The state government is likely to declare the name of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zones (APSEZ) for developing the much-talked-about Tajpur port this week. The port arm of Adani group got a breather from the Supreme Court on Monday.
The apex court said that APSEZ, which has been facing multiple disqualifications from state-owned port projects against the backdrop of the case, could participate in tenders floated by “public bodies”.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will preside over an administrative review meeting on Wednesday and the issue may be discussed there as well. The financial bid for Tajpur was opened on March 23. However, neither the government nor the Adanis announced anything amid speculation that they have won the bid.
The committee of secretaries for Tajpur port had given a go-ahead to the revised bids on March 15 this year. The final day for bidding was March 14. It was learnt that the same players — Adani port and JSW Infrastructure — have put forward bids in the revised bidding as well. There has been a pre-bid meeting with prospective bidders earlier on November 21 with the state. A host of leading players such as DP World, Essar Ports, an entity from Singapore and Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata, participated in the meeting.
The government wants to complete the process by March this year. Sources said that this would take more time. The successful bidder will be given 125 acres of seafront to develop the port and another 1,000 acres situated 4 km away for port-linked industrial development.
The CM earlier said that around Rs 4,200 crore will be invested by the state government in this project.
