The Chatterjee Group (TCG) has applied to the Central Govt for a special economic zone (SEZ) status for its proposed 10 million tpa petroleum refinery at Haldia in West Bengal. However, the proposal has met with opposition from the West Bengal government, which is in a legal wrangle with TCG before the Company Law Board (CLB) over shareholding in Haldia Petrochemicals (HPL). Despite this opposition, TCG has applied to the Centre, and is reported to have sought over 2,500 acres for the refinery and poly park. TCG also plans to incorporate the development of a polymer processing industrial park attached to the refinery. TCG plans an estimated minimum investment of Rs 3,500 crore for the refinery at Haldia.
However, sources indicate that the state government had decided, in principle, that more SEZs will not be permitted at Haldia due to a situation of overcrowding at the township, where Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has a refinery that it plans to expand, and HPL has its naphtha cracker to produce petrochemicals and polymers. TCG has been asked to set up its refinery as a tenant inside the chemical hub proposed to be set up there by the Salim Group of Indonesia, which was accorded SEZ status at the October 6 meeting.
10-Oct-06 
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