After four years of little progress, the West Bengal government has officially decided to terminate its agreement with the Adani Group for the construction of the Tajpur deep sea port. In a cabinet meeting held on Monday, the state government approved the cancellation of the earlier deal and cleared the way for a fresh tender process.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier expressed dissatisfaction over the lack of development at the proposed port site and hinted at inviting new bids. Although a new tender was first floated in November 2023, no concrete steps were taken at the time and confusion remained as the government continued to claim that the Adani agreement was valid.
That ambiguity has now been put to rest. A senior state official confirmed, “The decision to issue a new tender for the Tajpur port effectively means that the previous agreement is being scrapped. This is the direction we’re moving in.”
The Tajpur port project, with an estimated investment of Rs 25,000 crore, had been stalled despite initial clearance being granted to the Adani Group four years ago. In late 2023, the state government had announced plans for a new tender, but there was no official statement regarding the cancellation of the original process. Shortly after, officials stated that the Adanis were still involved in the project, citing ongoing efforts to secure necessary approvals from the Ministries of Defence, Shipping, External Affairs and Home.
However, only a conditional security clearance had been received from the Home Ministry and talks failed to progress further. Faced with delays and uncertainty, the government began seeking legal advice regarding the tender process.
When questioned in February, Mamata had reassured that the Tajpur port would be built and that the state finance department would oversee the new tender process.
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