The Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority has disqualified The Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) from a tender to privatise the port authority’s container handling facility. The terms and conditions in the tender document say that any firm involved in contract termination at other ports will be prohibited from participating in the terminal privatisation bidding process.
Back in December 2020, a coal handling terminal at the Vishakapatnam Port Authority that was operated by a unit of APSEZ was terminated. Under the tender condition, APSEZ was also excluded from a tender regarding the mechanisation of West Quay berths 7 and 8 at the Vizag port.
During a personal hearing with the JN Port Authority, APSEZ maintained that it had terminated the coal terminal contract in Vizag even before getting termination notice for the same. It had taken a similar stand during the official hearing of the matter at the Andhra Pradesh High Court. “The fact remains that the coal terminal at Vizag port was terminated. Citing this, Visakhapatnam Port Authority rejected APSEZ’s application to participate in the tender for West Quay berths 7 and 8. APSEZ has not secured a stay from the courts against its disqualification,” say people familiar with the matter.
