Tree Bank - on World Environment Day

We are setting up perhaps the first Tree Bank today. Today 5th June is the World Environment Day.
This will be set up in Action Area ID of New Town. It is opposite to "Upasana". The name of the immersion ghat built last year was named Upasana by Hon'ble Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister. A beautification programme is also being planned along the canal bank near Upasana.

The tree bank is a concept. Just as one keeps money in bank for safety and security while it grows too, a tree bank would nurture and grow trees of various species available in different parts of Bengal. Increasing urbanisataion is a threat to traditional trees and banyan, peepal, asathya, mehgony, gamar and other trees and fast fading out in the places where these were a common sight. The tree bank will provide a space for conservation for anyone interested in the cause.

Ms Banani Kakar of PUBLIC is the first one to show a keen interest. So today PUBLIC will organise a tree planting ceremony and be the first honorary "investor" in the bank. Mr N. Sil, General Manager (Engineering) of Hidco is making the site ready. We will open the account of the tree bank at 3pm today when PUBLIC brings in the saplings and schoolchildren. I call upon other schools and NGOs too to invest in the tree bank. On my part, I have already requested the Forest Department to help in Aranya Saptaha week.

I hope to post a few photos later.

(Later)

Here are a few photos:

Ms Banani Kakar making a point at 3pm today

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Here are two clippings:

Ei Samay dt 5th June 2014

ToI dt 5.6.14

Drainage Pumping Stations

To combat with water logging problem in New Town, several drainage pumping stations have been planned. One is Action Area I is operational since last few years. Another in Jatragachi is operational from late last year. One in Action Area II is about to be commissioned. And another at the junction of Action Area I and III is under construction. I visited this site last week. Here is a photo:

Outfall will be to Bagjola Canal. Built on existing canal bed

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Here are two clippings:

"Travel East"

Few days ago, in departmental order number 809-UD dated 4.5.2014, we gave permission for holding an exhibition called "Travel East" at the Central Park in Salt Lake. This will be the first of its kind on Tourism in the Central Park. It will be organised by the CII-Suresh Neotia Centre of Excellence. It will be a 3-day exhibition scheduled in November (28th to 30th November 2014).

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At New Town, we just completed a 700 seater seminar room. Fully, air-conditioned, it is located on the top floor of the building called Vocational Training Centre (VTC) in Action Area III. A part of the VTC building now accommodates the Technical Education Department of the State Government. Here is a photo of the auditorium when I visited it last Friday:

700 seater auditorium on top floor of VTC

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Here is a clipping from today's Times of India:

And a clipping from today's Khabar 365:

New Town Amendment Act notified.

Yesterday, I got the printed copy of the Kolkata Gazette notificaton dated 16th May 2014. It signifies that after the Amendment Bill was passed by the Assembly, it has received the assent of the Governor and so has become an Act. The Act is effective with the publication of this notification.

The Amendment Act most importantly empowers NKDA to impose property taxes etc in tune with the provisions of the Act. We have already contacted the West Bengal Valuation Board to take necessary action in respect of initiating the steps for making annual valuation of properties.

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Here is a clipping from today's Salt Lake Telegraph:

Su-Tirtha for Banglar Haat

Yesterday, Hon'ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took a review meeting of all departments at Town Hall. She directed that Banglar Haat in Eco Park was ready and it may be made operational soon: Rajiv Sinha, Principal Secretary M&SME and I discussed certain procedural issues after the meeting to give effect to this. To enable participants of Banglar Haat to stay nearby, I was asked to hand over 32 EWS flats at New Town to M&SME Department. CM said that this block of EWS flats would be called "Su-Tirtha".

Along with few other departments, Urban Development Department's performance was declared by CM as "outstanding".
Here is a photo from my mobile and a clipping:

Town Hall, 28th May 2014

Times of India dt 29.5.2014
(Red ring drawn by me)

Bartaman dt 29.5.2014
(Red ring by me)

After Skype, e-Receipt

In this blog, I'd mentioned of use of Skype in dealing with Salt Lake land issues (see http://principalsecretarysblog.blogspot.in/2014/05/skype.html ). Now from yesterday, we started the e-Receipt System. The e-Receipt system is based on memo no. 2634-F(Y) dated 20.5.2014 of Finance Department and notification number 904-UD dated 26.5.2014 of Urban Development Department. The first e-receipt was generated yesterday for one Sunil Kumar Senguta who wanted to deposit Rs. 1,000 towards processing fee for transfer application of a plot of land. Here is the photo:

Atanu Sen (help desk operator) withDinesh Mandal (Land
 Manager) handing over e-Receipt at Nagarayan

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Here are a few clippings from today's newspapers:

Anandabazar dt 28.5.2014

Times of India dt 28.5.2014

Ei Samay dt 28.5.2014

Bartaman dt 28.5.2014

Nazrul Tirtha Inaugurated

Yesterday, on the occasion of Nazrul Jayanti, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated Nazrul Tirtha. Few photos / clippings:

Telegraph Metro dt 27.5.2014

Bartaman dt 27.5.2014

Here is a link for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.696833723717305.1073741880.364551790278835&type=1

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After inauguration ceremony, CM listened to some performances and later took a walk in Eco Park

NGT's Kolkata Branch

Yesterday, the Kolkata Bench of National Green Tribunal was inaugurated. This is located in 6th Floor of the Finance Centre Building of New Town. The inaugural ceremony was held at Rabindra Tirtha in the morning. A photo:

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As a curtain raiser to the inauguration of Najrul Tirtha on Monday 26th May by CM Mamata Banerjee, Tara News carried a brief story. Tara News doesn't have a streaming video now. So I took my camera and took a short video shot and uploaded in YouTube. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO4W-cw5_Xo

Najrul Tirtha : Inauguration by CM on 26 May 2014

Monday 26th May 2014 is 115th Birth Anniversary of Kazi Najrul Islam. On this day, at 5pm, Hon'ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate Najtul Tirtha at New Town, Kolkata. here is the card that has just been printed:

I invite a reference to my blog post dated 2 July 2013 whwn we "broke ground". (See http://principalsecretarysblog.blogspot.in/2013/07/ground-breaking-for-najrul-tirtha.html )

Now the whole structure is ready. The auditorium is going to be fit for use. The ceremony for Najrul Jayanti will be held there too. There will be a cultural function after inauguration and award giving by Nazrul Academy and others. The Annexe building, however, needs more interior works and will be opened for use after 3 months.

I propose to upload a few pictures later in the day.
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(Later dt 23 May 2014)
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Afternoon of 22nd May 2014

Minister Hakim and I: Evening 22nd May 2014

Khabar 365 dt 23.5.2014 (1)

Khabar 365 dt 23.5.2014 (2)

Pratidin dt 23.5.2014

Salt Lake Telegraph dt 23.5.2014

Sanmarg dt 21.5.2014

Times o India dt 21.5.2014?

Times of India dt 19.5.2014

Airport-like Bus Terminal

We'd taken up a concept of a designer bus terminus over a 10 acre plot in Action Area II with transport department some time ago. The Committee consisting of Hidco, CSTC and other Transport Department officials has given its report. An MoU has been signed between Transport Department and Urban Development Department regarding the road ahead including cost sharing and project benefits. Based on this, a notice inviting submission of bids has been issued, This calls for reputed consultants or architects to apply for detailed design of an Airport-like Bus Terminus, with commercial spaces above the first two floors to be used exclusively for bus related activities. The notice can be seen at http://wbhidcoltd.com/uploads/tender/Tender_356.pdf

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Here is a clipping from today's Anandabazar:

Anandabazar dt 18.5.2014

Stalls/ Shops : 1:19 applications

Yesterday was the last date of applications of shops and stalls in three markets of New Town's Action Area 1. There are 101 shops / stalls for being allotted through lottery. Applications were accepted in two banks of Action Area i - Vijaya Bank and Syndicate Bank. A total of 1,881 applications were received. This means that there are 19 applicants on an average for each stall / shop.

Here is a photo of one of the three markets:

Market in AA-I near Pride Hotel:
Shops / Stalls to be distributed through lottery

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Here is a clipping from today's Ebela:

Ebela dt 16th May 2014

Urban Land

Yesterday, I went to a place near Dhakuria railway station in South Kolkata. Anup Banerjee, Special Secretary, Debabrata Chattopadhyay Competent Authority (Urban Land Ceiling Branch) and Revenue Officer were with me. An area of 1,269 sq m (roughly 19 kottahs) was just vested to the State under section 10(3) of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act 1976 on 1.5 2014 through notification numbers 185/D and 186/D dated 28.4.2014. I spoke to Asok Das, Secretary KIT to put up boundary wall on the property. Here is a photo of the precious property that was vested to the state:

21 Telpara Lane, Kolkata 700031

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After the elections, we are back to breaking new ground for project works. 480 EWS flats in Tarulia in Action Area 1 were ready structure-wise but internal roads, boundary wall, water supply arrangements and sanitation works remain to be done. This started yesterday. A photo:

Breaking the coconut while Mrinal Mukherji, CE and Suman
Neogi, GM look on

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Hidco has just engaged the youngest consultant. Aged 18 years, Rishiraj Rateria studies in class 12, stays in Salt Lake and runs a GenX games parlour. I have just engaged him as an honorary Consultant (he refused to take any remuneration) to advise us how to make Eco Park more attractive to teenagers. A photo with im yesterday at Hidco Bhavan:

With Rishiray Rateira: youngest honorary consultant of Govt 

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Here is a clipping from today's Ebela:

ICZM Project Review

I took an on-site review of the World Bank Assisted ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) Project insofar as it relates to DSDA (Digha Shankarpur Development Authority). Project Dirctor Subrat Mukherji, Executive Officer DSDA Sujan Datta, Project Management Consultants I-Win, PHE Engineers and others were present. The project consists of Water Drainage, Sewerage System, Solid Waste
management, Beachfront Development and Hawker Rehabilitation, upgradation of marine aquarium, biodiversity conservation etc, involving a total project cost of about Rs. 73 crores. This is being implemented by various departments of the government. Insofar as components being done by DSDA, about 65% achievement was achieved. There were a number of co-ordination issues such as dovetailing beachfront development with embankment work of Irrigation Department and that between drainage and sewerage works. Many issues were resolved after site visits.

The hawker rehabilitation stalls are being built in Old Digha. Here is a photo:

Aluminium Clad Composite Panel covering steel frame
for
hawker stalls in Digha Beachfront being built

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We selected the design of the Digha Gate in 2012. Chief Planner of Hidco Prasanta Bhattacharya was the Chairman of the selection panel. The design chosen can be seen at my post at  http://principalsecretarysblog.blogspot.in/2012/05/digha-gate-led-street-light-wildflowers.html . Here is what I discovered at ground yesterday while entering Digha:

Digha Gate under construction

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Here is a clipping from yesterday's Khabar 365:

Khabar 365 dt 10.11.2014

First Webcasting from Rabindra Tirtha

Kabi Pronam was held at Rabindra Tirtha today at 7 o' clock this morning. We webcast it for the first time. The link was as follows:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=channel%3A5368c9cb-0000-2e3f-84e9-001a11398a46&feature=iv&src_vid=jUY38vnnDzQ&v=mrkayzn3Ysg
Some recorded portions are still available for viewing.

In conceptualising Rabindra Tirtha, I'd always felt that it should provide a digital platform in the internet cloud that will spread the spirit of Tagore to the Bengal diaspora throughout the world and especially the young generation. We have started designing the web site of Rabindra Tirtha accordingly. Today, through the real-time webcasting (well, there was a 20 second delay, I realised ) many across countries from Dhaka to Paris and London to New York could have a sense of Rabi Tirtha's Kobi Pronam on Pochise Baisakh itself. (My son Mourjo, who is studying in Nice, France, also saw a bit of it in spite of the time difference). Ms Abida Islam, Dy High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Kolkata, who was the Chief Guest today, also appreciated the effort. Some of my facebook friends have also given me feedback. I realise that there were some gltches in our maiden live webcast effort and we hope to cover it in our next programmes.

Anup Motilal, me, Abida Islam (Dy High Commissioner
of Bangladesh): Rabindra Tirtha, 25 Baisakh

* * *
In the afternoon, I met a 2-member delegation from International Enterprise Singapore at Eco Park. Th were Ms Magdalene Loh and Ms Tan Zhi Xian, We talked about the possibility of having co-operation in few specific projects in Eco Park. These could be water based (underwater aquarium, aquatic park or water skiing), land based (walk-through aviary) or energy based (solar globe). The way forward could be consultancy based, revenue sharing basis (50:50), PPP-based or design-build based. The delegates went around the Eco Park and would report back. A photo taken this afternoon:

Ms. Magdalene Loh,
Ms. Tan Zhi Xian,
P.S.Ghosh & me: at Eco Park

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A clipping from today's Times of India:

Times of India dt 9.5.2014