West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s remarks over tendering of the deep sea port at Tajpur at the inauguration of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) on November 21 has raised questions over the Adani Group’s involvement in the project.
“There is a proposed deep sea port at Tajpur. That is ready. You can participate in the tender. This will attract an investment of $3 billion or ₹25,000 crore ” Ms. Banerjee said on Tuesday. The project initially was intended for Adani Ports and SEZ Limited (APSEZ). In October 2022, Karan Adani, son of Adani Group Founder Gautam Adani, had come to Kolkata to accept a Letter of Intent (LOI) from the Chief Minister.
The absence of the Adani Group from the BGBS has raised further questions about their role in the Tajpur port project. The Economic Review for the year 2023-24 tabled by the West Bengal government in the Assembly earlier this year in February pointed out that the LOI has been issued for development of the Tajpur deep sea port.
The seventh edition of the BGBS witnessed the participation of prominent industrialists in the country, including Mukesh Ambani chairman of Reliance Industries, Energy baron Sanjeev Goenka and Wipro’s Rishad Premji. The absence of the Adani Group from the BGBS has raised further questions about their role in the Tajpur port project.
Sources said that Adani Port has not backed out from the project and is waiting for the Letter of Award, the next document required to proceed on the ground post the LOI handed over in October 2022. There has been no official comment from the West Bengal government so far to clear the air.
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Even though a few Trinamool Congress MPs have been critical of the Adani Group, Ms. Banerjee has maintained silence. The reference of Tajpur Deep Sea port without Adani Group has triggered speculation in political and industry circles of the State. The proposed port is located off Tajpur, around 170 km from Kolkata with a deep draft of 12.1 metres and is expected to create 25,000 jobs directly besides indirect jobs which would touch a lakh, the State government has said.
