qualification Papers would be called for next month and the evaluation of the bid would be completed in September. After security clearance in October, licence would be given to successful bidder in November 2007 and the construction would start in December 2008.

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