Bengal Tourism launches new tour packages

Posted on January 21, 2016 | by aitc | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation has come up with two new tour packages. One is for Kolkata, called ‘New City Tour’ and the other is for the Dooars region.

The ‘New City Tour’ is exactly that – a day trip through some of the newer places of interest. The spots include Nicco Park, Arts Acre, Mother’s Wax Museum and Eco Park (Prakriti Tirtha). It would start from and end at the Tourism Centre in BBD Bag. The tour is priced at Rs 1050 per head (including vegetarian lunch and tax).

The Dooars tour – named ‘Dooars Package Tour’ – is a two nights-three days package for Rs 9200 per heard (including tax). It would start and end in Siliguri, covering the wildlife havens of Jaldapara, Gorumara and Buxa, and Cooch Behar.

পশ্চিমবঙ্গ পর্যটনে নতুন দিগন্ত

পশ্চিমবঙ্গ পর্যটন নিগম ২ টি নতুন ভ্রমণ ব্যবস্থা চালু করতে চলেছে। একটি কলকাতার জন্য যার নাম ‘নিউ সিটি ট্যুর’ এবং দ্বিতীয়টি ডুয়ার্স এর জন্য।

‘নিউ সিটি ট্যুর’ হল একদিনের একটি প্যাকেজ যেখানে নতুন কিছু জায়গা দেখানো হবে। এখানে নিকো পার্ক,আর্টস একর, মাদার ওয়াক্স মিউজিয়াম এবং ইকো পার্ক ঘোরানো হবে। এই ভ্রমণ যাত্রা শুরু এবং শেষ হবে বিবাদী বাগে। মাথাপিছু ১০৫০ টাকা ধার্য (কর এবং নিরামিষ মধ্যাহ্নভোজ সমেত)।

‘ডুয়ার্স ভ্রমণ ব্যবস্থা’ এটি ২ রাত ৩ দিনের একটি প্যাকেজ, মাথাপিছু ৯২০০ টাকা (কর সমেত)। এই ভ্রমণ যাত্রার শুরু এবং শেষ হবে শিলিগুড়িতেই। জলদাপারা, গরুমারা, বক্সা ও কুচবিহার ভ্রমণও রয়েছে এই প্যাকেজের মধ্যেই।

Eco Park, WB CM’s brainchild, wins top urban landscape honour

Posted on November 30, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The central Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has voted Eco Park at New Town as one of the top two projects in the country for innovative planning and design, bringing new accolades for the city in urban landscaping.

The project, developed by West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HIDCO), has won the second position under the ‘Landscape Planning and Design’ category.

Off the arterial road in New Town, Eco Park is spread over 480 acres, a 104-acre water body in its middle. On July 19, 2011, on her way from airport, Mamata Banerjee reportedly alighted from her car as the water body caught her attention. On her instruction, the HIDCO converted the area into an ecological garden.

New attractions, such as the Biswa Bangla Haat, a children’s play area, a butterfly garden, a musical fountain, a bamboo garden, a replica of the Ghum station and an adda zone, were added.

Replica of Eiffel Tower coming up at Eco Park, Rajarhat

Posted on November 27, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal government is now constructing a scale model of the Eiffel Tower at Eco Park in Rajarhat.

Though at 55-metres, the replica will be about six times smaller than the iconic 324-metre structure in Paris, it will still be about as tall as an 18-storey building. The foundation stone for the project, to be built by the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO), was laid by West Bengal Chief Minister at Eco Park today.

The Eiffel Tower replica is going to be a part of the “Seven Wonders of the World” theme-park at the Eco Park in Rajarhat.

Like the original monument, the replica tower will also have two tiers where tourists can climb up to the observation room, at a height of 25 meters from the ground, and get a panoramic view of the city. Apart from two elevators, the building plan also includes a coffee shop and a souvenir shop.

Kolkata already boasts of a Big Ben, a scaled down version of the clock tower by the same name at London’s Westminster.

Solar dome to come up in Kolkata: Power Minister

Posted on November 18, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

To push its solar programme forward, the West Bengal government will install a 110-foot-high solar dome in Kolkata for catching maximum daylight, a minister said on Tuesday.

“It will be 110-120 foot high and we have developed the design and have dealt with associated technological challenges to install the solar dome,” said Minister for Power Manish Gupta.

He said the solar dome will be different from geodesic greenhouses. “There is no such solar dome anywhere in India and nowhere in the world,” Gupta claimed.

Clad in solar panels, the dome will be installed at Eco Park in Rajarhat in the city fringes and “not only provide power to the entire park but also stand as our symbol to the commitment to develop solar energy”.

Transgender youth to be Eco Park guides

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

For transgender people and sex-workers’ children, finding employment and respectability have never been easy. There has been little hope for the marginalized people despite sustained campaigns and alterations in their legal status. In an effort to change the scene, the state-owned Hidco, along with an NGO, will appoint 15 transgender persons and sex workers’ kids to work as guides at Eco Park in Rajarhat. The new service, for which visitors will be able to choose and appoint guides online, will be inaugurated on August 15.

The 480-acre park will launch Eco Walk that aims at making “freedom more meaningful to the youth from marginalized background. These people are refused jobs for no fault of theirs. But they could be trained to work in sectors like tourism, like in south-east Asian countries. The fact that a government agency has taken the initiative to employ them will go a long way in turning things around. Every visitor will have to pay Rs 500 for the two-hour walk. HIDCO is aiming at NRIs and foreign visitors, though the facility will be available to all. They will get deserve equal opportunities. By appointing them, the authorities hope to make a beginning for them.

The West Bengal Government has taken special initiatives to upgrade status of the highly marginalised and vulnerable transgenders who are lagging behind on human development indices mainly in the areas of education and employment.

The first meeting of the West Bengal Transgender Development Board (WBTDB), set up by the state government was held at Nabanna, the State Secretariat ion July. Constituted through a resolution of the cabinet, the Board comprised of four official and nine non-official members, who were present in the meeting to discuss among other things, rehabilitation and welfare of the transgender community.

Recently Prof Manabi Bandyopadhyay took charge of the Krishnanagar Women’s College, becoming the country’s first transgender principal of the country.

HIDCO to develop Eco Village in Rajarhat

Posted on June 16, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

After Eco Park, now Eco Village, a replica of reality. Those who do not have the opportunity of visiting rural Bengal will be able to experience how an ideal village is – Mud houses, naturally, without AC, ponds with fish in them and which you can fish as well. You can even cook the fish you catch at the new facility.

How about a boat-ride? HIDCO is planning to introduce only paddle and shikara boats instead of motor ones. Ample food options will also be available.

Urban Village

HIDCO’s Urban Eco Village is coming up on an 84 acre plot opposite the Eco Park. A village ecosystem is being developed by HIDCO with bamboo, hay and wood surrounding a huge water body. Here you will be able to go out for fishing, bird-watching or boating, you will also be able to see and taste the dishes of native Bengal.

As souvenirs you will be able to purchase handicrafts. Just as the Maidan acts as the lungs of Kolkata, Eco Park is the same for New Town. Eco Village will be an added oxygen supplier to those lungs”.

Prime location

A broad road stretches from the middle of gates 2 and 3 of the Eco Park starting from the Biswa Bangla Sarani till the end of Action Area 2, various apartments are located here. Opposite that, a huge plot of land has been identified beside Nababpur and Famerhati villages.

Eco Village is being developed around a water-body. Except for the washrooms, nothing else will be made of concrete here. The ducks will be introduced in the pond and various flowering plants and fruits will be grown on its sides.

Tourist attractions

A bird-watching tower is also a part of the plans, apart from the local birds, various migratory birds will be seen here. Open bill bird from Indonesia comes here.

Huts will be made available for resting in the afternoon. People can get a feel of Santiniketan or Darjeeling. Apart from that, village experience from North and South India will be available. Kids will also get a park in this facility.

When seen from the sky, the village will be in the shape of the English alphabet ‘B’. HIDCO has already begun their work as per the schedule.