Bakkhali tourism project on fast track

Bakkhali tourism project on fast track

Posted on September 12, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The state government has come up with an infrastructure and tourism development project for Jambudweep and Bakkhali.

The Gangasagar Bakkhali Development Authority (GBDA), which was constituted about a year ago, has been working to spruce up the area’s infrastructure.

Benches have been set up with sheds on the roadside and the beach for tourists, while the approach road to the beach has been paved with water fountain. Streetlights have also been installed.

The GBDA is now preparing a land-use plan for the area. A new building of GBDA is also coming up in the locality. Urban development officials visited Bakkhali and Jambudweep a few days ago to review the beautification and development works.

The authorities have come up with a number of plans to develop the areas. A detailed blueprint will be prepared to adopt beach beautification programmes in Jambudwip and Bakkhali as part of the World Bank-aided Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP), which is now being undertaken at Digha.

The GBDA will also conduct a survey on how they can redevelop the bus stand and the main market of Bakkhali. A detailed project report will also be prepared for setting up a jetty at Jambudwip.

Urban development and forest officials will attend a meeting on September 16 to discuss how they can develop the proposed eco-trail at Jambudweep.

KMDA wins international accolades, Kolkata joins global league of climate fighters

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

Kolkata will shortly be included in the prestigious C40 group of megacities, which is committed to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

On July 22, the mayor of Brazilian city Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, who is also the chair of C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, wrote a letter to Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) Chairman and State Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim saying that the Kolkata metropolitan area (KMA) was a “priority target“ of their expansion strategy .

C40 cities act both locally and collaboratively for achieving the common goal of saving the climate. The group offers cities a forum where they can share knowledge to take meaningful, measurable and sustainable action on climate change, said an official.

In the letter, Paes appreciated some of the recent “exemplary measures“ of the city for environmental capacity building. Paes mentioned Kolkata Environment Improvement Project, Kolkata Urban Services for the Poor scheme and the integration of railways in the Golden Quadrilateral project to be some of the noticeable environment-friendly measures. “I am positive that KMA will contribute to the success of C40, bringing original local solutions to address climate change at a global scale,“ Paes said.

In December last year, C40 released the Global Protocol for Community Scale Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventories, which is the first global standard for cities to measure and report their greenhouse gas emission.

On July 1, the State Urban Development Minister wrote a letter to Paes expressing his willingness to join the C40 club.

UK and Bengal sign 21 MoUs

Posted on July 28, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led delegation to the UK today clinched 21 MoUs with the UK in the fields of industry, health, education and urban development.

The agreements were signed during a bilateral meeting with Britain’s Minister of State for Employment and British Prime Minister David Cameron’s Indian Diaspora champion Priti Patel at a reception hosted at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London.

Praise for Bengal

“This is a landmark visit… These MoUs will help bring the UK and West Bengal ever closer, and unleash the potential of our relationship,” Patel said in her address.

“For 34 years, West Bengal languished under Communist rule. The state had tremendous potential, but that potential remained unfulfilled… I am delighted to say that things are changing fast. Today, West Bengal is on the move.

“Under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership the state is enjoying a renaissance and its potential is beginning to be realized,” said the Indian-origin minister, who had accompanied PM Cameron to Kolkata in 2013.

“The Prime Minister was impressed. It was clear to him this was a state ? and a Chief Minister ? that we could do business with. That’s why he invited you (Banerjee) to visit London,” she said on behalf of the British Prime Minister, who is on a tour of South East Asia.

Details of MoUs

Industry

1. Between WB Infrastructure Development Corporation and UK-IBC for building up business relation between England and West Bengal.

2. Between Pandrol Ltd, UK and Rahee Infratech for a rail fastening clip unit

3. JV between Fonz Leather Styles, UK and JC International for leather unit

4. JV between Fomas group, Italy and ArcVac Forgecast for forging press

5. On support from Laura Ashley and Luike Irvine, UK for promotion of Bengal handicrafts

6. Between Jacob’s UK Ltd and Nicco Park & Resorts Ltd for technical assistance

7. Invitation of guidance between WBIDC, India Teas Association and UK Teal Packeters.

8. Collaboration agreement between Eden Projects, UK and Highland Genesis Developers for micro climate controlled bio domes for eco-tourism.

9. Between Bengal’s Nestor’s Industries and Genus, UK for upgrading genetic potential in Bengal’s dairy animals.

10. Between PC Chandra group and Wester Winter GMBH & Co, UK for development in gold industry.

11. Agreement with Paul Mech, UK and Shopping Bag Directs Ltd to sell Gobindobhog rice in global markets.

Health

12. Understanding with Royal College of General Practitioners for support on PG diploma on family medicine.

13. Between Society for Health and Demographic Surveillance and University College of London Institute of Global Health for collaboration on public health education.

14. Between WB Health & Family Welfare Society and College of Nursing, Dundee, Scotland for nursing education.

15. Between Society for Health and Demographic Surveillance and London School of Tropical Medicine for assistance in Pubic Health Engineering.

Urban Development

16. Between WB HIDCO and Jason Bruges Studio, UK for smart technologies in New Town.

17. Between HIDCO and Smart Cities Catapult, UK for making New Town a Smart City.

Higher Education

18. Between School of Oriental and African Studies and Presidency University for co-operation on South Asian studies.

19. Between School of Oriental and African Studies and Presidency University for Bengali studies in SOAS and exchange programme.

20. Between University of Cambridge and Presidency University for collaboration in arts, humanities and social sciences.

21. Between East Anglia University, Norwich and Presidency University for collaboration in humanities.

West Bengal Government completes 1500 days in office

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

The Maa, Mati, Manush Government led by Ms Mamata Banerjee completes 1500 days in office today.

In the last four years, Bengal has reclaimed her position as the best among states in several sectors and has become a model for others to emulate.

Governance for all

The government of West Bengal sincerely believes in inclusive governance. WB CM has been working relentlessly working for people of all castes, religions, genders, communities and creed.

When Trinamool Congress led government came to power in Bengal, it had inherited a huge debt amounting to almost Rs 2 lakh crore. Despite the debt burden, governance has not slowed down in the state.

Achievements of the government

Finance and Industry

MSME Sector

Business Made Easy in Bengal

Environment Conservation

Housing for all

School Education

Higher Education

Women and Child Development

International Recognition

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.

Urban Development – Trinamool performing much better than previous govt

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

In four years, the Trinamool Congress Government has achieved much more than what any of the previous government could in comparable periods of time.

The Left Front Government, during its last financial year, 2010-11, spent Rs 866 crore. The new Trinamool Government during its first financial year, 2011-12, hiked the amount by 30.25% to Rs 1128 crore.

This amount has continuously increased over the past four years, to Rs 1690 crore in 2014-15 (an increase by 82% over the last year of the Left Front), to make a total spend of Rs 5559 crore over the first four years for the Trinamool Government.

Compare this to Rs 3327 crore, the amount spent by the Left Front Government over its last four years, an increase by almost 70%. This amount has been further increased in the 2015-16 Budget to Rs 1895 crore.

It is quite apparent that the Trinamool Government has continuously spent much more for urban development in the State.

Municipal development – Trinamool is way ahead

Similarly comparing the last four years of the Left Front to the first four of the Trinamool, the comparable amounts are Rs 3204 crore and Rs 4908 crore, an increase by more than 53%.

The budget for municipal development in 2015-16 has kept at Rs 2466 crore, which more than 130% that of the Left Front’s last year in power (2010-11).

Among other things, the Trinamool Government has spent the money on drinking water projects, housing for the urban poor, urban beautification, sewerage system and social development funds.

Completed projects of the Trinamool Government

A. Projects completed by the Trinamool Government in its first three years only (2011-12 to 2013-14) all over West Bengal

16,000 housing units for the urban poor completed; 11,000 more units are on their way to completion
Street lamps have been set up in 52 municipalities
Professional training to 1,05,000 jobless youth
Through e-governance plan, in 73 municipalities, computerised birth and death certificates, trade licenses, and, in some municipalities, building plans too
State-of-the-art tannery in Tangra in Kolkata Municipal Corporation area
Compactor stations for scientific garbage disposal in Kolkata and other places

B. Projects in 2014-15

Nazrul Tirtha in New Town, Kolkata (Rs 45.7 crore)
Eco Island, as a part of Phase 3 of Eco Tourism Park (Rs 6.67 crore)
Underpasses (Rs 4.75 crore)
Third bridge over the Bagjola Canal (Rs 6.03 crore)
Water supply project in Baruipur municipality (Rs 14.47 crore)
25 million gallons per day (MGD) capacity water purification plant in Geonkhali
Completion of Satish Samanta Haldia Trade Centre in Raichak

C. Significant projects undertaken during the last financial year to be continued in the next FY 2015-16

Ten community markets and solar city in New Town Kolkata Development Authority area
Granting 129 acres to Sriniketan-Santiniketan Development Authority for building a Smart Township in Bolpur
Taking up a Rs 300.79-crore project of constructing a giant Ferris wheel for tourists at Millenium Park in Kolkata, in collaboration with a British company (for building the giant wheel) and Kolkata Port Trust
As per a new urban development policy, exhorting real estate developers to build projects for the economically disadvantaged
Municipal solid waste management projects in six municipalities of Hooghly district
Municipal waste water treatment projects in Barrackpore, Uttarpara-Kotrang and Khardaha municipalities
Fifty-bed shelters for the homeless in 10 cities
Increasing the ambit of e-governance

India’s first Green City coming up at Rajarhat-New Town

Posted on May 9, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Government has decided to turn Rajarhat-New Town into India’s first Green City. The State Urban Development Department has already started planning for the project with inputs from the Indian Green Building Council, KMC, IIT Kharagpur and CREDAI.

The Green City concept includes sufficient eco-space, water reservoir system, modern transport. New Town may have mono rail system besides metro rail.

In the next five years, a number of Green Cities are coming up in the State. The cost of construction for Green Buildings is much more than that of normal buildings. To help the realtors, the State Government has announced that 10% extra FRR for Green Buildings to be constructed. It is expected that during the next five years at least 10 crore square feet of Green Buildings will be constructed.

State Government buildings to go green with solar power

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

The West Bengal Government has decided to install rooftop solar panels in as many government buildings as possible across the state so that at least one fourth of the total power demand of these buildings can be met through the alternative route.

To begin with, 50KW solar panels have already been set up in two government buildings Nagarayan Bhavan and Nirman Bhavan in Salt Lake.While Nagarayan Bhavan houses the State Urban Development, Nirman Bhavan, which was earlier known as Sech Bhavan, is the office of the State Irrigation Department. Solar panels have also been installed in the New Town Kolkata Development Authority building in New Town.

Focus on alternative energy

Solar energy that will be generated from the panel will be converted into electrical energy and put into the grid. The power that will be generated will be measured through a special net-meter and thereby there will be a reduction in the total electricity bill.

Installation of roof-top solar panels will make government buildings energy intelligent and the use of conventional electricity will be reduced considerably. Regulators will be fixed and the panels will be net-metered so that the tariff rate could be fixed for using solar power.

Rajarhat follows suit

In Rajarhat New Town, NKDA authorities had already made it mandatory for all commercial and residential high-rises to install solar rooftop systems to meet at least 2% of the buildings’ total electric load.

The State Environment Department and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) are jointly working to set up solar photo voltaic panels in 80 schools and 20 primary health centres across the state. The project is being executed by the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation to generate solar power from the panels and to put it on the grid.

Urban development: Achievements of West Bengal Government

Posted on April 19, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

With the forthcoming Municipal elections in 91 Municipalities and Kolkata Municipal Corporation around the corner, the first question which comes to our mind is how much work the Trinamool Government has done after coming to power towards urban development.

In four years the expenditure towards planned urban development has increased by 70 percent

How much did the Left Front Government spend in their last four years towards planned urban development? How much has the Trinamool Government spent in their first four years? As per records Left Front had spent about Rs 866 crore in 2010-11. Whereas the present TMC Government has spent Rs 1128 crore in 2011-12 i.e more than 30.25% the spending of Left Front Government’s last year. In the second year this government has spent around Rs 1231 crore (i.e around 42% more than Left Front’s last spending). In 2013-14, TMC has spent around Rs 1510 crore (i.e about 75% more than Left Front’s last year) and for 2014-15, this government has increased its spending to Rs 1690 crore around 95% more than what Left Front spent in its last year in power.

In the current financial year the budget is around Rs 1895 crore which is 120% of what Left Front had spent in their last four years in power.

In the first four years Trinamool has spent Rs 5559 crore 28 lakh towards urban development i.e around Rs 1390 crore per year which is around 61% increase from Left Front’s last year spending. In the last four years the Left Front Government had spent around Rs 3327 crore while TMC has already spent Rs 5560 crore. This is around 70% more than what Left Front has spent.

Under Municipal Affairs, Trinamool has spent more

If we compare the last four years of Left Front Government and the first four years of Trinamool Government, it will be seen that from the years 2007-11, the then West Bengal Government had spent Rs 3204 crore 47 lakh. After Trinamool came to power in 2011, the spending till now has been Rs 4904 crore 14 lakh. It is clear from the data itself that comparatively Trinamool Government has spent more than 53% already. In the forthcoming financial year the budget allotted is Rs 2466 crore which is around 130% more than what Left Front has spent during their tenure of last four years in Municipal Affairs.

The work done in both Urban and Municipal departments, is quite remarkable. From distribution of filtered water, development of slums, construction of houses for the urban poor, infrastructure development in slum areas, beautification, implementation Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana, waste management, e-governance service, modernisation of sewerage and drainage system, various allowances like old age, widow, physically challenged people, the Trinamool Government has covered quite a lot of spheres of work.

Trinamool’s success is much more

Though it is difficult to retrieve records of Left Front Government’s spending, the ones we get through the print media like planned development expenditure, social support allowances under various categories for the people under living below poverty line vis-a-vis spending done by Trinamool Government are as given below:

Subject	Left Front Government	Trinamool Government	Rate of success by Trinamool
Expenditure towards Urban development	Rs 3326 crore 43 lakh in the last four years	Rs 5559 crore 24 lakh in first four years	Around 67%
Do –	Rs 865 crore 85 lakh in the last year	Rs 1895 crore in 2015-16	Around 120%
Development in Municipal areas	Rs 3204 crore 87 lakh in last four years	Rs 4904 crore 14 lakh in first four years	More than 53%
Do –	Rs 1077 crore 86 lakh in last four years	Rs 2466 crore in the current financial year	Around 130%
Water distribution project is Municipal areas	Only two in last two years	In 2012-13 and 2013-14 13 projects	6.5 times more
Water distribution projects under Urban Development	19 in last two years	In 2012-13 and 2013-14 35 projects	1.84 times more
Various financial benefits given to people under BPL	In last three years about 5 lakh 50 thousand	In first three years about 12 lakh 28 thousand	2.23 times more

Some remarkable achievements in first three years of Trinamool Government

Till the year 2013-14 some projects which are completed or under completion are;

For the urban poor and slum dwellers construction of houses and improvement of infra-structure in slum areas has been undertaken. Around 16 thousand houses have been constructed and 11 thousand more are under construction within scheduled time.

Several beautification drives have been undertaken in collaboration with Urban Development Department and Municipal Engineering Directorate which includes installation of artistic street lights, beautification of waterfront along the Hooghly from Princep Ghat to Millennium Park, renovation of 16 ghats along the banks of Hooghly, beautification of medians along the 16 major roads in the city etc.

Under Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana over one lakh 5 thousand youth under BPL have been given training.

Through e-governance services along with KMC and 73 other Municipal areas, birth and death certificates, trade licences, payment of taxes can be availed electronically.

A modern abattoir has been built in Tangra (Ward no.58) area keeping in mind the hygiene and health of the people living in and around that area.

Several compactors have been installed towards waste management in various parts of the city by KMC.

Implementation of Right to Public Services Act, 2013 has been done.

The jurisdiction of 15 Municipal Boards across the state has been increased

Some remarkable projects completed in the last few years

Nazrul Tirtha at Rs 45.70 crore

Eco tourism park phase 3 (eco island) at Rs 6.67 crore

Pedestrian underpass at Rs 4.76 crore

Third Bagjola bridge at Rs 6.03 crore

Surface water distribution in Baruipur at Rs 14.87 crore

In Geokhali 25 MGD water treatment plant

In Raichak construction of Satish Samanta Trade Centre has been completed

Some notable projects under implementation

The projects under construction are ;

Under Newtown Kolkata Development Authority 10 community markets and Solar city

Sriniketan – Shantiniketan Development Authority has allotted 129 acre land to build Bolpur Smart Township

In collaboration with Kolkata Port Trust a giant wheel is being installed at the Millennium Park at the cost of Rs 300.79 crore

22 urban development projects have been undertaken at the cost of Rs 76 thousand crore to help the backward classes of the society

Solid waste management project has been undertaken by Hooghly Municipality in the current financial year

Waste water project has been started under Barrackpur, Uttarpara and Khardah Municipalities

10 shelters for the homeless with 50 beds each is being made for the homeless people

Over and above this the periphery of e-governance services will be increased

It can be said without hesitation the work being done by the TMC Government in the State is much more than done by any government earlier to this.

Plan to develop Kalyani as the next satellite town underway

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

The West Bengal Government has started working on a plan to develop Kalyani as the next satellite town close to Kolkata.

A meeting was held to discuss the issue and inspect the sites. Among the plans that have been chalked up are building an entry gate to Kalyani, creating urban housing replacing dilapidated buildings and coming up with a process of redesigning to improve service delivery. The authorities also inspected the site where the KMDA is setting up a sewerage treatment plant under the National Ganga River Basin Authority scheme.

The State Urban Development Secretary said a 3-acre plot has already been identified, which will be put on e-auction for setting up an educational institute. The plot will be auctioned on a lease-hold basis for 99 years. The authorities also plan to renovate the old, dilapidated government houses. Several government houses set up during the ’60s and ’70s were used by different institutes, but many of them have now been abandoned. The idea is to renovate or sell those buildings so that space can be created for setting up urban housing.

The Trinamool Congress government has already planned to develop 10 townships across the state as smart cities and Kalyani is one of them. However, with the detailed layout of the smart city concept yet to be developed — except for New Town that already has the required infrastructure — the immediate plan of the government is to develop the infrastructure for developing the townships. The authorities are focusing on Kalyani as it is close to Kolkata and has the land available for urbanization.

Kalyani has immense potential to be urbanized. Work on the Kalyani-Barrackpore expressway that will become a six-lane highway has already started under the JNNURM scheme. Once it is completed, it will pave way for a huge traffic volume entering Kalyani from the city in a very short time.

According to the new urban policy that the government has come up with, 15% additional floor area ratio (FAR) has been allowed to make way for buildings with larger space like mass housing, IT complexes and mega commercial housing complexes. This policy will be used to develop Kalyani too.