Kolkata Port Trust has received 10 final bids for the tender for selecting onshore dry bulk cargo handling agent at Haldia Docks.
A total 10 firms have submitted their technical and financial bids, official sources told PTI.
The financial bids would be opened once the technical bids are found qualified, they added.
The existing stevedoring companies of the port, Ripley group, has submitted three bids. Others who have submitted the bids include Adhunik group company, J S Marine of Gujarat and Orissa Stevedores Ltd, sources said.
However, there is no official confirmation for the same and neither could the individual companies be reached.
The port also does not foresee any major legal hurdle in completing the tendering and awarding the contract process.
The upper ceiling of the charge has been fixed at Rs 119.48 and minimum revenue sharing of Rs 13 per tonne, the port said.
According to port users, onshore average bulk cargo handling charges ranged from Rs 200 to Rs 300 per tonne and if the proposed attempt became a reality, it would be a boon for both trade and KoPT.
The pre-bid tender meeting of KoPT has got tremendous response on the tender floated. However, the same could not be confirmed from the group.
"We will be among the first major ports in India to implement dry bulk handling through competitive bidding along with revenue sharing in dry bulk berths for Haldia," KoPT Chairman R P S Kahlon had earlier said.
The Centre might use this as a pilot project before asking all 12 major ports to follow suit, KoPT sources said.
