Riverine Port To Be Set Up On Mahanadi In Kendrapara

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided for setting up a Riverine Port in PPP mode on BOOST basis on Mahanadi at Akhadasali village under Mahakalapada block in Kendrapara district.

According to official sources, four developers have responded to the Request for  Qualification (RFQ) floated for the  purpose.

For issue of Request for Proposal  (RFP) in favour of the applicants, a meeting of  High Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was convened on Saturday.

The meeting decided to issue RFP to all four applicants to participate and to give in-principle  approval to  the project as well as to the draft  RFP, draft concession agreement and land lease agreement.

The port will be set up in two phases. In first phase two berths will be established for transportation of 18.43 million tonnes cargo per annum for which the expenditure has been estimated at Rs 2,110 crore. It will be developed over an areas of 175 hectares, sources said.

The Riverine Port will be connected to National Highway 5-A (now NH-53) and Haridaspur-Paradip Railway line for transportation of cargo.

On establishment of this port, about 4,300 direct and indirect employment opportunities employment opportunities will be created in first phase with the total spiraling up to 10,700.