West Bengal To Re-Tender Tajpur Deep-Sea Port Project As State Pushes For Long-Awaited Maritime Gateway

The West Bengal government has decided to re-invite bids for the Tajpur deep-sea port, reviving a project seen as critical to the state’s maritime infrastructure.

The decision, taken at a meeting of the cabinet’s standing committee on industry, infrastructure and employment, follows prolonged delays in execution, PTI reported.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee confirmed the move, stating, “Soon, the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) will seek fresh proposals.”

Officials indicated that the process to identify a new developer is already under way and the award is expected before Durga Puja in late September.

The project was first awarded to the Adani Group in 2022. However, despite more than two-and-a-half years having passed, construction never took off, forcing the state to consider re-tendering. Legal consultations were sought earlier this year to clear the path for the re-advertisement.

The port is of strategic importance, as West Bengal is one of the few coastal states without a functional deep-sea facility.

The ageing Shyama Prasad Mookerjee port in Kolkata, located upriver, is constrained by shallow draft and requires continuous dredging of the Hooghly to maintain navigability, an expensive and unsustainable measure.

The proposed Tajpur port, located in East Midnapore district, offers a natural depth that would allow large container vessels and bulk carriers to dock directly, without the need for constant dredging.

It is also seen as vital to easing congestion at Kolkata and Haldia, which face draft limitations and operational inefficiencies.

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