Bengal revives Kulpi port plans

News was prepared under the information support of Online Daily Newspaper on Hellenic and international Shipping "Hellenic Shipping News".

28 Sep 2007

The proposal for setting up a port in Kulpi in South 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal is being revived again. Mr Ganesh Raj, CEO of Dubai Port World in India, met the senior officials of the West Bengal Government and Kolkata Port Trust here on Monday to discuss the means to go about it, according to sources from the West Bengal Government. The MoU signed between the West Bengal Government and Bengal Port Limited, the promoter of the project, expired in 2004. Dubai Port World is now the single largest shareholder of Bengal Port Ltd.Dr Sabyasachi Sen, Secretary Commerce and Industry Department, West Bengal Government, said the issues like the sharing of the dredging cost and the port charges were discussed. Kolkata Port Trust, it might be recalled, had always insisted on the sharing of the huge dredging cost. The issue of port charges had to be decided by the Tariff Authority of Major Ports, it was pointed out. “We’ve discussed the matter and the West Bengal Government will send a report in this regard to the Union Shipping Ministry shortly,” Dr Sen added.