West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee has reaffirmed his government's commitment to Dubai-based DP World for development of Kulpi Port project in the state.
According to state cabinet sources, Bhattacharjee has written two letters, one to Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, Dubai World, and the other to T.R. Baalu, Union Minister of Shipping, on his government reaffirming the project.
Earlier this month, DP World had communicated to the CM that it couldn't wait for more than three months for the project. Based on DP World communiqué sent to the chief minister, sources have revealed that Buddhadev is busy holding talks with the Union ministry of shipping so that the agreement involving DP World can be clinched as early as possible.
A reason for delay in clinching the deal was because of the two exisitng ports - Kolkata Port Trust and Haldia Port Trust. An emergence of a third private port like Kulpi could threaten the two.
In addition, KoPT should be allowed to dredge the Hooghly around Kulpi and manoeuvre ships to the port. Hence a discussion with the Shipping Corporation of India Ltd has to be held by West Bengal. All these issues have to be sorted out before a final deal for the Kulpi Port project is clinched.
As part of the Rs 1,200-crore project, a container port and a special economic zone are scheduled to come up in South 24-Parganas' Kulpi, which is just 55 km from Kolkata. The SEZ and port will be spread over 3,000 acres, of which 300 acres will be used for the port and allied backup facilities and 2,700 acres for the SEZ.
The DP World development of Kulpi Port will include all-weather port facilities, shipbreaking yard and industrial park, all integrated in a single hub. The marine terminal will have a 450-metre quay and handling capacity of 650,000 teu.
Phase-I of the port development was supposed to be completed at the end of 2009, as per the agreement. DP World, along with Keventer Projects, comprising the joint venture company, Bengal Port, is now supposed to construct a container port and an SEZ at Kulpi.
It may be noted that an MoU was signed between Calcutta Port Trust and the state government for Kulpi in 2001. The memorandum has to be converted into a formal agreement. But then in 2001, the Dubai company was not involved in the project.
According to state cabinet sources, Bhattacharjee has written two letters, one to Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, Dubai World, and the other to T.R. Baalu, Union Minister of Shipping, on his government reaffirming the project.
Earlier this month, DP World had communicated to the CM that it couldn't wait for more than three months for the project. Based on DP World communiqué sent to the chief minister, sources have revealed that Buddhadev is busy holding talks with the Union ministry of shipping so that the agreement involving DP World can be clinched as early as possible.
A reason for delay in clinching the deal was because of the two exisitng ports - Kolkata Port Trust and Haldia Port Trust. An emergence of a third private port like Kulpi could threaten the two.
In addition, KoPT should be allowed to dredge the Hooghly around Kulpi and manoeuvre ships to the port. Hence a discussion with the Shipping Corporation of India Ltd has to be held by West Bengal. All these issues have to be sorted out before a final deal for the Kulpi Port project is clinched.
As part of the Rs 1,200-crore project, a container port and a special economic zone are scheduled to come up in South 24-Parganas' Kulpi, which is just 55 km from Kolkata. The SEZ and port will be spread over 3,000 acres, of which 300 acres will be used for the port and allied backup facilities and 2,700 acres for the SEZ.
The DP World development of Kulpi Port will include all-weather port facilities, shipbreaking yard and industrial park, all integrated in a single hub. The marine terminal will have a 450-metre quay and handling capacity of 650,000 teu.
Phase-I of the port development was supposed to be completed at the end of 2009, as per the agreement. DP World, along with Keventer Projects, comprising the joint venture company, Bengal Port, is now supposed to construct a container port and an SEZ at Kulpi.
It may be noted that an MoU was signed between Calcutta Port Trust and the state government for Kulpi in 2001. The memorandum has to be converted into a formal agreement. But then in 2001, the Dubai company was not involved in the project.