WB govt invites bids for development of greenfield port at Tajpur

The West Bengal government has invited bids for the development of a greenfield port at Tajpur on a design-build-finance-operate-transfer basis. Many global players like DP World and Port of Singapore have shown interest in the development project following the flotation of an Expression of Interest (EOI). The port development is proposed on a straight beachfront and has a 5 km approach road from the Kolkata-Digha highway. It is located close to the mineral-rich belts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chattisgarh. The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Limited (WBIDC) had floated a tender for the Tajpur port, which received approval from CM Mamata Banerjee in 2020. The port is located less than 200 km from Kolkata and less than 10 km from Digha. CM said that the state government would invest around Rs 4,200 in this project. It is expected to draw total investments to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore. Land acquisition is not needed for the project since adequate land is available. Over 25,000 people will be employed for the project. The West Bengal Maritime Board (WBMB) will perform as the nodal agency for undertaking the project development works of the proposed port and managing the public-private partnership (PPP) transaction. Currently, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port has two facilities, including the Kolkata Dock System (KDS) and Haldia Dock Complex (HDC), which are the major ports in West Bengal. Image SourceAlso read: Adani Ports & SEZ to foray into West Bengal’s maritime sector