(1) Auction of 7 plots in New Town, Kolkata (last date 15th June 2012)
(2) Auction of plots in Financial Hub in CBD area in New Town, Kolkata (last date 31st July 2012: see Advertisement in TODAY'S papers as follows):
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| Date of application for Fin Hub extended to 31st July 2012 |
Along with the Gate on Kolkata Digha Road at entrance of old Digha, a Gate will also be set up at New Digha, close to the Railway Station / Amravati Park. The following design was also selected by the panel. I plan to go to Digha on Teuesday 5th June and finalise the arrangements:
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| Gate design by award winning architect: for New Digha |
Sir, unless we create a buzz in national and international level, we will have to keep on extending the dates for the plots in Financial Hub. Giving advertisement in local newspapers will not help. We need to market it well. We need to give advertisements in newspapers like Economic Times, Hindu Business Lines, Financial Express, New York Times Guardian as well as in magazines like TIME, ECONOMIST, Harvard Business Review etc. Also perhaps we will need to do roadshows in international finance hubs like New York, London, Dubai and Singapore. Global financial institutions are sitting on trillions of dollars and looking for the right place to invest if there is growth opportunity and India with second-fastest growing GDP is a right place. We need to market well by creating a proper buzz.
ReplyDeleteSame applies for Digha projects and development of the corridor between Digha and Mandarmani. We need to give advertisements in national and international travel magazines.
ReplyDeleteDear Sir,
ReplyDeleteThe auction of plots in New town for educational purpose seems very unusual/ "not for everyone" by reading its terms.
It calls for a company which had a minimum turnover of 25 crores per year for last three years.
Doesnt it sounds very difficult for someone who is starter, genuine and want to serve the society??
If there is no such clause then I believe that more number of people with genuine intentions can participate in the bidding process rather than only very few participants in this case of 25 crore turnover.
Regards,
Punit
Sir ,
ReplyDeleteIn Times of India we can project Digha as a good tourist destination spot and thus can bring Bengal more fame.
@Abhisekh: I quote Hamlet for you:
ReplyDelete"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
... I wish I could tell you the whole story.
Oh...then its a great news.
DeleteSir, if there are investments in the pipeline and may be stuck because of some legal and planning formalities...then that will be a great piece of news. I will be really happy. Great going indeed !!!.
I know public sector financial institutions will be great starting point but I stressed about marketing to create buzz among the private sector ( both national and international).
As I had said earlier,Global financial institutions and pension funds are sitting on trillions of dollars and looking for the right place to invest if there is growth opportunity and India with second-fastest growing GDP is a right place.
Because of lack of awareness ( on their side) and marketing (from our side) , these institutions are still investing in Florida properties and London hotels.
@Punit: Please read Chetan Bhagat's "Revolution 2020": you'll have a good insight into the economics of education. And if there are people/ institutions willing to spare Rs X for setting up schools etc, can we take Rs X- ? It would be a race to the bottom.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Sir, this design is also nice for the Digha Gate. So, are we going ahead with the Digha - Mandarmani coastal road ( We can rename it as "Oceans Drive" or "Bay of Bengal Drive" or simply "Bay Drive") ? Are we coming up with a land usage pattern around it ? Any plans of extending this to Haldia via Nandigram?
ReplyDeleteHi All
ReplyDeleteWhat we have to realise is that Mr. Sen's department has to follow the directives of the political party in power and we all are aware of political compulsions and dynamics.
In spite of all this, he is doing a remarkable job and has made it more remarkable by sharing it with us through the web.
However much we would like Digha, Mondarmoni or Shankarpur to become Goa, it is a fact that we cannot do so because of the lack of basic infrastructure and absolute unplanned manner in which these places have developed. I remember, the last time I travelled from Digha to Shankarpur, the roads were very narrow and an absolute nightmare with the traffic. Same with the stretch upto Mondarmoni beach.
As far as The Financial Hub goes, I feel it will be difficult to attract any multinationals, considering the lack of clarity of the government regarding industralisation. We might have to be satisfied with the local banks, insurance sectors and generally, Indian companies.
I also state that I will be most happy if I am proved wrong.
Superb analysis Arun. This is what I feel as well.
DeleteMr. Sen, great job, in spite of the constraints.
What I fail to understand is that though the present Govt has an agenda of Kolkata beautification, and even when the KMC collected an extra 360 crore through penalty waiver and another 150 crore through plot sale and land usage pattern change in EM Byepass areas, why are we not going beyond installing trident lights and colouring the flyovers.
Even simple steps like mechanised road cleaning , repairing footpaths and installing dustbins are yet to happen. Neither we are going ahead with the refurbishing of the different city markets like what we are doing for College Street Market.
However perhaps KMC is out of purview of Mr. Sen's department. Still thought of sharing my observation here in case it reaches the appropriate persons.
@Abhishek, you are bang on target. I guess mechanised road cleaning and installing bins at every 15-20 meter stretch (like the trident lights) should be the priority before anything.
DeleteAlso collecting fines (may be very basic 10-20 rupees) from the defaulters will help generating revenue for KMC.
Debashis da,
ReplyDeleteIt's a superb design hope we could have been seen someday at digha
I think New Digha Gate is one of the popular residential development of colkata.
ReplyDeleteRajwada Grand
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