The dredging works in three blocks for the Rs 2427-crore Sethusamudram canal project are likely to start in October as the government is hoping to finalise the contractor in August, according to Baalu. | |
| He said that government had cancelled the previous bids since most of the conditions stipulated by the contractors could not be accepted. |
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| However, in the fresh bid process, four companies "� Jan De Nul of Belgium , Hyundai Engineering of Korea, Dredging International and Van Oord (Dutch firm) "� which qualified in the earlier process, have been shortlisted for undertaking dredging in three blocks - A, B and C. |
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| "Today we have a pre-bidding meeting in Tuticorin and the last day for bidding will be June 15. We expect to issue the letter of intent on August 1 and the contractor will start the work by October 1 and complete before November 1, 2008." |
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| Baalu also said that 5.3 million cubic metres was dredged in D block (north of Palk Straits) as on date. |
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| "Over 35 per cent of the work has been completed and the entire dredging in D block will be completed by July 2007," he added. |
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| The Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) is executing the dredging works in the D block. DCI has been entrusted to carry dredging works for 13.55 million cubic metres. The project envisages dredging of 82.5 million cubic metres in four blocks. |
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