Two quotes throw enough pointers how the chief minister has been playing with the fate of a capital-intensive, employment generating venture that under normal circumstances and with the state government's pro-active role as facilitator should have become already operational.

A confessional version of sorts was given informally by Gautam Adani on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 to TMC's Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy at a dinner at the residence of veteran politician Sharad Pawar to mark his birthday. The Adani boss told Roy, when the latter raised the matter, that things were not convenient; "the situation is not positive". This confession at a private get-together came nearly four years after Gujarat-based conglomerate's Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) had emerged as winning bidder in the initial tender of 2021.

A provisional Letter of Intent to Award (LoIA) was issued to the company in October 2022. But, earlier this year the state ministry decided to issue a fresh tender. Mamata, proverbially liberal in holding press conferences and issuing media statements, just did not utter a word why the decision on the initial tender - for which the Sajjan Jindal Group's JSW Infrastructure was the other participant, was suddenly scrapped.

West Bengal is to have its first of the two-phase Assembly elections on April 23 for 152 seats. Interestingly, this very Tajpur issue was referred with bitter feelings by Union minister Nitin Gadkari five years and one month back on March 15, 2021, Monday while campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party at Egra in Purba Medinipur district. Gadkari, who earlier had a fairly long innings as shipping minister and currently holds charge of the transport portfolio, forcefully refuted Mamata's charge that New Delhi had unduly delayed the project. He asserted that he had decided on Tajpur, but the state government did not extend any cooperation. The Centre later learnt that the chief minister was keen on adopting the PPP model for Tajpur and that the state government would assume responsibility, but this preference was not conveyed to the Union government.

These developments also had in-built contradictions. New Delhi was initially focused on development of the Sagar Island port for which a SPV - Bhor Sagar Port - had been floated. But the state government pushed for Tajpur, contending it was a better location. In this context, it deserves mention that Crisil, which had been engaged by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation to suggest an ideal location for a new port project, had in its 114 page report of July 2016 had opted for Shankerpur-Tajpur which it found more advantageous vis-à-vis Rosulpur in the same district-the other site it had studied. The point to be noted is that the Crisil report was submitted when the TMC ministry was in its second term but between the study completion and now, nine years and nine months have elapse ; but Tajpur remains elusive.

The Centre, through the Syamaprasad Mookerjee Port (erstwhile Kolkata Port Trust), wanted a 74 per cent stake in the SPV which, as informed quarters told IPA, signified its keenness to involve itself with the venture. But, the West Bengal government gave two options - either a higher stake or else it would opt for a PPP model in which the state is not a junior partner. In the meantime, because of the state's preference for Tajpur, Sagar Island port and related SPV Bhor Sagar Port became, for all practical purposes, immaterial.

As far as the Adanis are concerned, reliable reports have it that subsequent to getting the provisional (LoIA), had doubts about the viability of Tajpur as two existing deep sea ports - Dhamra and Paradip - are not far off ; the former less than 200 km away and the latter 290 km away. The two ports have strong infrastructure, linked as they are with highways and railways. Moreover, West Bengal's estimate that Tajpur would easily create job opportunities for 25,000 persons was found by them as bordering on over-expectation ; given a very high degree of mechanisation has already become the order of the day and this can't be altered.

Is there also a political aspect to it ? Towards the close of October 2023, TMC's firebrand Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra got embroiled in a serious controversy as BJP's lawmaker Nishikant Dubey alleged that the TMC member asked questions targeting the Adani Group as part of a deal with a businessmen. Interestingly, TMC chief Mamata did not restrain Mahua; although the Group was then holding the LoIA for Tajpur. The Lok Sabha elections were due then in a matter of months and Mamata chose silence.

But industry quarters strongly feel that had the chief minister accepted the Centre's proposal for 74 : 26 partnership between it and West Bengal, Tajpur would have been either functional by now or reached the pre-commissioning final touches. But, to her the claim that Tajpur was her ministry's project and she was instrumental in getting it fructified had a higher priority.

Thus, all that the state has at the moment is West Bengal State Maritime Board's notice published in newspapers of Monday, December 1, 2025 edition. The notice invites request for proposal (RFP) for a greenfield deep sea port at Tajpur in Purba Medinipur district on design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis. It is mentioned 1,000 acres of port-led, encumbrance-free land is available for an industrial park. The respondents have been assured of flexibility of design and tariff. Also, they will have state support for rail and road links to the port.

The relevant dates mentioned were- RFP December 1, 2025, pre-bid meeting January 14, 2026, bid submission start date February 1, 2026, bid submission end date February 27, 2026 and Bid opening March 3, 2026.

Although the ECI declared the poll schedule on March 15, the voters witnessed the election mode from early February with the two main rivals TMC and BJP engaging themselves in high-decible informal campaigns. The state is witnessing a desperate bid by BJP to form its maiden ministry and its two star campaigners - Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah - relentlessly attacking the chief minister on the twin issue of infiltration, corruption and maladministration. The results will be out on May 4. The fate of Tajpur will hang in balance for some more weeks thereafter. Will New Delhi be in the picture again? Or will Mamata steer its course; this time in a business-like manner? (IPA Service)

The article Mamata's Messed Up Tajpur Deep Sea Project Can Impact Purba Medinipur Polls appeared first on Latest India news, analysis and reports on Newspack by India Press Agency).