Odisha Govt Sets Timeline For Mahanadi Riverine Port

Bhubaneswar: To expedite the Mahanadi Reverine Port project, the Empowered Committee on Infrastructure under the chairmanship of chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi on Monday accorded approval for to go ahead with the second phase of the tendering process.

Padhi directed to complete the entire bidding process by August, 2018 and issue letter of award by October, 2018.

The committee also approved the short listed companies selected after the first phase of bidding.

While giving the go-ahead to the project, Padhi directed the department to ensure road and rail connectivity to the port and prepare a plan for development of port based industrial complex near the port.

Presenting updates of the project, Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport G Srinivas said as per decisions of the government, two-stage bidding process was adopted for selecting the concessionaire for the project. The Request for Qualification (RFQ) was issued and the proposals received were evaluated by a committee involving Finance, PPP and the Law department under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Commerce & Transport.

Four major port developing agencies namely Hindustan Ports Private Limited, Adani Ports & SEZ Limited, Essar Port Limited and Navayuga Engineering Company Limited have qualified in the RFQ phase. The documents for next stage bidding have also been prepared. The proposed project has been found technically feasible and financially viable with an expected return of 14.36 per cent.

The Port will be developed in two phases. In the first phase, at least two berths of 250 meter each will be set up for handling 18.43 million tonne per annum while additional four berths of 250 metre each will be set up for handling 27.45 million tonne of cargo per annum in the second phase.

Available data show the port will be constructed in Mahakalpada block of Kendrapada district with an estimated a cost of Rs 2,110 crore. The port will need a total of 300 Ha of land, with first phase requiring 175 hectare of land. The proposed location is adjacent to industrial sites next to National Highway-5/A and on the right bank of river. The port is designed to cater to the needs of mineral transport of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. It will be a common user port for various industries and mines in these states. It will handle iron ore and pellets, raw fertilizer, alumina, raw crude oil, finished crude oil, steel & steel products, chromite, mineral sand and bauxite  etc.

 Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan; Additional Chief Secretary Forest & Environment Suresh Chandra Mohapatra; Principal Secretary Finance Tuhin Kanta Pandey;  Secretary Energy Sri Hemant Kumar Sharma; Principal Secretary Tourism Dr Mona Sharma; Special Secretary Commerce & Transport Manoj Kumar Mishra; Secretary Works Nalini Kanta Pradhan and senior members of the committee were present at the meeting.