Award of ₹152.79 crore consultancy contract to sole bidder raises transparency and procurement concerns.

VOC Port PMC Contract Faces Scrutiny Over Alleged Tender Irregularities.

State-owned VO Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOCPA) has come under scrutiny following the award of a ₹152.79 crore Project Management Consultant (PMC) contract for its Outer Harbour Project to Spanish engineering consultancy TYPSA India. The company emerged as the sole qualified bidder after the only other participant, the RITES–Sellhorn joint venture, was disqualified on technical grounds. Industry sources have alleged that the tender evaluation process lacked transparency, claiming that technical scores were not disclosed before opening the financial bid, raising concerns over compliance with Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) guidelines and VOCPA’s procurement rules. The allegations have sparked questions over fairness, competition, and possible favouritism in awarding high-value infrastructure contracts. Similar concerns were reportedly raised in previous consultancy tenders at major ports. While VOCPA has not commented on the matter, industry stakeholders have called for an independent review to ensure transparency and protect the integrity of critical infrastructure projects.