The international standards of such a project being taken into consideration, the time taken has been a record since the standard is 39 months. The ``zero date'' had been January 1997.

The project cost estimate had been Rs 5170 crores; the amount has been far less. With the saved money being added on to the IDBI short-term loan, it is expected that the Haldia project will go on stream on February 15 next year, being the biggest gift that the state government could have possibly offered to the people, shutting up the mouths of all critics and detractors who had seen Haldia as a balloon which had burst before its time.

The state finance minister Asim Dasgupta who had gone to the project site last week was overwhelmed by the efficient work culture and the fact that the project had been finally finished. His day spent with the HPL Parivar did not go waste and rang the bell of joy throughout the district and in every home of each Haldia family, members of which are looking forward to the project as godsend.