Tajpur Port: Adani's Role in Doubt as Mamata Announces New Tender

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced recently that a new tender would be launched for the development of the Tajpur deep-sea port, raising uncertainty over the previously designated role of the Adani group in the mega project. The initial plan for the project involved Adani Ports and SEZ Ltd (APSEZ) as the selected developer, having been the L1 bidder in October 2022, competing against JSW Group.

Speaking at the ongoing Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), Banerjee presented 12 "game-changing opportunities" in Bengal, with the proposed Tajpur deep-sea port being one of them. She encouraged participation in the upcoming tender, predicting an investment of USD 3 billion or Rs. 25,000 crore.

The absence of the Adani Group from the BGBS event has raised concerns and questions about their continued involvement in the Tajpur port project. Sources suggest that Adani Port has not withdrawn from the project and is awaiting the issuance of the Letter of Award, the next document required to proceed on the ground after the Letter of Intent to Award (LOIA) was handed over in October 2022. Mamata Banerjee personally presented the LOIA to Karan Adani, CEO of Adani Ports and SEZ, during that period.

The current situation has prompted speculation about potential political considerations influencing the developments. Attempts to seek clarification and reaction from Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi regarding the Chief Minister's announcement and the invitation for industrialists to participate in the tender went unanswered.

ET