Port of Jawaharlal Nehru delays extension

Mumbai: India's Port of Jawaharlal Nehru has delayed a global tender to develop its planned $130m 330-meter container berth extension project.
Authorities nixed the plan after lukewarm bids and slumping box volumes this year.
"We are not scrapping the project, and will go in for a fresh tender after sorting out legal problems," said S.S. Hussain, the port chairman.
In June 2008, the port authority invited bids for the build-operate-transfer facility on an 18-year concession basis, and after technical evaluation, shortlisted two pre-qualified bidders of the eight initial applicants. The shortlisted bidders were Dubai's DP World, and a domestic consortium comprising Vadinar Oil Terminal and Essar Group.  [27/10/09]