NKID likely to develop port near Nayachar

With the Cabinet approval for the PCPIR in hand, the West Bengal government has decided to engage NKID, a special purpose vehicle, promoted by the Salim group of Indonesia, Universal Success group and Unitech, to develop a deep water port close to the investment region.

Emerging from an hour-long meeting with the Indonesia-based Salim group chief executive, Benny Santoso and West Bengal chief minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, state commerce secretary, Sabysachi Sen said that a close requirement of the PCPIR project was a port. The PCPIR was being developed by PCR Chemicals, a joint venture between NKID and the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).

“Without a port, it would be impossible to get a refinery, without which downstream industries would also not be possible,” explained Sen.

IOC would be anchor investor at the PCPIR, where it proposes to set up a 15 million ton refinery. Sen pointed out a refinery without a port would not be feasible and IOC had also communicated the same. The Haldia port cannot handle big sized ships, especially large crude carriers or ultra large crude carriers.

Sen said, NKID had been asked to submit a definite proposal, which would be put by the state government to the shipping ministry for approval.

Prasoon Mukherjee, director, PCR Chemicals, who was also at the meeting said that all the Salim projects in the state was discussed with the chief minister.

Santoso added that he was happy with the PCPIR approval and work on the project was going on. However, the project was yet to get environmental clearance. Sen said, NKID had appointed a company to do the environment impact study.

The fishermen, along the coastal Nayachar, would be rehabilitated. “Our priority is to rehabilitate them. They will have to be trained so that they can work in the factories,” said Sen.

Sen also added that ideally in the next 2-2.5 years, the infrastructure should be so developed that work on setting up a refinery could start.