Master Plan of Eco Park

Yesterday we got the final Master Plan of the Eco-Park in New Town, Rajarhat. Mr Pradip Sachadeva flew down from Delhi and handed over the plan. We had a long discussion. A time-frame of 24 months has been chalked out. There may be several packages (pathways, drainage, power-lines, parking, entrance gate, food court, landscaping etc) that can run in parallel. The detailed estimates and tender documents will be prepared by Hidco engineers. I have advised Chief Engineer Hidco Mr Ananda Ganguly to start immediately.
Here is a view of the Master Plan near the entrance plaza:

Pre Paid Power

I was happy to visit a housing colony near the first rotary in New Town last Tuesday to actually see pre-paid electricity meters working. I learnt how these things worked and was told by the accompanying Managing Director of New Town Electricity Supply Company that residents were actually preferring this mode as many of tenants and occupiers often shifted residences. 

Twin Towers in Financial Hub, Kolkata

In yesterday's Board meeting of Hidco, it was decided that a global bid would be invited for designing & building a Twin-Tower iconic building in a 1.6 hectare plot of the Financial Hub. BUIDL (a joint venture company of ILF&S and Govt of West Bengal) will make the bid documents. Here is what Times of India wrote today:

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Here is a link to Business Line on Digha Ropeway:

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/article3254436.ece

Bengal Calling

Today's Telegraph mentions of the Assocham Initiative BENGAL CALLING led by Union FM, to be held this Sunday. Here is the link:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120327/jsp/business/story_15299874.jsp
Here is a small cliiping from the article:

I plan to talk about the Financial Hub when I can.
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Here is a picture that appeared in yesterday's Telegraph Metro Booklet:

Judicial Court Building in Salt Lake

Till Sucheta Chakraborty of Telegraph talked to me, I was not aware that there was a reference from the Law Department for allowing modification in a rule. I have advised the office to put up the file to me urgently.
This is what appeared in today's Salt Lake supplement of The Telegraph:

State of the Art Fire Station for New Town, Rajarhat

Yesterday, we took a stock of the state of creating a Fire Station for New Town, Rajarhat. Few weeks ago, we had a meeting with Fire Directorate and our engineers and architects went to a Consultant Architect to design a state-of-the-art modern fire station for New Town. The land has been earmarked in Action Area 1 and the design parameters were frozen. In the next board meeting scheduled on 28th March, we will formally appoint the consultant for making the design.
  The modern fire station will be able to keep tall cranes and other equipment. There will be control room and a parade ground too. There will be dormitory on first floor from where firemen may slide down a pole in emergencies.
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Here is a report that Times of India carried today. Suman Chakraborty had spoken to me on this some time ago:

Rain Forest in Kolkata

The 480 acre Eco-Park in New Town, Rajarhat, Kolkata is being developed through a Master Plan created by M/s Pradeep Sachdeva & Associates, a Delhi - based firm who designed the Delhi Haat and Garden of Five Senses. We had a review meeting last Saturday. The whole zone is divided into 54+ zones. One of these zones is a RAIN FOREST zone - a 9 acre plantation area divided into three parts (A, B and C) each with characteristic specialised species of carefully chosen plants.

The saplings in the Rain-Forest zone have just been planted - if you observe carefully on the left on your way to the airport as you cross the Synthesis Building to the right - you can see the fences erected to keep cattle away.
Here is a picture that I took today morning on way to office:-

Digha Clean

Here is a clipping from Times of India:

I am indeed going for an Authority meeting to Digha on 23rd March 2012

Local Transport Within New Town

I have started discussions at several levels to find out how to address the issue of public transport within New Town. I asked WBSTC to think of a proposal for circular routes within the township last week. I told our newly appointed transport consultant from Delhi to make a study. I requested Tansport Secretary to allot some Green Buses for New Town. I wrote a formal proposal to the Renewable Energy Department to consider giving 25 or so battery powered carts as a pilot demonstration project. I explained to the PRT expert from UK that New Town-Salt Lake would form a good combination for a feasibility study.

Program Approach of ILFS

MD ILFS met CM yesterday. Tourism Secretary, Finance Minister, Environment & PWD Minister and others were there. I was present too. It seems ILFS is proposing a Program Approach rather than Project Approach for comprehensive development management across geographical territories.
They will take up Digha-Mandarmoni-Tajpur stretch initially. I requested them to send a proposal by 23rd March as we'd have a DSDA meeting on that date. They agreed. Let's see.

I also requested them to help about the Financial Hub in New Town.

Financial Hub : Ceremony on 10th March

Yesterday CM, FM, MIC MA&UD, MIC Labour, MIC Education, Union MoS (Health), MP, MLA, Chairman SLBC & UBI, Consul General of USA, Consul General of China, Dy High Commissioner of UK, Pr Secy IT, Pr Secy Power, Pr Secy Tourism, Secretary Finance, MD WBIDC, CGM SBI, CGM NABARD, GM RBI, Chairman Kolkata Stock Exchange, Chairperson Bidhannagar Municipality, Secretary Irrigation, Dulal Mukherjee, BKSenGupta, MNRay Choudhury, Amit Chaudhuri, PNB, IOC, UD Deptt, NKDA, Harsh Neotia, Sanjay Budhia, ILFS and many others were there. June Malia was the compere.
The photo of the building called Synthesis (which I wish to rename as "Finance Hub') seen in the Times of India report was taken and processed only a day earlier by photographer Kajal Datta, who delivered four copies the same day out of which I selected one.
Shobhagya, Arun Art, Lintas, Modern Decorators all contributed ethusiastically and brought together an event that went off very well, I thought. I thank all of them and especially my Hidco & NKDA officers and staff. I have already typed out a road map for climbing the hardest part : bringing in participation in the Financial Hub.

Open PRP : GIS for New Town ans Salt Lake

Day before yesterday, I was in a seminar of the Science & Technology Department about GIS. The basis point being made was that all departments need not buy the costly satellite images and instead the S&T Department would do that and provide the basics to all.  Some of us expressed concern at delays in GIS projects. We were told about Open Public Resources Planning Platform in GIS where there would be no dependence on proprietary technology and availability of source code. It seemed that Maharshtra was doing good work. We agreed to go for the new approach in Salt Lake, Nabadiganta and New Town.
  I had a focused meeting on Salt Lake yesterday. I will have a meeting regarding New Town GIS in the Open PRP mode on Monday at NKDA. We will chalk out a road map with milestones.
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Preparations for the Financial Hub ceremony is going on in full swing. I inspected the venue yesterday and changed the sitting style from class-room style to banquet-hall style: I hope they can execute it. Here is an article that appeared in Anandabazar on Tuesday:

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I sat through the pre-holi event in Nazrul Mancha yesterday. It was organised by KIT & KMDA. Rituparna Sengupta & troupe danced, Nachiketa & Swagatilaksmi sang. CM, Minister and Mayor were there.
Happy holi to all.

Hoardings

We have put up few hoardings similar to the following.



Financial Hub in New Town, Kolkata:10th March Event

Here is the invitation card:

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Just reached Delhi. There is a meeting in North Block tomorrow. Before leaving Kolkata, had a detailed meeting with Transport Department Officials to discuss ways in which bus services to New Town could improve. I even broached the topic of continuous circular route within New Town for which Hidco may get into a collaboration with WBSTC. Let's see if Mr Asish Thakoor, MD WBSTC can come up with a workable proposal.

Solar City Status for New Town

New Town Rajarhat has just been earmarked as a Solar City by the Govt of India. We got the approval from the Ministry of Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy recently. Now project reports are to be framed through pre-qualified Consultants.
Mr Sudhir Krishna, Secretary, Ministry of UD, Govt of India visited New Town last Sunday. I gave a two-hour presentation to him: there was a good exchange of views. After that, we took Mr Kumar and Mr S.K Lohia, OSD & JS MoUD GoI to Rabi Rashmi, the Solar Housing Complex of WBREDA. Mr Sushobhan Bhattacharya, Director WBREDA and all of us appear in the photograph below:

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Today was the day of 24 hour strike. Attendance in Hidco was 90%+. Also in UD it was quite high. Many officers stayed in UD bungalow in Salt Lake. Many arrived very early in the morning: I met two engineers walking in the Central Park who'd come very early for office. We did good work on budget preparation and I even went to Writers' and had discussions with CM, FM, MIC UD, CS and HS (separately) on various issues.

Thai Consulate in New Town

Yesterday, Thailand's Consul met me at Hidco and enquired about the possibility of setting up a consulate in New Town. I explained the protocol and the government's broad policy. The discussions were held in a cordial atmosphere. Let's see how it goes.
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I also attended Credai's inauguration ceremony where Shri Partha Chatterjee was the Chief Guest. I talked briefly about our planning efforts in Raghunathpur, Prulia. Here is a link to today's Pratidin:
http://sangbadpratidin.in/pratidin/kolkata.php
(see last portion of third article)

Apex Training Institute of SBI in Rajarhat New Town ?

Yesterday, Ms Arundhati Bhattacharya, DMD SBI came in from Mumbai and met Finance Minister Shri Amit Mitra along with Mr Suriender Kumar, CGM, SBI, Bengal Circle. I was also present. SBI wishes to set up an Apex Training Institute with state-of-the-art facilities, in the lines of their Gurgaon and Hyderabad Institutes in Kolkata. I have indicated a possible location in New Town, Rajarhat, close to - in fact just across the road of - the Financial Hub.

I think it will be a  good thing to happen, when it happens.

Beleghata, Kestopur and Tolly's Nullah revival

We had a meeting by Irrigation Minister today. Mr Sadhan Pandey Minister was also there. It was about ways to harness Govt of India funds for NGRBA. We discussed the procedures. We decided that Irrigation Department would be the Proect Implementing Agency.

Here is a link:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Notices-to-leaseholders-of-idle-Salt-Lake-plots/articleshow/11970046.cms

And something from Anandabazar

Rule of Law

Here is a report that appeared in today's Pratidin; this was based on a converstaion with Sutirtha Chakraborty yesterday afternoon:

Update on Projects in New Town

Yesterday, I went on a brief inspection with few enginners of NKDA to review some projects of New Town. A brief update:
1. Bus stop: Work in progress on MAR, near 1st intersection. After seeing how it turns out, more will be built.
2. Public Pay-and-Use Toilet: Work in progress in two locations (AA-I and AA-III). Incidentally, in Board Meeting of NKDA, it was decided to construct a second story where restaurant or cafe can be built - as in front of Priya Cinema
3. Park in AA-ID: Boundary wall complete, sentry box complete, land levelling works going on
4. International Swimming Pool in BB Block, AA-I: Boundary wall complete, layout design details being formulated
5. Large Park in AA-I: I saw the site; I'll ask Principal Consultant to make an environment-friendly lay out.

Other on going works:

(a) Rabindra Tirtha Complex: Racing Against Time
(b) Eco Park: Tropical Forest started, Boundary Wall started, Master Plan just received from Ar Pradip Sachadeva of Delhi
(c) Decorative lights: further stretches being covered
(d) New Curb Stones: Work ongoing in the stretch between VIP Road and City Centre
(e) Vocational Training Centre: Advanced stage
(f) Water from Hoogly: Field inspection made; DPR being rectified
(g) Sewerage and water lines: Works on in AA-II & III
(h) Internal Roads: Works on in AA-II
(i) East West MAR in AA-III: Nearing completion
(j) EWS Housing in AA-I near WTP: Nearing completion (I made a field inspection last week)
(k) Weigh Bridge in AA-II : Site identified in AA-ID. There will be a community market too. Road from the weigh-bridge to Mollar Bheri across existing bridge over Keshtopur canal will be built by NKDA

System improvement:
(i) Biometric Attendance: After HIDCO, NKDA is proceeding forward.
(ii) Wi Fi LAN: Hidco Bhavan will be covered by Wi Fi hot spots. Scheme drawn up
(iii) Grievance Telephone: I told CEO NKDA (Gopal Ghosh) to set out a toll-free number for citizen complaints / queries

(More will follow- got to go now)