Kolkata: The state government expects to start construction work of the deep-sea port at Tajpur within four months.
"January 31 is the last date for the Request for Proposal (RFP) that we have floated in connection with Tajpur port. We have held pre-bid meetings with some big companies and representatives have also come and met us personally. A good number of companies that have its presence in abroad too have showed interest. Things will be finalised in the bidding process which is expected to take three months after expiry of the RFP. Once the work order is awarded it will take three to three-and-half years for making the port operational," Chairman of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), Rajiva Sinha said at an interactive session on Industrial Scenario in West Bengal organised by Merchants' Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
According to Sinha, Tajpur port with capacity of handling 50 million tonnes will be of great benefit particularly for the iron and steel industry.
According to sources in WBIDC, some top national firms have also done field visit of the site in December 2021.
In 2016, the Mamata Banerjee government had for the first time announced setting up the major deep-sea port at Tajpur scrapping the erstwhile Left Front government's proposal to set up only a minor port at Rosulpur in East Midnapore. But the project had got delayed due to alleged lackadaisical attitude of the Centre despite initially agreeing to the construction of an iron bridge across Muriganga to connect Sagar Island with the mainland in South 24-Parganas against a 74 per cent stake of the Tajpur Port.
The chief minister had given the proposal to the Centre in December 2017 but the latter did not accept the same. Banerjee then announced that her government would develop the same with an estimated investment of Rs 16,000 crore.
Sinha said that in an effort to make state-run industrial parks attractive to investors, the state government has reduced power tariff to match it with the rate of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) in all such facilities.
The power tariff of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) was higher as compared to the DVC rate. "We have matched the tariff of power supplied by WBSEDCL. All state government industrial parks, will get such benefit as of now," he added.