GANGTOK, April 5 – The JICA assisted Sikkim Biodiversity Conservation and Forest Management Project (SBFP) is entering its 2nd year of implementation. The main objective of the project is to strengthen bio-diversity conservation activities and forest management capacity and to improve the livelihood of the local people dependant on forests.

Project activities would thus uplift the living standard of the local inhabitants living in forest fringe areas as well as conserve forest resources and biodiversity by supporting entry point activities, eco-tourism, participatory biodiversity conservation and forest protection.

The project will cover a period of 10 years from 2010-11. International Consultants were to be appointed to guide the Project Management Unit (PMU) of SBFP in the Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management department. The department invited proposals from the firms through international bidding process and received 19 proposals from different national and international firms.

The committee constituted for evaluation of firms scrutinised the proposals and shortlisted five firms. A request for proposal (RFP) inviting detailed technical and financial bid from shortlisted consortiums was issued to shortlisted firms. Four shortlisted consortia submitted their proposal in accordance to RFP. The proposals were evaluated in accordance to the criteria set forth by JICA and concurrence of JICA for technical and financial bid was obtained.

The consortium of Padeco Co Ltd, Japan & Louis Berger Group Inc, USA were selected to work with the PMU of SBFP in the coming years. The contract agreement between the consortium of Padeco & the Louis Berger Group Inc and SBFP was signed between the representative of the consortium, Andrew Stokes (Padeco), Subrata Mazumder (Louis Berger Group Inc) and Dr Anil Mainra, Project Director (SBFP).

source: Assam Tribune