BPIDL Invites Bids for ₹407 Crore Balagarh Port Project

Balagarh Port Infrastructure Development (BPIDL), a joint venture between Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Kolkata (SMPK) and the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), has invited proposals for a Rs 407 crore port project at Balagarh in Hooghly, West Bengal.

The project will be developed under the public-private partnership (PPP) model and will include container and coal berths with a combined capacity of 2.7 million tonne per annum (MTPA). Of this, the container facility will handle 1.9 MTPA, while the bulk cargo facility will have a capacity of 0.8 MTPA.

The work order is expected to be issued within a year, with bids to be evaluated based on the highest royalty offered per metric tonne of cargo. The project aims to ease cargo congestion in Kolkata, reduce logistics costs and create an alternative trade hub. SMPK plans to shift part of its operations to Balagarh to cater to rising cargo traffic.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.