The Hindu : HLL issue affects tender

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 17, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

HLL issue affects tender

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI FEB. 16. Two bids were received by the Goshree Island Development Authority (GIDA) for the 62 acres of newly-reclaimed land that was put up for sale through a global tender.

The bids were opened at 4 p.m. at the District Collector's camp office. The two bidders were Human Healthcare and Research Centre, Elamakkara, and George Neraeparamban of Geo Bhavan, Chalakkudy, who is also a director of the Cochin International Airport Limited.

The Human Healthcare and Research Centre quoted Rs. 126 crores for the total extend of the land.

However, the bidder has not provided the earnest money deposit and has sought exemption in this regard.

The letter furnished along with the bid has claimed that the bidder was exempted from providing the earnest money deposit as it was a non-governmental agency. The second bidder quoted Rs. 34 crores for the total extend of the land.

The District Collector, Gyanesh Kumar, who is also the secretary of GIDA, said that the bids would now be placed before the steering committee of the GIDA headed by the Minister for Local Administration, Cherkalam Abdulla. ``A decision will be taken only by the steering committee,'' the District Collector, said.

Other senior officials at GIDA felt that the claims raised by the consumer products company, Hindustan Lever Limited, over the reclaimed land had adversely affected the response to the tender floated for the sale of the land. They reiterated that none of the claims raised by the consumer products company two days ago through a newspaper advertisement were raised at any point earlier. In fact, said an official of GIDA, the 10-m canal was built into the project to accommodate the demand of HLL. On account of this, GIDA had spent an extra Rs. 2 crores for the project. The official said HLL's claim that it had approached the Goshree Authority for renewal of licences for the jetties was unreasonable because GIDA was not way authorised to issue licences.

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