Bengal Govt plans to launch mono rail in New Town

The state government is planning to introduce mono rail in New Town and to connect it with Metro Rail to improve transport system in the city, said State Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim.

The minister said this while announcing that Kolkata has joined the league of “C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group”, which is a global network of cities tackling climate change and driving urban action that reduces both green house gas emission and climate risks.

He said that this was a huge opportunity for the city and would open new avenues for Kolkata to develop it as a modern city.

He added that since this was a huge opportunity to interact with experts from other global cities to upgrade civic facilities, the state government would focus more on upgrading the city’s transport system.

“The state government is keen to revive the entire transport system. As part of this initiative we are planning to introduce mono rail in Salta Lake Sector-V and New Town. The idea is to connect the mono rail with the Metro Rail so that people can enjoy a world class transport system,” the minister said.

“The planning is there and we are in the process of implementing the project. We have to wait a little bit as the population of New Town is yet to achieve its potential. For the survival of such projects there needs to be enough users,” Firhad Hakim added.

 

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

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.