Haldia Bulk Terminals walks out of West Bengal

After a month-long impasse, riddled with complaints of violence, cargo handling firm Haldia Bulk Terminals (HBT) announced that it was quitting Haldia port because of unsafe work conditions. The immediate trigger for the pullout seems to have been the alleged abduction of three of its officials around midnight on Monday.
Only a day ago, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had said all was well at Haldia. The Bengal administration has consistently denied there was anything wrong at Haldia port but HBT — jointly promoted by French logistics company LDA and ABG group of India — made its anguish known on Wednesday.
“With a deep sense of disappointment we have to inform you that we have been left with no option but to walk out from Haldia Dock Complex with immediate effect. The ever-worsening situation at Haldia has left us feeling betrayed,” HBT CEO Gurdeep Malhi said in a media statement.
“The economy of Bengal has once again been denied the opportunity of growth, modernisation and development. Indian and foreign investors will succeed in finding other locations which are investor-friendly and conducive for business. Sooner rather than later, Bengal will have to choose to make itself attractive and viable for investors, otherwise progress will continue to elude the state,” Malhi remarked.
“We cannot work in an environment where the authorities responsible for ensuring law and order and success of the project have openly renounced and abandoned their responsibilities,” he said. HBT informed Calcutta high court and KoPT management of its decision on Wednesday. HBT counsel Samaraditya Pal told the vacation bench of Justice Dr Sambuddha Chakrabarti that the decision was solely guided by the deteriorating law and order situation at Haldia. The court will take up the matter on Friday.
KoPT chairman-in-charge Manish Jain termed HBT’s actions as “obnoxious”. Unless HBT resumes operations, KoPT will be forced to impose the ‘risk-purchase’ clause, under which HBT would have to bear the additional expenses that the port would incur in appointing a fresh contractor, he said.