Mr Partha S. Bhattacharyya, former chairman of Coal India Ltd, will join as Managing Director of Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd on April 1. A joint sector company, HPL has standalone naphtha-based petrochemicals facility at Haldia, approximately 120 km from Kolkata.

“I am looking forward towards a challenging assignment. I am confident that with the cooperation of all stakeholders (including the State Government, TCG group and financial institutions) HPL may emerge as a major player in the global petrochemicals sector,” Mr Bhattacharyya told Business Line . The 6.7-lakh-tonne unit has been subjected to a protracted legal contest between the State Government and private promoter over management control and other issues.