Information on NKDA Planning Area

Today we held a meeting with district and block officers with NKDA about the planning procedure for NKDA Planning Area. It may be recalled that recently another 9 mouzas have been added to the list of 34 mouzas already under NKDA Planning Area where an NOC from NKDA is mandatory for any building permission for which the height is more than 15 metres or with an area of 2.5 acres or more.

We decided on the following strategy:

1. CREDAI will be informed of the new notification and ask it to inform its members of the procedure to be adopted
2. Newspaper notice and outdoor hoardings carrying messages that all large projects of real estate must comply to the Planning Rules.
3. NKDA's IT wing will flag advertisements and hoardings that contain information on housing projects in NKDA Planning Area and inform them
4. Notice will be affixed on gates of suspected properties
5, Training / awareness campaigns will be held at Block and GP level. Interaction with Sabhapatis and Panchayat Representatives have already been held.
6. DM/ ADM(LR)/ BLLRO set up will be used to analyse data to identify from mutation / conversion cases and identify upcoming large real estate projects area.
7. Housing Department and Promoter's Act will be contacted for getting list of real estate projects in these areas
8. Notices will be issued to all projects that will be so identified
9. ROC (Registrar of Companies) or MoCA (Ministry of Company Affairs) web-sites will be used to identify promoter companies

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Clippings:

Telegraph dt 17 March 2017

Aajkal dt 17 March 2017

Aajkal dt 17 March 2017

Salt Lake Telegraph dt 17 March 2017

Ei Smay dt 17 March 2017

Anandabazar dt 17 March 2017

Khabar 365 p1 dt 17 March 2017

Telegraph dt 17 March 2017

Millennium Post dt 17 March 2017

Pratidin dt 17 March 2017

Ekdin dt 17 March 2017

Dainik Statesman dt 17 March 2017

Happy Day

Director IIT Kgp PPChakraborty, SS Reiki, me and Jonathan Ward

Happiness workshop took place today at Eco Island.

Organic Urban Farming was launched today at NKDA market AA 1C:

Brochure on Sangraha was released today at Eco Park:

Bike Taxi was launched today:

Book on tall tree census was released today:

Minister visited Convention Centre today:

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Clipping:

Happy City New Town

Tomorrow, we will have a workshop with IIT at Eco Island on Happy Cities. We are requesting IIT's Reiki Centre of Happiness to help New Town become a Happy City. Here is an extract from their public note:
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Can we make cities happy?
While making individuals happy is a challenge, making a community happy is even a greater challenge. Can we make a city happy? The trajectory from individual happiness to the happiness of a city is long and complex. Similarly, it is fundamental to ask the question, is happiness enough, without focusing on ‘meaningfulness’ and’ engagement’? Is reduction of unhappiness equivalent to increase in happiness? Are happiness and well-being the same? Another fundamental issue in the context of urban built environment becomes the relation between subjective and objective well-being. Without looking at the relation between happiness and well-being, between subjective and structural parameters, and between the individual and the community, any attempt towards making a green city happy can become futile.

In order to grapple with these questions and come up with tenable solutions, Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness has teamed up with Ranbir and Chitra Gupta School of Infrastructure Design. Together, they will explore subjective wellbeing, community infrastructure, and other key issues with the help of NKDA and HIDCO, Kolkata. Prof. Partha Pratim Chakrabarti, Director IIT Kharagpur and Mr. Satinder Singh Rekhi, Honorary Chairman of the Centre, the two inspirations behind the Rekhi Centre,  join hands with Mr. Debasis Sen, Additional Chief Secretary to Govt. of West Bengal, CMD, WBHIDCO, Chairman, NDITA and Chairman, NKDA, on 16th March 2017 at  UTSARI  Glass Hall , Eco Island, New Town,Kolkata to make this event happen . Along with them is an array of eminent scholars and personalities such as Prof. Lilavati Krishnan, subjective well-being expert from IIT Kanpur (currently at IISER Bhopal), Prof. Manas K. Mandal, Rtd. DG, Life-Sciences, DRDO, Distinguished Professor, IIT Kharagpur, Architect P. R. Das of ‘City Centre’ fame, and other experts from Ministry of Happiness, Government of Madhya Pradesh, and from IIT Kharagpur.  Mr. Jonathan Ward, Principal Commercial Officer, U.S Consulate, an eminent critic in his own right, will also join these experts.

This workshop proposes to look at these issues with special focus on the green city of New Town in order to develop a road-map for:
1. Assessment of stakeholders’ quality of life, subjective well-being, needs and aspirations
2. Assessment of community facilities and infrastructure
3. Assessment of New Town in terms of other smart-to-be cities
4. Development of recommendations and guidelines including training protocols for changing mind-sets
5. Pilot implementation and assessment through pre-post measures

Through a series on presentations, discussions and interactions, the workshop aims to achieve insights into certain concrete deliverables that can be used to move forward in realizing the aspiration of a green happy city that takes care of the aspirations of both the individuals as well as the community. It looks like the time has come to make happy New Town happier.

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Clippings:

Khabar 365 dt 15 March 2017

Millennium Post dt 15 March 2017

Millennium Post dt 15 March 2017

Solar

At American Centre on 9th March 2017

I attended two workshops on Solar Energy at the American Centre last week. One was on Green Buildings and the other on Solar Energy. I mentioned the following :
1. New Town has subjected itself to being rated as a Gold graded city and preparations are going on.
2. As per consultant's advice, it has already started to use treated water from Sewage Treatment Plant to water plants along streets and on central medians.
3. New Town Building Rules mandate 2% Solar Energy for large buildings
4. Dedicated cycle tracks have been laid in parts of New Town (AA1A and Eco Park frontage)
5. Rooftop urban farming was another way in which Solar Energy was being harnessed in New Town.
6. Canaltop Solar Panels and Floating Solar Panels had been installed with net-metering facility
7. Opex based business models for rooftop solar was a better method of propagating solar energy
8. Objective criteria (e.g., use double glazed window panes) rather than consultant based approach for green buildings was perhaps better.
9. Solar water pumps to store water in overhead tanks during the day and use it as mini-hydro-generator during night (think of Purulia Pumped Storage Power Station) could be a solution for storing solar energy better rather than batteries.

My key takeaways were as follows:
1. Hydrogen fuel cells (electrolyse water with solar power) could be a possible future solution for storage of Solar Energy
2. Regulatory norms prohibiting rooftop solar generation below 5KW was hindering spread of solar energy use among small users for net metering
3. In remote areas like Sunderbans without grid power, DC rather than AC lamps and electrical circuits are coft effective.
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Clipping:

Aajkal dt 14th March 2017

eHCs to be centres of Vector Control

There are three e-Health Centres being run by NKDA: one at Swapna Bhor, one at Office Building at AA3 and one at Jatragachi at AA2. There is a qualified doctor looking after the three centres on a time share basis and there are para-medicals in each centre who know how to run the machines donated by HP under their CSR few months ago. The matter of improving the output of these EHCs came up for review at yesterday's NKDA Board meeting.

It was decided to convert these units as focus centres for control of dengue, malaria and other vector borne diseases. The CMOH and district administration of North-24 Paragnas and NKDA would jointly launch programmes to create awareness, conduct blood tests and take first level preventive care in the ensuing monsoons when such diseases spread. The nominal charges of the tests would also be made completely free for the next year in the first instance.

In addition, NKDA Board appointed Prof Gautam Chanda of Burdwan University as an honorary consultant for control of mosquitoes in New Town. Dr Chanda will not take any remuneration and only the actual travelling costs have to be reimbursed. Already, at least on two occasions, Dr Chanda and his team has conducted survey of the water bodies of New Town and given useful methods of mosquito control after water testing and sample survey. He has also given for use and distribution a booklet on FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on mosquitoes, their breeding habits, and Do's and Don'ts to schools and citizen groups.
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Clippings:

Aajkal dt 12 March 2017

Millennium Post dt 12 March 2017

Asian Age dt 12 March 2017

First Street Named in New Town

The Board of NKDA met today and resolved to name the first road after Durga Das Basu jurist and Constitutional Expert.. This is the street, being Street 816, is from the East West Major Arterial Road to the recently opened Judicial Academy at plot number AA IIIB/10. So this becomes Duga Das Basu Sarani and a  name plate will soon be fixed to this effect. This is as per a proposal of a Committee for Good Governance and Superintendence of the working of the West Bengal Judicial Academy.  request of the Registrar General of the High Court to the State Government. The only other street in New Town, Nabadiganta or Salt Lake that has been named is the Biswa Bangla Sarani.

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Clippings:

Times of India dt 11 March 2017

http://onlineepaper.asianage.com/articledetailpage.aspx?id=7621999#

KYR: Know Your Road

H.E. Consul General of Germany in Kolkata Mr Olaf Iversen
at Hidco

Officers of Bosch flew in to Kolkata from Bangalore last Wednesday and came in to Hidco Bhavan along with His Excellency Mr Olaf Iversen, Consul General of Germany in Kolkata and handed over the final project report of "Know Your Road". This KYR is a special application developed by Bosch for Hidco. This was based on an MoU signed between Hidco and Bosch during BGBS 2015. In KYR, Bosch has developed a crowd-sourced, Android-based application than monitors the inputs from multiple passengers in vehicles of New Town to gauge the traffic speed and road conditions of New Town. In a user-friendly graphic, the administrators at traffic police or at engineering wing of Hidco, the road conditions would be known from analysis of different inputs coming in from all who are in vehicles and who have the KYR apps in their mobiles.

After successful testing and completion of this pilot scheme, they will give a roll-out proposal soon, with a few modifications that we discussed.
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Clippings:

Salt Lake Telegraph dt 10 March 2017

Millennium Post dt 10 March 2017

Tax Mopping at Sector 5

Meeting with top 40 tax defaulters

Yesterday I had a special meeting with top 40 defaulters of property tax of Nabadiganta. I appealed to all to clear up the outstanding dues by 31st March 2017. Defaults ranged from several crores to several lakhs. I told them that while the matter of partial exemptions for IT / ITeS if applicable would be duly pursued with IT Department, till such time that the exemption is granted on is liable to pay the amount demanded. Few argued that they'd not received the demand notice: we agreed to give duplicates then and there. I also announced that the highest tax payer would be felicitated and profile posted on NDITA website. I appealed to them to pay up not only to avoid penalty and interest but also to fund our ambitious development programmes such as the construction of Town Hall, Multi-Storied Car Parking cum Food Courts, Scientific signages for motorists and pedestrians and removal of visual pollution by taking overhead cable networks underground.
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Clipping:

Aajkal dt 9 March 2017

Ideas for Innovative Solutions

At IIM, Kolkata on 4th March 2017 with Saibal Chattopadhyay,
Director IIM

Last Saturday I was invited to speak to PGPEX students of IIM Kolkata as a part of the "Being a CEO" series. This is is a one-year full-time diploma programme for those with work experience (5 years or more). I spoke on "Ideas", how ideas are necessary for innovation and how I have harnessed ideas in New Town from various sources and circumstances (hackathon, QCBS design competition, workshop, comments of professionals like Country Director of World Bank, compulsion and above all CEO's own perception of what might work)

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Clippings:

Telegraph dt 7 March 2017

Aajkal dt 7 March 2017

Anandabazar dt 7 March 2017

Second Water ATM: Being Commissioned

Water ATM near Site of Seven Wonders

A water ATM is running very successfully in Gate 2 of Eco Park. A different variety is now being commissioned near site of Seven Wonders in Eco Park. The water is being tested for analysis and like the earlier one, would be coin-operated. Expected to be opened to all by next month.

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Clipping:

Aajkal dt 6th March 2017

Women Marathon and Basantutsav

New Town Women Marathod is being organised by New Town Business Club on Saturday 11 March 2017.
Basantotsav will be performed at Rabindra Tirtha by Dancers' Guild on Sunday 12 March 2017
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Clippings:

Times of India dt 5 March 2017

Times of India dt 5 March 2017

Millennium Post dt 5 March 2017

Traffic Diversion from 6th March 2017

Artist's Impression of Gate in Narkelbagan Junction, New Town

A gate with a viewers' ring shaped gallery will be constructed in New Town. The 52 piles have been driven, the steel structure has been fabricated and its surface sandblasted and painted. Now a month-long procedure is required to carefully put it upright. See the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwBBLQ8i-Kk

The height of the gate is 55m and it will be constructed at the traffic junction near Rabindra Tirtha / Hidco Bhavan, popularly known as Narkelbagan More. Extensive discussions have been made with traffic police wing of Bidhannagar Commissionerate and Hidco engineers have started making alternative median cuts etc as suggested by police. so as to ensure minimum dislocation of traffic through this busy junction. The whole process will start on 6th March and will take a month to complete.

Yes some inconvenience will be caused to motorists but, as they say for Metro works "today's pain is tomorrow's gain".
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Clippings:

Khabar 365 dt 3rd March 2017

Millennium Post dt 3 March 2017

Aajkal dt 3rd March 2013

Aajkal dt 3rd March 2017

Salt Lake Telegraph dt 3rd March 2017

Pratidin dt 3 March 2017

Calcutta Times dt 3  March 2017

Resident Meet on Vector Control

Resident meet at NKDA on 1 March 2017

At NKDA, there was a residents' meet yesterday morning where we invited all block welfare associations / resident welfare associations. We informed them of our forthcoming events such as Women's Marathon on Saturday 11th March, Basantautsav at Rabindra Tirtha on Sunday 12th March and also about a forthcoming demographic survey. We sought their participation and assistance.

We also appealed to them not to encourage cable TV connections from such operators who string their cables illegally on street-light poles instead of through underground ducts laid by NTTIDCO, a subsidiary of HIDCO that has been consistently and over the years laying underground ducts for optical fibre cables for cable TV and internet. We informed them that we are also in discussion with the Bidhannagar Police Commissionaire to ensure that decisions to clear New Town of visual / over-head cable pollution are observed by all concerned.

Most importantly, we launched advance mosquito control programme in co-operation with the residents so that the ensuing summer / monsoon season would be free of vector-borne diseases like dengue etc. We informed that NKDA would soon appoint an honorary entomologist to guide its battle against mosquitos. A booklet was distributed for awareness. Residents' Associations were also requested to sensitise residents on preventive measures and take care of drains, water tanks and rooftops. Construction sites where water accumulates would be given special care to see that agencies take precautions.
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Clipping:

Bartaman dt 2 March 2017