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Kathmandu,Thursday January 27, 2000 Magh 13th, 2056.
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ICDs
lease-out rebidding likely
By a Post Reporter
KATHMANDU, Jan 26 - Due to
low price offered by the two finalists bidders for the lease-out of Biratnagar Inland
Container Depot (ICD),
Nepal Inter Modal Transport
Development Board is contemplating a re-bidding for the lease-out, according to a source
close to the Board.
The two bidders have offered
the price, which is "far below the expectation of the board," says the source.
The bidders: Dooars Transport and Inter Modal Logistics Transport have quoted just above
52.9 million rupees for the first ten years along with revenue sharing proposal, while
Inter Modal Logistics Transport has offered 176 million rupees for ten years.
Ananda Shrestha, Executive
Director of the Board, however, denied re-bidding but said the Board led by Commerce
Secretary Mohan Dev Pant would take decision regarding the final hand-over.
Though six companies had been
initially qualified on the pre-qualifed round, only five companies opted for financial
round and two were qualified to the final round.
Biratnagar ICD constructed
under Nepal Multimodal Transit and Trade Facilitation Project (MTTFP) was completed a
month ago.
Three ICDs are being
constructed under MTTFP in Biratnagar, Bhairahawa and Birgunj. Construction of Bhairahawa
ICD is at the final stage of completion, while Birgunj ICD is expected to be completed by
March this year. Since the current bid was asked combinely for the operation of Biratnagar
and Bhairahawa terminals, re-bidding will automatically cancel the bid for Bhairahawa ICD.
Unlike Biratnagar and
Bhairahawa ICDs, Birgunj ICD will be connected with railway tracks. Indian Railway
Construction (IRCON) has already begun the construction of 5.4 kilometer long railway
tracks from Raxual, India to Birgunj ICD. The railway track is being constructed under the
Indian grant assistance.
The total cost for NMTTFP is
estimated at US$ 28.5million, of which US$ 23.5 million is being funded by International
Development Assistance (IDA), the World Bank and the rest is covered by the government.
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