Beypore port fails to attract investors, works affected

KOZHIKODE: Unavailability of land for further development has become a major hurdle in attracting investors to take up the developmental work of Beypore port. While the tenders floated by the ports department to develop Azhikkal and Ponnani port have already succeeded in attracting number of bidders from across the globe, the e-tenders floated for completing the development work of Beypore has not attracted even one bidder.

Port development, operation, maintenance and transferring are planned under public-private-participation model. The project aims at developing berths, wharves and other facilities to handle general cargo, container and passenger ships. Dredging of the sea to accommodate bigger vessels to the port also comes under the project.

According to officials with the ports department land identification for developmental works will be a difficult task. Beypore is a thickly populated region and it would be almost impossible to identify land by evacuating the populace, they said.

Besides, the presence of Coast Guard, who depend on Beypore port for their operations, is considered a hurdle in attracting bidders. Any bidder who takes up the project will have to consider the opinion of the Coast Guard officials before commencing the construction work, officials said. The department is forced to put forward certain conditions before the bidders as other departments are also operating from Beypore port, they added.

As Beypore is an all-weather operational port unlike other ports under development in the state, it is difficult for both the government and the investors to come in terms with the conditions for the bid, said the officials. Being the second largest port in the state, the state government has already invested a huge amount for the development of Beypore port, official sources said.

Nirdesh, a project of the Union ministry of defence, also acts as a hurdle for the port development works as the commencement of Nirdesh project works would make Beypore a high security area making it difficult for the investors to carry out work.

Though the port department had convened a meeting of the investors in July to consider the suggestions and proposals of the investors, the investors had expressed unwillingness to take up the work.

Meantime, port officer Abraham V Kuriakose said the department would consider the development of Beypore port after opening the tender for Azhikkal port development works, on January 4. "Various works, including dredging, security system installation and construction of wharf allotted for Lakshadweep, are progressing at Beypore and a detailed development plan will be prepared before floating another tender."