Tajpur port shift, water metro push: Bengal unveils new maritime roadmap

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari made the announcements following a series of meetings with senior state and central government officials.

Tajpur deep-sea port found to be unviable

The Chief Minister said the proposed deep-sea port at Tajpur in Purba Medinipur district was no longer feasible because the government did not possess sufficient land required for the project.

Referring to discussions with Karan Adani, Adhikari said the Adani Group had already exited the project as it lacked key requirements such as land, rail connectivity and warehousing infrastructure.

An evaluation conducted by the state government concluded that a deep-sea port could not be developed at the site.

"There is no government land available in Tajpur. Therefore, it is not possible to set up a deep-sea port there," he said.

Dadanpatrabar proposed as alternative site

To keep the project alive, the state government has proposed Dadanpatrabar, around 10 kilometres from Tajpur, as an alternative location.

The site, which once housed a salt factory, has around 1,700 acres of land available for development.

Adhikari said the proposal had been shared with Karan Adani and discussions would continue before a final decision is taken.

The state government has also expressed readiness for revenue-sharing arrangements with the Centre for the project.

Kolkata to join India's water metro network

In a major boost to inland water transport, West Bengal is set to become part of India's expanding Water Metro programme, with Kolkata slated to join the network as the 18th city under the initiative.

The Chief Minister said the proposal has received approval from Union Minister of State Shantanu Thakur.

Modelled on the successful Water Metro system in Kochi, the project aims to provide sustainable, efficient and environmentally friendly urban transport through inland waterways.

The Centre has been extending the programme to riverine, coastal and island regions across the country.

Bengal joins Sagarmala 2.0 after skipping first phase

The state government also confirmed that West Bengal will participate in the Centre's Sagarmala 2.0 programme, having remained outside the first phase of the flagship maritime development scheme.

Under the initiative, the state plans to prepare maritime and port-related projects worth approximately Rs 22,700 crore over the next five years.

The programme is expected to strengthen port infrastructure, improve logistics connectivity and promote coastal economic development across the state.

Long-delayed port project gets fresh push

The Tajpur port project was originally conceived during the tenure of Mamata Banerjee and was envisioned as a major infrastructure investment.

The project carried an estimated investment of Rs 15,000 crore, with another Rs 10,000 crore expected to flow into associated infrastructure development.

After years of delays linked to land constraints and pending clearances, the previous state cabinet terminated its arrangement with Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone in June 2025.

A fresh global tender issued later that year was subsequently cancelled.

With the proposed shift to Dadanpatrabar, Kolkata's inclusion in the Water Metro network and the state's entry into Sagarmala 2.0, the government is seeking to revive West Bengal's maritime ambitions through a broader transport and port development strategy.