Urban Journal: Standing Committee of Assembly, NDITA Board and IIT Presentation on Sector 5 Transportation

WBLA Standing Committee to Hidco

The Standing Committee of West Bengal Legislative Assembly on Urban Development and Municipal Affairs met us at Hidco Bhavan today. A 10 minute video on New Town was shown, followed by a powerpoint presentation by me. This was followed by a Q&A session where after they left for field visits to MWM, Eco Park etc.

Few observations / suggestions by members during discussion included: Why are there several flats / houses / plots that vacant? What is being done about it? Are enough buses there? Can the adjoining Reckjuani 10 bedded hospital be tagged to New Town? Can tourism department be requested to spread the good things happening here? What is being done for housing in the affordable sector? How big is the planning zone of New Town and how controls are being exercised in this zone by NKDA? What is the financial model? We replied in details and the Committee appeared satisfied. Few data required would be sent subsequently.
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At the NDITA Board Meeting, we gave a presentation showing what we'd been able to achieve since the last Board meeting. These included: Gate of 215A Bus Terminus construction started; Footpath near Technopolis from JK Saha Bridge completed; Use of recycled water from STP for watering road side / median plantation; street numbering signages with pedestrian guides; illuminated tall signages at major roads; issue of work order to KMDA and Makintosh Burn Ltd for Multi-storied Car Building, Administrative Building of NDITA and Town Hall; issue of work order to make DPR for Jadavpur University for Bantala to Sector 5; huge increase in property tax collection in first quarter compared to last quarter; proceeding towards completion of link road, being extention of ring road towards Bantala till New Town crossing; introduction of Bike Taxi services; preparations for first ever Corporate Cycling Competition on 13 August 2017; real-time updation on web of property tax payments in coordination with HDFC; smart colourful abstract sculpture near Vivekananda Statue site on Salt Lake By Pass Road; introduction of Sewer Cleaning Machine in Sector 5; beginning of removal of overhead unauthorised hanging cables; start of Wi Fi on internal roads in addition to Salt Lake by pass road; completion of DPR on cycle track on Salt Lake by pass road etc.

The Board appreciated the progress made, requested Chief Engineer KMDA to expedite the assigned works, expressed concern over growing roadside encroachments and took the following decisions: till completion of the new administrative building, office space would be rented from Fisheries Department so that NDITA office could move out from Bidhannagar (Unnayan Bhavan) to Sector 5; approved DPR for cycle tracks as prepared by IIT and gave inputs to the presentation on transportation by IIT that followed>
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Dr D Pandit of IIT and team giving a ppt presentation on transportation
in NDITA area

IIT Kharagpur team led by Dr Debapratim Pandit and several students of IIT gave a long two hour presentation on the survey, methodology, findings, analysis, modelling, simulation to arrive at short, medium and long-term plans for making Sector 5 virtually signal free and free flowing traffic. Stakeholders in the meeting included Mayor BMC, Board Members, Traffic Police, Street Vendors, Bus Operators, Contract Carriages, Water Supply agency, engineers and many more. All were requested to give their additional feedback within a week where-after the team would go on to finalise their recommendations.
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