West Bengal Government Envisions Dedicated Tea Park on Kolkata Port Land

Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata (SMPK), formerly known as Kolkata Port Trust, has earmarked land for the proposed establishment of a tea park by the West Bengal government. Rathendra Raman, Chairperson of SMPK, revealed that the port had received a request from the state government for a parcel of land to develop a tea park within the city.

Speaking at a special session on Kolkata Port organized by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Raman stated, "Tea is exported from here and the processes are done in Dubai. So they want to develop a tea park here with all the infrastructure in the city itself."

Industry sources noted that if the project materializes, it could provide a valuable opportunity for value addition to the tea industry, allowing tea companies to access common facilities. Currently, Dubai, with its integrated tea infrastructure at the DMCC in Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone, serves as a significant trading hub for tea.

The projected land requirement for the tea park is around 10-12 acres, with SMPK intending to lease the land to the state government, which will undertake the infrastructure development. Additionally, SMPK is exploring the development of exclusive economic zones in the Kolkata and Haldia port areas, seeking 25 acres in Kolkata and 125 acres in Haldia.

Raman explained that discussions are ongoing regarding whether the exclusive economic zones would operate in a public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The port aims to enhance its cargo handling capacity to 115 million tonnes by 2030, with a focus on PPP projects for infrastructure development. SMPK, with a landholding of approximately 11,000 acres, continues to play a pivotal role in fostering economic growth in the region. From April to December 2023, SMPK registered a 4.69% increase in cargo handling, anticipating a growth of over 5% for the entire year.

BS