New Delhi, Monday, January 05, 2009: The Apex Court will today hear pleas moved against the Kerala High Court decision to stay the construction activities of the proposed Rs.53.48 billion port at Vizhinjam near the famed tourist destination of Kovalam.

Last month while considering the case Supreme Court had asked a consortium led by Hyderabad-based Lanco Kondapalli Power Ltd, the Kerala government and others to maintain status quo with Vizhinjam project till January 5th.

The bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu had asked a committee to look into the tender quotation given by Mumbai-based Zoom Developers, whose financial and technical bids of Zoom Developers was not considered by the Bid Evaluation Committee citing citing a violation of provisions in the original bid document, and the tender was awarded to Lanco Kondapalli.

Zoom’s tender was rejected by the Committee headed by the Kerala Chief Secretary,
Zoom had challenged its disqualification and the state government’s decision to award the contract to Lanco Kondapalli.

The court has directed the committee to look into the proposal of the firm within 15 days. Till then, no work will be undertaken at the port, which is being developed by a consortium headed by Hyderabad-based Lanco Kondapalli Power Private Ltd, Malaysia-based Pembinaan Redzai Sdn. Bhd. and Lanco Infrastructure Limited.