Adani Port, Concast-Hyundai evince interest for Haldia Dock II

KoPT allyas environmental concern

Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT)'s search for a partner to develop the second dock facility at Haldia may finally come to an end as Adani Ports and Concast-Hyundai have evinced interest in the project following assurances on environment clearance issues by the port authority.

"Concast-Hyundai and Adani have shown interest in the project. There was a major concern about environment issues. We have spoken to the authorities concerned and assured that it will not be a problem,"  KoPT Chairman R P S Kahlon said.

After failing to to get any private player to build the proposed Haldia Dock II in several attempts earlier ion the year, KoPT had extended the deadline for third time to June 16 for submitting the bids.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had imposed a ban on new industrial units in Haldia region on the ground of high pollution level. "I am told the ban is set to be lifted soon. But  irrespective of whether the ban is lifted or not, environmental clearances are not going to be an issue for the project," Kalhon added.

The Rs 1700-crore project to build four berths at Salukhali named as Haldia dock II , is proposed to be executed under PPP model. The facility will have two components — Haldia dock II (north) and Haldia dock II (south) with an estimated inv7estment of Rs 820 and Rs 886 crore.  The project is scheduled to be commissioned by 2016-17.

Although, KoPT had earlier claimed  many private players were keen to participate, it has failed to get any player so far.  Kahlon may put the blame on environmental concern, sources suggest  this might be a fall out of HBT's pull out from Haldia citing law-and order issues.

"Initially, it was not only Adani Port and  Concast-Hyundai, when the PPP model was chalked out there may other companies Shapoorji Pallonji,  Jindal, Gammon India were also showed preliminary interest. Things changed after the HBT pull-out episode," said one official.Haldia Bulk Terminmal (HBT),   a joint venture between homegrown ABG Infralogistics and French company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs, had signed an agreement with KoPT to operate two mechanized berths in existing Haldia Dock till 2020. However, HBT found itself in a political turmoil after the berth operator retrenched 275 employees citing low cargo allocation by KoPT. HBT had also alleged "vested interest" in diversion of cargo to the expensive manual berths, run by former Trinamool MP Swapan Sadhan Bose promoted Ripley & Co. This finally culminated HBT's exit from Haldia Dock Complex in November last year.

Incidentally, KoPT has yet even failed to get a replacement for HBT. It has discharged the tender twice citing  "repeated receipts of high-value bids" and have invited fresh applications.