The Odisha government on Thursday approved a proposal to transfer 95 per cent of the equity shares of Gopalpur Port to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) from Shapoorji Pallonji Port Maintenance Private Limited and Orissa Stevedores Limited.

Gopalpur Port is located near Berhampur town in southern Odisha, about 175km from Bhubaneswar.

This is the second Adani port in Odisha: APSEZ also owns the Dhamra port.

The transfer of equity shares to APSEZ got the approval of the Mohan Charan Majhi cabinet on Thursday.

As per the cabinet decision, it will sign a revised concession agreement for the development and expansion of Gopalpur Ports Limited.

“Gopalpur Ports Ltd had sought permission for the transfer of 95 per cent of equity shares to Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited from Shapoorji Pallonji Port Maintenance Private Limited (56 per cent) and Orissa Stevedores Limited (39 per cent),” a state government release said.

In March, APSEZ had entered into an agreement to purchase the 95 per cent stake at an enterprise value of ₹3,080 crore

“Following the due procedure, the Cabinet has approved the proposal for the transfer of equity shares along with permission to sign the revised concession agreement thereof towards the development and expansion of Gopalpur Ports Limited.”

Bribery charge

A chief manufacturing officer at Adani Group-backed Ambuja Cements in Chhattisgarh has been arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe a government official, the vigilance directorate in neighbouring Odisha state said, reports Reuters.

The officer, Rambhav Gattu, offered a flower bouquet and a packet of sweets — later found to contain ₹200,000 ($2,382) in cash — to the collector of Odisha's Barghar region whose duties include taking in revenues, the directorate said on Wednesday.

Ambuja Cements and Adani Group did not immediately reply to requests for comment.