KoPT raises concern on high bids for Haldia berth handling

Ahead of the board meeting on considering bids for mechanised cargo handling at berth No. 2 & 8 at Haldia port on May 27, the Kolkata Port Trust today expressed "concern" over the bids that quoted higher handling charges.

"We are concerned," KoPT deputy chairman Manish Jain said here today on the sidelines of a CII-organised interactive session. "We have to examine why we are repeatedly getting higher quotations from the interested companies which participated in the tender process. It is definitely a matter of concern," Jain told reporters.

According to reports, the bid of the OSL IRC Enterprises Pvt Ltd with Rs 173 a tonne may get the board approval as the port is expecting much lower bids.

This is the second time bids have been invited for resuming mechanised operation at berth No. 2 & 8 after the ABG-LDA run previous contractor Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT) moved out alleging law and order problems last October.

The first tender received the lowest bid of Rs 247 a tonne reportedly from TMIL in April. KoPT was collecting Rs 236 a tonne from customers for mechanised cargo handling when HBT was functioning leading to a profit of Rs 161 per tonne of cargo handled at the berths. A senior KoPT official on condition of anonymity said the rate should not be more than Rs 130-135 a tonne but bidders are adding "political cost" before arriving at the final price for handling cargo.

KoPT officials said the present handling agents in Haldia were a powerful lobby against mechanised operations.