JHAPA, JANUARY 28

Eleven years after the construction of a dry port in Kakarbhitta, Jhapa, a private company has been entrusted with the responsibility of operating the port.

Nepal Intermodel Transport Development Committee Kakarbhitta Chief Ambika Subedi said Trans Nepal Freight Service Private Limited had been awarded the contract to operate the dry port, through open competition, from February 13 onwards.

The company had proposed to pay Rs 130 million for operating the dry port for five years. Five companies had submitted interest letters for running the port.

The port is the closest one for conducting trade between Nepal and Bangladesh.

The port was constructed at a cost of Rs 390 million with loan money received from Asian Development Bank. The committee had been operating the port on its own due to its failure to award the contract to another company.