Mamata Banerjee Announces Tender for Tajpur Deep Sea Port Development

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday, November 21, announced that a tender will soon be launched for the development of the Tajpur deep sea port. This announcement has raised questions about the future of the project, which was previously stated to be developed by the Adani Group.

Uncertainty over Adani Group's role

The Tajpur deep-sea port project was initially intended to be developed by Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd (APSEZ), which was the L1 bidder out of two final bids received in October 2022. However, the absence of the Adani Group from the ongoing Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) has raised questions about their role in the project.

Sources close to the matter have suggested that Adani Port has not backed out of the project and is waiting for the Letter of Award, the next document required to proceed on the ground post the letter of Intent to Award (LOIA) handed over in the past. The LoIA was handed over to Karan Adani, CEO of Adani Ports and SEZ, by Banerjee herself in October 2022.

Mamata Banerjee invites industrialists to participate in tender

In her address at the BGBS, Banerjee said that there are 12 game-changing opportunities in Bengal, with the proposed deep-sea port at Tajpur being the first. She invited industrialists to participate in the tender for the project, which is expected to attract an investment of USD 3 billion or Rs 25,000 crore.

Lack of clarity from the government

Despite repeated attempts, Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi could not be reached for clarification and reaction to the chief minister's address regarding the invitation to industrialists to participate in the tender for the project. There has also been no official comment from the government to clear the air.

The future of the Tajpur deep sea port project remains uncertain, with the Adani Group's role in the project still unclear. The West Bengal government's invitation to industrialists to participate in the tender for the project has further added to the confusion. It remains to be seen whether the Adani Group will continue to be involved in the project or if the government will seek a new partner.