"Ministerial Workshop on Integrated Coastal Management and Ciy Development"

I am now in Delhi airport, waiting to board Air China Flight number CA 948 for Beijing. It will leave at 0315 hrs (it is now 12.40 am, 30th Oct). Flight time to Beijing is 5 hr 40 min. Flight will reach Beijing at 11.45 am (China Time).
 This is a 7-day workshop and includes a visit to the coastal town of Xiamen. I am going at the nomination of Govt of India and invitation of Govt of China, Ministry of Commerce (all expenses by Govt of China). I will present a paper on the ICZM project being undertaken in Digha. I will also mention of the Digha Beach Festival 13-16 Jan 2012 !

"Mission Green"

I held a video conference with all DMs yesterday. Chairmen of HQ Municipalities and Development Authorities were also present. The idea was to create a synergy among the ULBs, Development Authorities and District Administration.
There has been few press stories today in The Statesman, The Times of India and The Hindustan Times (search Google). Here is the clipping from today's Hindustan Times:

Last Few Days For Trauma / Geriatric Centre Application

Here is a report in Anandabazar today. Last date for application is 31st Oct 2011.

Marina

Today's Anandabazar carries an article on the "Kolkata Eye". I, alongwith others, went to see a possible site on the Howrah bank of Hoogly River, near the place where the Vidyasagar Setu meets the bank.
Close by, there are certain piers that were constructed when the Bridge was being built. These could be a possible site for a River Marina. Here is a picture that I took on my Sony Digital DSC H55:

Plan for Rajarhat

Can we have a scheme of planned urban development without acquiring land? The Town and Country Planing Act suggests a way forward. I will hold a meeting today at UD Department in the morning to discuss a strategy for areas outside New Town but within its Planning Area. Bartaman today talks of this. Here is a clip:

Date Change Likely for Digha Festival

I have been quoted today in Hindustan Times that the dates of the Digha Beach Festival would be finalised in early November. This is true. It seems the festival may be shifted to January 2012 for various reasons. Watch this space !
Here is the article.

Financial Inclusion and the Urban Economy

I'd come in contact with Janagraha during my Election Commission days. A few days ago, I met the organisers of an Urban Conference at Mysore at my office at Nagarayan. I said I could send a paper if there was a 'stand-in' speaker. I emailed them today to choose the topic : "Financial Inclusion and the Urban Economy ".
I post the following clipping in this context:

Financial Hub

There is an article in Sakalbela today on Financial Hub. Here is the link. Please see page 10.
http://115.248.217.9/Sakalbela/daily/sb.html
Here is the clipping:

At Delhi Today

Posting this from Delhi Airport. Did the following today :
1. Spoke to, and submitted, a proposal to MNRE (Ministry of Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy) for setting up a demonstration and counselling centre for Green Building Construction at New Town
2. Got a copy of the order by Ministry of Defence allowing beautification of Ganga Riverfront with certain conditions
3. Got a way to revive the old West Bengal Secondary Cities development Project but this will have to be "revived" in a screening committee meeting of DEA, MoF
4. Spoke about proposing two TA grants from World Bank/ DFID Trust Fund for (i) studyng ULC and (ii) changing FAR in New Town
5. Talked about setting up a Inland International Container Terminal near Siliguri, in conjunction with land custom stations and regional connectivity at DEA for taking up in an ADB-led mission

Here is a press clipping:

Date Extended

We are receiving few queries on our invitation for setting up of a Trauma Care Centre and a Geriatric Health Care Centre at New Town, Rajarhat and some requests for extending time, which was to expire tomorrow the 18th Oct.
We have just extended it to 31st Oct 2011

More on Financial Hub

The Statesman carried this last Friday:

The Bangla Statesman said this:

For full stories, see http://www.wbhidcoltd.com/About_hidco/NewsRoom.html

Financial Hub by HIDCO

We have decided to set up the Financial Hub in New Town Rajarhat in its Action Area-II, in CBD land. We have set apart 25 acres of prime land for this. Here is a story that appared in Times of India today:

Here is another clip from today's Bartaman

Designer Market for New Town, Rajarhat

In September, we had published an Expression of Interest inviting applications for participating in a creative design competition for local neighbourhood market in Action Area -I. The entries were judged by a panel headed by Shri Partha Das, Principal Consultant, HIDCO. The results have been finalised. The winning competition for one category is as follows:

This is what I'd written in my Sep 14 blog post:

"... In today's Times of India, we have published an advertisement asking for designs from Architects through a competition. There will be two plots and two separate competitions, both are located in Action Area I of New Town..

I have Delhi Haat or Dakshinapan in mind. But local open markets here are very small - about 20 kottahs or so. This is meant for getting daily groceries, vegetable, fish etc : we are not looking at glass facaded shopping malls. We want fresh open friendly neighbourhood market but with a bit of creativity added, a bit of originality.

Hence the competition and call from young and talented architects.Winner will get Rs 50,000 reward for one, and Rs 60,000 for the other..."

Smart Trafic Signalling for New Town

During my last visit to Delhi, I paid a visit to a JV Co between Delhi Govt and ILFS IDFC which is monitoring bus movements on Delhi. I saw GIS based bus movement trackers on giant wall screens. Video coverage at junctions adjusts signals to optimise traffic flow. Police can even see number plates of traffic violating offenders and issue "challans" for fines. In one case, it was subsequently discovered that fake number plates were being used by someone when an owner complained on receiving the challan that he couldn't have violated traffic rule on that date as he was away from Delhi with his car!
.. I'd visited the Delhi Hub because I am thinking of having a smart traffic management system for Kolkata. Yesterday, I informed Mr Gopal Ghosh, CEO NKDA to make a project report. Here is an article that appeared in today's Anandabazar:

"First Aid"

Hindustan Times spoke to me last Friday. An article appeared today. Here it is:

Pricing Policy in HIDCO

Most Non Residential plots will be sold through bids in New Town, Rajarhat. Here is a press clipping that appeared on page 1 of Bartaman today. Mr Amal Sarkar had briefly spoken to me on this yesterday evening.

Geriatric Health Care Centre

Advertisement that appeared today in Hindustan Times. See the following link (you'll have to go to page 3 in this Delhi Edition):

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HD/2011/10/02/index.shtml

It'll appear in some other papers too.