Connecting with people main mantra of Municipal Election campaign for Trinamool

Connecting with people main mantra of Municipal Election campaign for Trinamool

Posted on September 26, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Trinamool Congress took full advantage of the holiday to on Friday to campaign for the Municipal and other Elections to be held on October 3. On the day of the holy Eid, the candidates and the leaders of Trinamool Congress campaign in full-fledged manner holding rallies, pada yatras and mass meetings.

In Rajarhat-Bidhannagar, the party candidates took on to door-to-door campaigning, connecting with the residents in their respective wards.

In Asansol, Party Secretary General Partha Chatterjee was present along with Lok Sabha MP Kalyan Banerjee and addressed two public meetings. He informed the gathered mass regarding the developmental surge in the State and the need to formulate a Municipal Corporation in Asansol for better developmental works.

In Bali, the campaign for Trinamool Congress was spearheaded by Aroop Roy who led a padayatra covering different Wards.

US companies show interest to partner with West Bengal for smart cities

Posted on September 10, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

With four smart cities coming up in West Bengal, US-based multinationals like HP, Cisco and Otis have shown interest in partnering with the state. The companies are actively looking into technological collaboration with the State Government agencies to get the proposed smart cities rolling.

“Hewlett-Packard has shown interest in health care and telemedicine while Pratt & Whitney in providing elevator services,” Dr Amit Mitra, State Finance and Industry Minister said at the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

US-based Cisco has shown interest in e-learning and e-health solutions. Beverage firms CocaCola and Pepsi have also shown interest of further investment.

Dr Mitra said 25% of the allotted land in each of these theme townships will be kept to develop the “theme while the rest is to be dedicated for other purposes”.

He said in the recent roadshow held in New Delhi to attract investment for these theme townships, Kajaria Cements along with Hiranandanis and the Piramals have shown interest.

Giving an update over the progress of the Rs 2.43 lakh crore investment proposals concluded during the Bengal Business Summit in January this year, Mitra said around Rs.87,000 crore is already in process.

The West Bengal Government, which had organized a road show in New Delhi to attract investment and technological partners for the proposed smart cities, met the multinationals’ representatives on Monday at New Delhi. One of the multinationals has shown interest in the proposed smart city projects in Durgapur and Haldia as they already have a base there. Two officials of the US department of treasury had been to Kolkata to discuss the State’s plans to develop the smart cities. West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) is also working with the representatives of Future Cities Catapult (FCC), a UK-based urban planning agency, to chalk out how the smart cities can be developed. Bengal has signed an MoU with FCC in London during Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee’s recent visit there.

The State is also developing theme-based cities in areas like Baruipur, Kalyani, Asansol, Siliguri, Dumurjola and Shantiniketan. FICCI has shown interest in partnering with the state for the proposed theme city project on 127 acres in Shantiniketan. At Asansol, the industry-themed city is likely to be promoted in association with the CII, while the Baruipur senior citizen-themed city will be promoted in association with the CREDAI, Bengal.

The State Government is also inviting bids for the cities till September 21.

Bengal to conduct road shows in Delhi to promote theme city project

Posted on September 7, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The West Bengal Government has taken unique measures to set up the six theme cities in the State. Roadshows will be conducted at Delhi from today in order to attract investments for the theme cities in Asansol, Kalyani, Siliguri, Baruipir, Shantiniketan and Dumurjola.

The State Government has now associated itself with different chambers of commerces in order to promote the six theme cities.

The Asansol industry-themed city will be promoted in association with the CII.

The Kalyani IT-themed city will be promoted in association with the BCCI.

The Siliguri Education & Health-themed city will be promoted in association with the AHI

And the Baruipur senior citizen-themed city will be promoted in association with the CREDAI.

The two other cities, the culture-themed city at Shantiniketan and the sports-themed city at Dumurjola, will be also be promoted with different industry bodies.

We will work, we will fight, we will build: Abhishek Banerjee at Asansol

Posted on July 1, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Trinamool Youth Congress President Abhishek Banerjee addressed a mass rally yesterday at Girja More in Asansol which was a curtain raiser for the 21^st July Saheed Divas commemoration. He said, “West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee will be in power for the next 50 years due to the amount of work that has been done in the last four years. There is no place in Bengal where she has made a commitment and the work has not been done. The amount of developmental work that this State Government has done cannot be compared to the work any State Government for the last 50 years.” “The more some other parties and media houses use slander campaigning against us, the stronger will Trianmool Congress get,” he said.

He attacked the BJP by questioning why they had not protested with the Prime Minister even as he has stopped paying for the 100 days job program and has slashed the funds of most other programs. He categorically stated that the BJP’s plan of threatening with CBI and ED will not work and that the more BJP uses such tactics, the more progress will speed up in Bengal and protests gain momentum.

The Trinamool Youth Congress President stated that the Left parties do not have any existence in the state and that the people of this state have broken their limbs and spine through the democratic process and now they will not be able to stand up in the next 100 years. He went on to say that the slogan for Trinamool now is “We will work, we will fight, we will build”.

WB Govt comes up with new township policy providing housing for all

Posted on July 1, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The West Bengal Government has come up with the terms and conditions that developers and investors should follow for the proposed theme-based townships. The new township policy focuses on economic activities and providing housing for all.

According to the guidelines, 25% of the land in a proposed township has to be set aside for the thematic or economic development, for which builders will be selected through e-auction. The developers will have to follow town planning norms, civic laws, environment laws and the national building code for constructions. Besides, 25% of residential units have to be reserved for the poor. While selecting developers, the authorities will check their efficiency, years of experience in handling similar projects and financial strength.

The State Urban Development Department will be the central agency for the six proposed theme-based townships and the West Bengal Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation will be the state-level nodal agency to assist investors.

Developers will not have to scout for land as the townships will be developed on identified state land. Besides, selected developers will get speedy approvals and clearances at the state level.

A total of 447 acres have been identified for the six proposed townships in Kalyani, Bolpur, Dabgram, Asansol, Dumurjala and Baruipur.

A meeting with prospective investors is slated for July 10 when state officials will brief them on the concept. The State is hoping for optimum utilization of land where state-of-the-art facilities will be set up, along with housing for all.

Bengal cabinet clears deck for developing six theme cities

Posted on June 13, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal cabinet on Friday cleared the deck for developing six modern cities in the state.

Speaking to the press after the cabinet meeting, state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim said the location for six modern cities had already been finalised. The Cabinet had even named all the six proposed cities according to choice and importance of the place, he said adding they would have modern facilities for decent living.

Naming the theme cities

Speaking about the smart cities, Hakim said one would come up over 85 acres at Dabgram near Siliguri and would be called ‘Teesta’ after the name of a major river in north Bengal. Another city would come up near Bolpur in Birbhum district over 127 acres and christened ‘Gitabitan’ after a popular compilation of songs by Rabindranath Tagore.

A third city over 50 acres would come up near the twin industrial towns of Asansol-Durgapur covering Churulia, birth place of the poet Kazi Nazrul Islam. It would be named ‘Agnibina’, after the name of a collection of poems by the rebel poet. One more city would come up near Kalyani, developed by erstwhile chief minister Bidhan Chandra Roy, in Nadia district over 50 acres and would be known as ‘Samriddhi’.

Another city, which is yet to be named, would come up at Dumurjala in neighbouring Howrah district over 50 acres. The sixth smart city would come up at Baruipur in the southern outskirt of the metropolis over 86 acres and would be named after the famed Bengal matinee idol Uttam Kumar, the minister said.

Allotment of land

In all cases the state government has adequate land and would be developed by the state urban development department, Hakim said. Besides, the state government would also develop some thematic private township over land within ceiling at different places in the state.

The themes could range from knowledge, sports and IT and the townships would be developed by various wings of the department like HIDCO and KMDA, he said.

Hakim hoped that the projects would bring in huge investment and create a lot of employment opportunity. In all cases there would be 25 per cent reservations for the economically weaker sections.

Bengal to woo IT cos at Analytics City

Posted on May 25, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Keeping up with its smart city initiatives, the state government is now working on plans to develop an `Analytics City’ near Kolkata to woo reputable IT firms dealing in data analysis. It will have the infrastructure of a smart city with residential and commercial complexes and other facilities.

The proposal of developing such a theme-based city was earlier mooted by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI). Discussions have been held with state urban development officials on the proposal.

The state government is already working on plans to develop a number of ‘theme-based’ townships and cities. Places like Bolpur, Kalyani, Asansol, Dumurjala, Baruipur and Debgram has been identified for such theme-based townships and a number of real estate developers have also shown interest to build these theme cities.

Besides, the state government is also working on plans to develop smart cities, keeping New Town, where a number of initiatives have already been taken, on top of the list.

WB CM inaugurates a number of developmental projects for Asansol industrial belt

Posted on May 11, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee inaugurated a slew of developmental measures for the Asansol-Durgapur belt and said that the region would witness more development programmes in future.

“A large amount of development has taken place in this region after we came to power in the state, while many more development awaits for this entire industrial region,” the Chief Minister said after inaugurating the Kazi Nazrul Islam University near the poet’s birthplace at Churulia. She also laid foundation stone for a 300-bed multi super hospital at Asansol.

Kazi Nazrul Islam University

The Chief Minister has also asked the KNI university authority to prepare a proposal urging Dhaka University for collaborative programmes between these two universities. “When I will visit Dhaka, the matter can be discussed with the appropriate authority there,” she said. “The university has now a campus of eight acres land. We are trying to expand it further to accommodate a B.ED. college and a Law college,” she said.

Stating that due honour was not given to this rebel poet, the West Bengal Chief Minister said that her government had developed this university and an Academy after the name of the poet, besides developing Nazrul Tirtha at New Town, Rajarhat.

Andal airport

Giving a list of development programmes which already had taken place in the area, the Chief Minister said commercial operation of the country’s first private Greenfield airport at Andal would begin from May 18 with a six-day-a-week flight service between Durgapur and Kolkata.

Stating that the entire region would immensely benefit from this service, the CM announced 25 per cent concession in this air service for students, land-losers and government officials from the area of Durgapur, Asansol, Raniganj, Bolpur, Santiniketan and Jangalmahal for a year. Ailing residents of Jangalmahal area could also travel with 25 per cent concession for their treatment, she said. WB CM also announced sales tax exemption to the carrier on ATF required for air operation at Andal for a period till 2023. She also said that a private operator Pinnacle Air would begin air services on Kolkata-Durgapur-Bagdogra-Cooch Behar sector from the same day.

Surge of development

The Chief Minister said that it was due to an initiative she had taken long back that the modernisation of IISCO took place which was inaugurated by the PM today. “I gave a proposal on this in 1998. We asked for a ‘Bengal Package’ in which IISCO was mentioned. It took eight years to complete this modernisation programme,” she said.

“Had we not given 3,000 acres of land, modernisation and expansion of IISCO would not have been possible. With the inauguration of this project, the region will enter into a new horizon,” she added.

Ms Banerjee also said that during her tenure as Railway Minister she had also helped to recover the ailing Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW). The infrastructure in the area including roads, drinking water and power has also improved a great deal in the area, Ms Banerjee said with the mention of a police commissionerate and Fast Track Court.

On the occasion, the chief minister inaugurated and laid the foundation of 46 development projects in the area.

Centre and State must work together for progress: WB CM

Posted on May 10, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

WB CM Ms Mamata Banerjee today called for greater cooperation between the Central and State governments for progress of the nation. She was speaking on the occasion of commissioning of the new IISCO plant at Burnpur.

The Chief Minister expressed pride in the fact that the second largest steel plant was coming up at Durgapur. She urged the Centre to speed up the process of expansion of SAIL at Durgapur.

“Asansol is like mini-India. We have done a lot of development here from building IT hub to repairing roads and solving drinking water problem,” said WB CM.

Mamata Banerjee also said she will be inaugurating the new building of Kazi Nazrul Islam University at Asansol later today. She asked everyone to work together for the people.

“Tyag ka naam hai Hindu, Iman ka naam hai Mussalman. Pyar ka naam hai Isai. Yeh hai mera Hindustan,” WB CM concluded.

WB CM names six new townships coming up in Bengal

Posted on April 24, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Six new townships will be coming up in West Bengal, providing homes to middle class and the poorer section of the society. To be built under PPP model, there will be 25% reservation for the poor section for availing flats in these cities. The land required to set up these cities will be provided from the Land Bank of the West Bengal Government.

The townships will come up at Asansol-Durgapur, Bolpur, Siliguri, Kalyani, Kamalgazi and Gazoldoba.

The township at Asansol-Durgapur will be named Agnibina, that in Bolpur will be christened Geetabitan. The township in Siliguri will be called Teesta, the one in Kalyani will be known as Samriddha. The one in Kamalgazi will be called Uttam City while that in Gazoldoba will be known as Mukta Tirtha.

The site for another city, christened Biswa Bangla, is to be decided soon.

The cities will be complete with hospitals, sports complexes and all other modern facilities.