KOLKATA - The state government of West Bengal has announced the cancellation of the tender awarded to Adani Ports for a major deep-sea port project in Tajpur, reversing a previous commitment despite significant pledged investments. The decision was disclosed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the Bengal Global Business Summit on Tuesday.
This move to rescind last year's Letter of Intent (LoI) comes as the Adani Group faces scrutiny amidst a cash-for-query controversy involving Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and Darshan Hiranandani, which has drawn attention to the corporate giant. The controversy led to BJP MP Nishikant Dubey reporting the matter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. An Ethics Committee investigation into these events may result in Moitra's expulsion from the Lok Sabha.
The now-canceled ₹25,000-crore project was previously expected to see an investment of ₹10,000 crore (INR100 crore = approx. USD12 million) from Gautam Adani's conglomerate, as announced in Kolkata. The absence of any representation from the Adani Group at this year's summit was noted against the backdrop of these developments.
The implications of this cancellation for West Bengal's infrastructure ambitions and for the Adani Group remain to be seen as the state seeks to re-tender the project and navigate the political ramifications of recent events.
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