Benaulim hatchery revival hits another hurdle as five tender extensions draw no bidsGovind.MaadMargao: Govt’s plan to revive the defunct shrimp and fin-fish hatchery at Benaulim through a private partner has failed to attract a single bidder, despite extending the tender deadline five times over nearly eight months, official records show.Directorate of fisheries had floated an e-tender on Aug 26, 2025, inviting developers to design, build, finance, operate and transfer a “Multi-Species Marine Fish Hatchery” on a 30-year concession at its idle property near Benaulim beach. The original Oct 13 deadline was extended five times — in Sept, Oct, Nov and Dec 2025 and Jan 2026 — before the tender was finally opened on April 6, 2026. No bids were received.Records show that two firms, CPF India and CTO Fish Mongers, repeatedly sought extensions to “align with the policy framework”. An internal note in Nov 2025 said the deadline would have to be pushed beyond Dec “due to upcoming zilla panchayat elections”.The project dates back to 2023, when Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) was engaged as consultant. The process took more than a year, after which the detailed project report was sent to department of public private partnership (DPPP). In May 2025, DPPP appointed Primus Partners as transaction adviser, with fees linked to the project cost.A market-feedback exercise following the failed tender found that potential bidders considered the mandatory six-species requirement too restrictive and the eligibility criteria too stringent. The revenue model — an upfront fee coupled with a minimum guaranteed revenue of Rs 1 crore annually or a revenue share, whichever was higher — was also described as “financially burdensome”.Govt has since relaxed the terms, including easing eligibility criteria and providing a five-year moratorium on the minimum guaranteed revenue.The area available for the project has also been reduced. Of the 43,000 sq m originally held by the department, 3,000 sq m has been earmarked for the upcoming Colva police station, 5,000 sq m for local fishermen and another 5,000 sq m for a proposed shrimp-farming unit in collaboration with ICAR-CIBA. This leaves 30,000 sq m for the hatchery, down from the earlier 38,000 sq m.Govt cleared a fresh e-tender for the reduced parcel with revised, softer terms in early Aug 2026.
