Mumbai : The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) plans to now develop both phases of the fourth container terminal simultaneously, through two competing partners, which will facilitate the entire project being completed in three years instead of eight as earlier envisaged.
Responding to a specific query on the status of the 4th terminal following JNPT recently terminating the contract awarded to PSA, Mr. L Radhakrishnan, IAS Chairman termed the developments as probably a "blessing in disguise as a result of which we are trying to go much faster than we had planned earlier.”
As conceived earlier, the fourth terminal at JN Port was to have been completed in 8 years - three years for phase 1 and 5 years for phase 2.
That much time was not required to add 4.8 million TEUs, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
He pointed out that he was trying now to reduce the duration and cost of the project by certain modifications to be examined by selected consultants.
He added that the two revised projects would be ready in 45 days.
Mr. Radhakrishnan also indicated that the earlier 5-year moratorium on competing projects coming up at the Port in the container sector after the execution of the 2 phases would no longer be there.
