The state government in West Bengal together with Kolkata Port Trust has formed a joint venture company to build a new port at Tajpur. The new company has been named as Bhor Sagar Port Ltd, with a 74:26 stake share ratio, KoPT chairman M T Krishna Babu said that the SPV Bhor Sagar Port is supposed to take up Sagar deep sea port but studies indicated Tajpur in East Midnapur near Digha. Initially, West Bengal government was contemplating developing Tajpur in PPP model to reduce capex outgo in port infrastructure project following scarcity of funds in the hands of the government. A consultant is being appointed to prepare the techno economic feasibility report and will be ready in the next three to four months time. The recent meeting of the two partners was positive and discussed the difficulty in movement of edible oil from Haldia by rail due to opposition by local tankers association. Movement by road for longer distance is becoming costly to the extent of Rs 700 to 1200 per ton and may result in diversion of edible oil traffic to neighbouring ports and this has prompted the state government to go ahead with the new port proposal.
