Kopt beneficiary of lifting of pollution embargo at Haldia

The first beneficiary of the lifting of the pollution embargo at the Haldia industrial township in East Midnapore district has been the Kolkata Port Trust. The Haldia Dock -II (North and South) Rs 1,600 crore project contract of KoPT could not take off as the private bidder could not draw up the demand growth plan of the port unless the embargo was scrapped.

The central government had put an embargo on new projects and expansions for existing companies in Haldia, Howrah and Asansol because of high pollution.

Within days of the embargo being lifted, KoPT awarded the contract to a consortium of Concast Infratech Ltd and Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co Ltd for Haldia Dock -II (North) at an estimated cost of Rs 821 crore.

A port official said the board of trustees had cleared the contract and the concession agreement would be signed soon.