The Centre is likely to give security clearance to the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings and Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine Corporation to bid for the Rs.1,200 crore offshore container terminal project of the Mumbai Port Trust.

Security clearance for the two firms was pending before the Indian intelligence agencies, while the other nine bidders had got the go-ahead.

The clearance was delayed as the security agencies had raised the issue of a possible threat to the country's critical infrastructure given the two firms' Chinese connections.

The government is likely to give the clearance to these companies by next week and has asked the Mumbai Port to extend the deadline of submitting the request for proposal from 28 November 2005 to 15 December 2005. The deadline extension will give sufficient time to these companies to submit their technical and financial bids.

The Mumbai Port had shortlisted Larsen & Toubro, Hutchison Port, Evergreen Marine, Mitsui OSK Lines, P&O Ports, United Liner Agencies India, Gammon India, ABG Heavy Industries, Dubai Ports International, AP Moller Finance SA and Adani Exports.

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L&T-Hutchison to bid for Mumbai port project (17-Nov-05)