British Deputy High Commissioner Invited to Future Cities Workshop

Rishikesh Chanda, Bruce Bucknell and me: Yesterday 29th at Hidco

The new British Deputy High Commissioner HE Mr Bruce Bucknell visited Hidco yesterday and learnt about the growth trajectory of New Town Kolkata. He visited Rabindra Tirtha after the discussions. I told him of the British help in the past through the scoping study done by UKTI in 2012 and the inputs by Future Cities Catapult during 2015. I explained our strategy to prepare Kolkata and Bengal for deep investments by creating the right blend of plug-and-play infrastructure, digital backbone, social infrastructure, recreation and cultural zones etc so that we could attract and retain talent and investment. I informed of our efforts to build the IT, Financial and Arbitration Hub in Kolkata. He listened intently and agreed to join us for the Workshop on Future Cities to be held on 11th January 2016 at New Town.
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Clippings

Bartaman

Khabar 365

Anandabazar

Pratidin

Dainik Statesman

Aajkal

Salt Lake Telegraph

NKDA Food Market near Unitech

Minister Firhad Hakim today handed over keys to hawkers who had been allotted stalls in a specially designed food plaza near Unitech. Earlier, the area was full of unplanned informal hawker stalls, covered with tarpaulin sheets of various sizes and shapes. All hawkers were rehabilitated in an aesthetic and peaceful manner. 77 stalls of various sizes have been distributed through lottery. Size ranges from 38 sq ft to 80 sq ft (51 Type A, 80 sq ft,;  6 Type B, 45 sq ft,, 20 Type C , 38 sq ft,). There are ten 450 sq ft spaces for eating and a glass front pane for showcasing products. Each shop consists of a front portion for selling, a back portion  Construction took about 2 years at a cost of Rs 3.62 crores. Stalls were allotted through a lottery among existing hawkers and no one was left out. The stalls have been allotted at a rent of Rs 4 per sq ft per month while the existing tariff in New Town is anywhere between Rs 30 to Rs 45 or more per sq ft per month.
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Clippings :

(Above and below)
Millennium Post dt 29 Dec 2016

Table Top Garden

Yesterday, we had a workshop on Japanese Gardens. The keynote address was delivered by Prof Suzuki of Japan. He made a powerpoint presentation and also showed few movies. Before that, the day before, he, along with the Consul General of Japan in Kolkata, made an extensive visit of the Japanese Garden being constructed in Eco Park (scheduled to be opened in early 2017). The Japanese Landscape Experts appreciated the concept and made few helpful suggestions that will be integrated. In yesterday's presentation, he mentioned that there were more than 500 Japanese Gardens in the world outside of Japan and that this would be another addition. He showed how local adaptations were made in different countries and commented that gardens can even be scaled down to table-top portable gardens and even showed us few pics. Maybe, we can try to make such models too.

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Clippings:

Millennium Post dt 12 Dec 2017

Khabar 365 dt 12 Dec 2017

Record Turnout on Christmas Day in New Town

Mother's Wax Museum: 3,444 footfalls : highest till date (Adult: 3,520; Children 710).
Eco Park: 99,689 (Highest in the year except 1 Jan 2016 which recorded 1 lakh+).
Najrul Tirtha: 1,997 footfalls: highest ever (Hall One 1,557; Hall Two 440)
Extra ticket counters for Eco Park (18) and MWM (2) were arranged. Extra temporary toilets and "May I Help You" Booths (6) were created. CCTV Monitors were arranged in Eco Park Office Control Room. Public Address System from Eco Park Office helped trace out 7 lost children.
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Clippings:

Anandabazar dt 26 Dec 2016

Khabar 365 dt 26 Dec 2016

Ei Samay dt 26 Dec 2016

Bartaman dt 26 Dec 2016

One Year of Eco Urban Village.

Eco Urban Village was inaugurated on 24 Dec 2015. On its first anniversary yesterday, we had a Baul Utsav. Since its opening last year, there have been numerous picnics (no weekend is available till February 2017) and besides the initial food sheds and pay-and-us toilets, paddle boating, angling, exquisitely created ethnic day cottages, kitchen garden and a new pay-n-use toilet block hat was inaugurated just yesterday. A picture of yesterday's "Tomay Hrid Majhare Rakhibo.."

At the Akhra at Eco Urban Village on 24 Dec 2016

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Clippings:

Khabar 365 dt 25 Dec 2016

Khabar 365 dt 25 Dec 2016

Pratidin dt 25 Dec 2016

Millennium Post dt 25 Dec 2016

Water from Air : Installed

Yesterday, the machine that converts air (humidity) to water by condensing air, was installed yesterday at Mother's Wax Museum.
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Clipping:

Pratidin dt 24 Dec 2016

Waste to Energy: Three ULBs to Join Hands

Yesterday, I went to Poura Bhavan at Bidhannagar and saw a presentation on Zero Waste Technology that could be useful for Salt Lake, Nabadiganta and New Town. All three Urban Local Bodies dispose their Solid Waste at a site popularly known as Mollar Bhery. There is no segregation of wastes and slowly the site is getting saturated. The presentation showed a patented technology already in use in some ULBs of Tamil Nadu and claimed to give an end-to-end solution.  Mayor Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation Mr Sabyasachi Datta and me agreed to join hands through an MoU or otherwise. I also mentioned to Mayor BMC that I may make a proposal, if he agrees, for JICA assistance for Solid Waste Management for end-to-end solution not only at landfill site but also for an efficient intelligent transportation and collection process. He agreed.

The team from Chennai was taken on a tour of Mollar Bhery dumping site. They would revert later with their specific views that would be put up to technical scrutiny.
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Clippings:

Salt Lake Telegraph dt 23 Dec 2016

Salt Lake Telegraph dt 23 Dec 2016

Ei Samay dt 24 Dec 2016

Millennium Post dt 24 Dec 2016

Khabar 365 dt 24 Dec 2016

Morocco Embassy contacts New Town

The Ambassador of Morocco rang me this afternoon and discussed about the possibility of showcasing to their local chambers of commerce features about New Town in an effort to show how sustainable green new towns like New Town Kolkata offers opportunity of trading with them. Apparently, the embassy wants to organise an event around it within 2016-17.
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Clippings:

Times of India dt 21 Dec 2016

Bartaman dt 21 Dec 2016

Millennium Post
dt 21 Dec 2016

Labanhrad Sambad dt 21 Dec 2016

Nabadiganta and New Town

I received orders today that I have been made Chairman of Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority in addition to being CMD of WBHIDCO. However, UD Department has merged with MA Department and present MA Secretary Onkar Singh Meena will hold charge of the merged Department. I will hand over charge day after tomorrow on 22nd Afternoon.
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Cliippings:

Ei Samay dt 20 Dec 2016

Times of India dt 20 Dec 2016 

Times of India dt 20 Dec 2016

Times of India dt 20 Dec 2016

Ei Samay dt 20 Dec 2016

Khabar 365 dt 20 Dec 2016

 The following three are from same source:

The Complete Walk

LCD screens in three spots on the waterfront of Eco Park showed The Complete Walks today afternoon. It will continue till 6th January 2017.

19 Dec 2016

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Clipping:

Bartaman dt 19 Dec 2016

Industry Chamber to put up Water Kiosks in Rabindra Sarovar

President of Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Mr Sutanu Ghosh and few others met me last week and expressed intention of BCCI to put up few water kiosks in Rabindra Sarovar. I recalled the three water kiosks constructed recently in New town by M/s Rupa and agreed to refer the matter to CEO KIT. A joint field inspection will take place soon
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Clippings:

Dainik Statesman

Aajkal dt 18 Dec 2016

Khabar 365 dt 18 Dec

http://bn.kolkatalive24.com/already-created-indore-cricket-stadiums-scktch/