West Bengal - Economy and Project Developments [Archive] - Page 6

rupakd

August 27th, 2009, 08:34 AM

Hosur: India’s third-largest two-wheeler company TVS Motor Company plans to launch its newly introduced three-wheeler range in Bengal to take advantage of the likely demand for new auto rickshaws in Kolkata following the Calcutta High Court order on replacement of old vehicles. Currently, the market is dominated by Bajaj Auto.
The TVS 3-wheelers are likely to be launched under the ‘Arjun’ brand of Mahabharat Motors Manufacturing Co (MMMC) in December. Incidentally, ‘Arjun’ was originally considered as the name for the 2-wheelers which were supposed to roll out from the MMMC factory at Uluberia prior to the company entering into a contract manufacturing arrangement with TVS.
The ‘Arjun’ name, more significantly, was proposed by CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in 2006 when Brand Bengal was still going strong. MMMC is a JV between Salim group of Indonesia and Universal Success of Prasoon Mukherjee. It initially had an alliance with Zongshen of China.
MMMC chief operating officer T G Sridhar said: “Arjun could be an option for the three-wheeler branding. But the two-wheelers will be marketed under the TVS brand through their dealer network. Later, we might look for our own branding.” MMMC is investing Rs 150 crore in the first phase and would employ 100 people. The total investment in the project could be close to Rs 1,000 crore in the next few years, he added.
“We are starting with a capacity of 60,000 per year which can go up to 1.20 lakh,” he said. Mahabharat Motors would contact the state government for supplying green autos, he added.

Samrat

August 27th, 2009, 01:37 PM

Singapore group to invest Rs 2-lakh cr, rope in Salim Group

The Financial Express : 27.08.2009

kolkata: Singapore-based infrastructure development company Universal Success Enterprises (USEL), slated to work on the proposed chemical hub at Nayachar in West Bengal, has planned to invest Rs 2,37,000 crore in West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra over the next 10 years.

The company, which will develop Nayachar once the project gets clearance with Indonesia's Salim Group, may rope in the Indonesian partner for projects in other states. "We may get Salim on other projects too," said Prasoon Mukherjee, chairman of USEL. The company plans to earmark the largest investment for West Bengal by proposing to invest Rs 1,25,000 crore in infrastructure development projects over the next decade. It includes the proposed PCPIR at Nayachar which will need an investment of Rs 11,000 crore, Kolkata West International City (KWIC), a 390 acre integrated township development project in Howrah with an investment of Rs 6,000 crore.

That apart, it is developing Mahabharat Motors Manufacturing, a two wheeler manufacturing unit over an area of 65 acre in Uluberia. The company will manufacture two wheelers for TVS from next month. It is also developing Kolkata International Logistics City, creating a space of 3 crore sq ft; Uniworld City, an international condominium complex over 100 acre at New Town, Kolkata; a 10,000 mw power project in the state—it's scouting for land—and a captive port nearby.

The company has already committed Rs 87,000 crore in Gujarat. It has planned to develop two ports and a 10,000 mw power project. It is also looking at developing special economic zones. "Dholera authority will hand over land in a month. It will take a year to complete the feasibility study at the site and start construction," he said. The power plant will be put up at one or more locations in Gujarat near a port as it will import Mongolian coal from group-owned captive mines.

It will also build a dedicated port terminal and allied infrastructure with an investment of Rs 7,000 crore to import coal. USEL will also invest Rs 30,000 crore to develop mixed-use industrial and urban infrastructure projects at Dholera SIR near Ahmedabad. "We are also in talks with the Maharashtra government to develop special economic zones and a 5,000 mw power project in the state," Mukherjee said. The company plans to invest Rs 25,000 crore in the state.

rupakd

August 31st, 2009, 08:42 AM

This is undoubtedly the biggest industrial development story in Bengal since an angry Ratan Tata left the state with his Nano project.
Kalyani Group, the $2.4-billion Indian multinational, has overcome its Nano-induced nervousness and is coming to Bengal with a Rs 6,500-crore steel-cum-power plant project. What’s more, land acquisition for the project near Panagarh is going on quietly and sources say the progress has been remarkably good.
Kalyani Steel Ltd, part of the Kalyani Group, whose flagship company is Bharat Forge, had inked an MoU for a 1-million-tonne steel plant (a shade smaller than Durgapur Steel Plant) and a 500-MW captive power plant with West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation in February 2008. But the state’s industrial climate had turned shudderingly cold — violence had erupted in Nandigram and Singur a year earlier and forces hostile to land acquisition for industry appeared on the ascendant when Trinamool romped home in May 2008 (panchayat polls). The Kalyani Group got cold feet.
No longer. Things seem to have changed. It appears the investors have been assured not just by the Left but Trinamool, too, and that has bolstered the Kalyani Group’s confidence to go ahead with the project. Amit Kalyani, director, Kalyani Steels, told TOI on Saturday: “We are excited about our West Bengal project. It will be a 2-million-tonne speciality steel plant, built in phases.” This is double the capacity inked in the 2008 MoU. The investment, too, is expected to be much larger than the initial Rs 6,500 crore.

Source: TOI

HopePersists

August 31st, 2009, 09:09 AM

^^ great news and much more being expected since long....

Asansol-Durgapur belt: Mini-Kolkata in the making (http://http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Features/The-Sunday-ET/Asansol-Durgapur-belt-Mini-Kolkata-in-the-making/articleshow/4949732.cms)

The industrial township of Durgapur, on the banks of Damodar River, is gradually re-emerging as a bustling hub with a large workforce, moderate per capita income, good connectivity and a large number of housing, commercial and educational establishments.

Apart from a plethora of modern infrastructure projects that have already come up, the fact that Durgapur and Asansol have been able to withstand the slowdown is further spurring development. Real estate prices — one of the key indicators of the development index — have nearly doubled in the past five years. Realtors claim prices may appreciate manifold with the proposed airport city by Bengal Aerotropolis in Asansol-Durgapur area gathering steam.

Small wonder, realtors and infrastructure development companies are more than eager to tap into this huge potential. National and local developers have been buying land in the area in anticipation that prices will shoot up in coming months.

Residential project prices, local realtors claim, currently vary between Rs 1,400 and Rs 2,000 per square feet (sqft) in Durgapur and between Rs 900 and Rs 1,000 per sqft in Asansol, while rentals for office space in both towns hover between Rs 35 and Rs 50 per sqft.

Realty players such as Bengal Shrachi, the Fort Group and Shapoorji Pallonji are contributing their bit towards rejuvenation of this town. While the City Plaza has added vibrancy to Durgapur’s nightlife, Bengal Ambuja and Bengal Shristi have built multi-storied residential complexes and retail projects, adding to the city’s quality of life.

After completing the mixed use Durgapur City Centre project, Bengal Shristi is busy developing a mega integrated township ‘Shristinagar’ over 90 acres at Asansol and a logistics hub at Raniganj spread over 25 acres.

Says Bengal Shristi director Hemant Kanoria: “With the Durgapur City Centre project completed and two ongoing projects in the Asansol-Durgapur belt, we are in the process of redefining the image of the region with a focus on infrastructure, SEZ, integrated townships, mixed use developments and other diversified projects. The face of the Asansol-Durgapur region is all set to change.”

Other private developers are equally gung ho. The SPS Synergy Knowledge and Health City is also under development. Apart from state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, the Rs 600-cr project will also have an education hub, residential apartments, shopping mall and hotel.

Asansol Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA) — a statutory body of the state government spearheading developmental activities — has also acted as a catalyst over the years giving shape to a multitude of projects like industrial estates, growth centres and townships.

Development of a huge tract of land opposite City Centre under the aegis of ADDA into a commercial shopping complex and Bengal Ambuja Township are some of the flagship ongoing projects. Entertainment-cum-commercial hubs are also expected to come up here.

And now that the Asansol Urban Agglomeration (read: Asansol city) has been selected as a ‘Mission City’ under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission project, the urbanisation process is all set to get a leg up. Meanwhile, IIT-Kharagpur has been engaged in preparing a Perspective Plan 2025 for development of the Asansol-Durgapur area.

The industrial town has also got bitten by the mall bug. Retail business is on a high as large format stores as well as brand shops embellish the main market area. While Bengal Shrachi is building a shopping mall in Durgapur, retail biggie Future Group is in the process of setting up retail stores in the region. The Panoramic Group has also revealed its plans to develop a 150-room hotel on 2.5 acres in Durgapur.

With a spurt in industrial activities, improved connectivity with Kolkata and investments in IT/ITeS, steel, realty and retail sector pouring in, the time may indeed be not too far when the Asansol-Durgapur belt emerges as a mini-Kolkata.

rupakd

August 31st, 2009, 11:57 AM

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/6030/naturalh.png (http://img36.imageshack.us/i/naturalh.png/)

Natural Group,a Kolkata based real estate group is constructing a housing project in Durgapur,the ongoing project is being built up in City Centre.

Number of Towers: 4

Number of Floors/tower: G+12

Number of Apartments: 240

SarafIndian

August 31st, 2009, 08:04 PM

Suncity

September 2nd, 2009, 05:21 AM

FAW bus fleet to roll out today

TNN

The new luxury bus made by Chinese auto major First Automobile Works (FAW), in collaboration with Ural India, is going to roll out of Ural’s Haldia factory on Wednesday.

Ural India, an Indo-Russian joint venture, tied up with FAW to produce buses and small cars. West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) also has a stake in the joint venture. FAW agreed to invest to the tune of Rs 1500 crore in the first phase in the state, and the production of these buses is going to be part of their first phase of investment.

The company will produce luxury, semi-luxury and ordinary buses with a price tag ranging from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 50 lakh.

Though a major part of the buses have been assembled from China, some parts have been locally produced. The company is producing both AC and non-AC buses, that have standing accommodation as well.

“We think that there is a great demand for buses in the city, with 15-year-old buses having been phased out,” said Ural India chairman J K Saraf.
The Ural-FAW joint venture had earlier shown interest in the Singur land from where the Tatas pulled out their Nano project. In fact, the Chinese officials had also been to Singur. They were keen to start with 500 acres for their auto factory, but with the fate of Singur yet to be decided, the Ural India chairman had written to chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for additional land at Haldia.

Presently, Ural’s Haldia factory occupies 100 acres. It has so far been producing trucks, dumpers and special anti-mine
vehicles for the army and police. As of now, the company is going for an expansion programme with bus and small cars. It wants at least 200 acres of additional land near their Haldia plant.

A company official had said they would produce their first 100 luxury buses by October. The official said that the state government had assured them when they launched the plant in 2006 that 300 acres would be allotted in Haldia. But till now, the additional 200 acres have not been allotted.

Moreover, as the company is planning to start production of small cars with a price tag of around Rs 1.5 lakh before the end of this year, it is hunting for more land. They have even started
producing truck chassis at Kalyani as the Haldia plant is not big enough, the official said.

The official said that due to paucity of space, their production of defence vehicles is also being delayed, for which they were looking for additional land. Already, the company has exported over 200 trucks.

sidney_jec

September 3rd, 2009, 08:29 AM

Source (http://www.ptinews.com/news/260481_DFID-to-pump-in-additional-50-mn-pounds-in-West-Bengal)

DFID to pump in additional 50 mn pounds in West Bengal
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Share Print E-mail Comment[ - ] Text [ + ]STAFF WRITER 1:8 HRS IST
Kolkata, Sep 1 (PTI) Britain will provide an additional 50 million pounds to West Bengal to support projects for the urban poor after providing an equal amount last year, a visiting British minister said today.

"Last year, we provided 50 million pounds to the West Bengal government to support urban generations. This year, we will provide an additional 50 million pounds," Minister for International Development Douglas Alexander told reporters after visiting a DFID-sponsored slum development project at Rajarhat near here.

West Bengal is among the Britain's Department for International Development's (DFID) five focus states in India.

Alexander, who is on a three-day visit to India with ministerial colleague Ed Miliband, said the DFID spent 275 million pound in India last year in various developmental projects.

Suncity

September 5th, 2009, 06:32 PM

Essar to spend $350 mln on coal bed methane

http://in.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idINIndia-41862020090820

Essar Exploration & Production India Ltd plans to spend some $350 million in the next three to four years to fund drilling of 500 wells in a coal-bed methane (CBM) block in eastern India, said a senior official on Thursday.

Essar E&P, a unit of Essar Oil, will also start to sell gas from the coal-rich eastern Raniganj block from December, and will extract 3 million cubic feet a day of coal seam gas by March 2010, said S.K. Singh, the firm's general manager.

Production is expected to hit 100 million cubic feet by 2013/2014 as the firm expands its drilling, he added.

"We have ready customers in the industrial belt of India -- from steel to power plants," Singh said on the sidelines of a CBM conference in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the firm laid a pipeline of 25-30 kilometres, linking gas from the producing CBM wells to the industry.

"Our plan is to hook up to the national (gas) grid," Singh added.

Essar, which owns 100 percent of the 500-square-kilometres Raniganj block, will receive a reserves certification from Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc., between September and October.

Suncity

September 5th, 2009, 06:45 PM

Century Extrusions commences commercial production from its expansion project at Kharagpur

http://www.equitybulls.com/admin/news2006/news_det.asp?id=59572

Century Extrusions Ltd today declared commercial production from its new 2700MT Aluminium Extrusion Press Line put up at their factory at Kharagpur. The expansion project has enhanced their installed capacity for manufacture of Aluminium Extrusions from current level of 7500 MT per annum to 15000 MT per annum.

The company has put up the most modern and state-of-art extrusions manufacturing facility, which is comparable with the best in the world, at a capital investment of Rs 40 crores.

Suncity

September 5th, 2009, 07:01 PM

Great Eastern Energy’s new plans

http://www.infiniteenergy.com/?referrer=GoogleAds

Great Eastern Energy Corporation plans to invest nearly Rs. 2,830 crore to develop hydrocarbon production in two phases.

The Gurgaon-based company is engaged in exploration, development, production and distribution of natural gas from coal-bed methane in the Raniganj block in Damodar Valley near Asansol in West Bengal.

31 wells were under different stages of production in the Raniganj block spread over 210 sq. km. The in-place gas reserves were estimated at 1.92 trillion cubic feet.

The company plans to drill 100 more wells in the next two years for which it has got approval from the Director-General of Hydrocarbons. It plans to drill 200 more wells in five years.

Samrat

September 7th, 2009, 10:03 AM

West Bengal set to lose 10K-crore IT funding

The Economics Times. 7 Sep 2009,

KOLKATA: With the 1,600-acre IT township near Vedic Village about to bite the dust, West Bengal stands to lose out on a staggering Rs 10,000 crore Performance of top IT cos.

“Since the IT township project is about to scrapped, latest estimates by the state IT department suggest West Bengal could lose out on Rs 10,000 crore of potential investments and the chance of creating nearly 3 lakh jobs. Had Infosys and Wipro been able to set up shop in the township, a string of greenfield projects from the likes of ICICI Bank to ITC Infotech were expected to follow,” said a very senior state government official.

In the 1,600-acre township, IT/ITeS companies were to be allotted over 600 acre, with the balance was for building township and common infrastructure facilities. At present, nearly 1 lakh people work in the state’s IT sector with 80,000 working in city’s Salt Lake Sector V IT hub.

While Infosys and Wipro had both announced that they would initially employ 5,000-odd people in the Vedic Village IT township project, sources said both companies had actually informed the government that eventually planned to create at least 40,000 jobs in the IT township between themselves.

Sources indicated that state IT minister Debesh Das was likely to finalise the draft of his regret letters to Infosys and Wipro in consultation with the chief minister on Monday. Following this, the state IT minister could send the letters to both companies stating that the state government would be unable to provide any land at the proposed IT township.

In fact, before the Vedic Village fiasco and the consequent political upheaval , the state government was working on a “crash basis” to allot 50 acre out of the promised 90 acre to Wipro by Durga Puja.

Suncity

September 7th, 2009, 04:23 PM

arijeetb

September 7th, 2009, 09:15 PM

^^

There has been no firm committment from any company about investment in the now scrapped IT Township.

Reputed IT companies like Infosys should understand that they cannot be land sharks and gobble up acres of land for two storey sprawls. They need to build highrise towers with small land footprints.

^^they cannot go against tradition by building tall towers. They cannot also go against tradition by leasing out.:nuts: So let them go to hell:bash: I hope Wipro is more forthright and invest somewhere like Bantala for example.

Come to think of it, why did the govt not give them something in Bantala. 10 would have been good for Infy to get started.

todscreen

September 8th, 2009, 12:22 AM

these dumb outsider companies need to build tall or get the hell out of this state.

Suncity

September 8th, 2009, 05:01 AM

Vedanta Aluminum Project

TOI epaper

Full-fledged construction of the proposed Rs 20,000-crore project of Vedanta Aluminum Ltd at Bidhanbag near Asansol is expected to start in the last quarter of this fiscal.

Company officials hope that production will start by the end of 2012. Vedanta Aluminum, a unit of London Stock Exchange-listed Vedanta Resources Plc, will set up a 6.5 million tonne per annum aluminum smelter plant and a 3000-MW power plant in the now closed site of Balco.

Sandeep Agrawal, project director, said that work has already started on the existing 265 acres. “We will develop the 6.5 MT per annum aluminum smelter plant in phases,” he said.

According to him, the 3000-MW power plant will also be set up in a phased manner and about 1000 MW will be sold to the the state government for the proposed aluminum park of downstream units.

Company sources said that so far about Rs 20 crore has been invested in primary jobs like site-levelling, demolishing old structures and setting up boundary walls. The public hearing for environmental clearance will be held at the Raniganj BDO office on September 9. Both the power plant and the aluminum smelter unit will be set up on turnkey basis.

Samrat

September 8th, 2009, 09:35 AM

Land devil logs out IT dream

The Telegraph, 08.09.2009

With the state information technology department announcing on Monday that it has no land to offer Infosys and Wipro following the Vedic Village fiasco, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s IT adventure is dead and buried for now, mourn insiders.

“The failure of the project, and under such murky circumstances, is going to be a body blow to the perception of the city as an emerging IT hub,” said a senior official of an IT solutions company. “It is not just about missing out on Infosys and Wipro but the state’s inability to keep a commitment and that is a major setback for the industry.”

Six years after being bestowed the “public utility service” status to beat bandhs and other political disruptions, the chief minister’s blue-eyed sector has failed to make much headway. And now, the bubble has burst.

“West Bengal, despite having a positive government, has faced many issues in the past two years and losing two big trendsetters who would have been followed by more companies is a setback to the state’s image,” said Kiran Karnik, the ex-president of Nasscom.

According to government sources, the 600-acre IT park of Kolkata Links next to Vedic Village, housing Infosys and Wipro, would have generated around 2.25 lakh jobs.

“It is very unfortunate because Bengal’s youngsters will be the biggest losers,” said S. Radhakrishnan of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

That includes those waiting to come back home. “I left the city in 2008 because of the poor work environment but I had my hopes pegged on Infosys setting up shop there,” said a 30-year-old techie working in Bangalore.

Industry captains fear not just the loss of direct employment opportunities but also the ripple effect. “Large companies like these spawn a tertiary economy of suppliers, placement agencies and others. The state will lose out on all such industries,” said Kalyan Kar, the managing director of Acclaris.

In the post-Singur scenario, the sudden death of the Kolkata Links project could take the city back two decades when Calcutta was perceived fit for being only a recruitment hub of bright IT brains to be shipped to Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

“Companies like Wipro, Tata Consultancy Services and IBM had recruitment offices on Camac Street, but they would not set up a permanent base in Calcutta because of political disruption and poor work culture,” recounted a senior government official.

It was against this backdrop that the IT department drew up the IT vision policy projecting the “knowledge capital of the country” as the “emerging IT destination”.

Many within the IT industry feel that the government should not have buckled the way it did over Kolkata Links. “Even if they were given the land tomorrow, Infosys and Wipro would not have come immediately because of the economic slowdown. The government should have used this opportunity to look for alternative land,” said Kar.

But “alternative land”, according to IT department sources, is a mirage. Rajarhat is out of bounds because of Hidco (read Goutam Deb) setting the price bar “too high”, the 350-acre IT park in Jagadishpur is a non-starter because of the land acquiring process running into trouble, and the land at Kalyani offered to the IT majors was rejected.

“There is no other land to offer,” summed up an IT official.

sabya99

September 8th, 2009, 03:15 PM

Suncity

September 9th, 2009, 03:29 AM

Videocon plans

TOI epaper

Videocon, the consumer electronics major, said on Tuesday that it hopes to start commercial production at its proposed Rs 100-crore liquid crystal display (LCD) panels unit here before the pujas.

Gautam Sengupta, COO of Kitchen Appliances, a Videocon subsidiary, claimed the facility would be the first of its kind in India. “A clutch of Japanese engineers are working overtime for starting production as per schedule at our Taratala factory,” he added.

The Videocon group aims to export some of the LCD panels it would be making at Taratala. As for the rest, it would be used for in-house consumption as well as for supplying to other manufacturers. “We will export LCD panels to Singapore by the end of this month,” Sengupta said.

Elaborating on the progress of other projects, the Videocon official said that the group has acquired the bulk of the land for the 10 MW solar power project in Purulia. The company has already started trial production at its electronic component facility near Siliguri. “We are also setting up an IT park at our complex in Salt Lake and getting good response,” he added.

rupakd

September 10th, 2009, 08:26 AM

To achieve the national solar mission, an investment of Rs 20,000 crore would be required to manufacture polysilicon — the raw material that generates solar energy.
The national solar mission is part of the national action plan on climate change to be formally launched in November this year. It has a target of generating 20,000 MW solar power and creating 10 lakh green jobs by 2020.
As a first step, Bhaskar Silicon Pvt Ltd will invest Rs 2,500 crore to set up a polysilicon-to-solar module processing plant in Haldia — the first company in the eastern region to do so. Jyoti Poddar, the director of Bhaskar Silicon Pvt Ltd, said they have started constructing the unit on 200 acres in Haldia.
“The unit will have a production capacity of around 3,000 tonnes of polysilicon per annum and we are to invest Rs 2,500 crore. Production will commence from 2011,” Poddar said on Wednesday.
SP Gon Choudhuri, the managing director of West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC), said the country was still importing the raw materials that processes polysilicon to solar wafer. “The country imports 4,000 tonnes of polysilicon each year. To meet the national solar mission’s target, the demand of polysilicon will go up to 20,000 tonnes per annum from 2010 itself. So, the state government and the industries concerned should come out with a road map to bring in investments that will help the country process solar modules from polysilicon instead of importing it,” he said. The country at present generates a meagre 200 MW solar power annually.
“For now, six companies — three in Falta, two in Durgapur and one in Kolkata — will set up solar plants with an investment of Rs 450 crore,” he said. However, these units will generate solar power from imported polysilicon.

Source: TOI

arijeetb

September 10th, 2009, 02:54 PM

Suncity

September 11th, 2009, 04:50 AM

NRL commissions marketing terminal at Siliguri

http://www.nrl.co.in/ci.asp?pg=main&lnk=smtp
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/numaligarh-refinery-posts-record-sales/369200/

NRL has recently commissioned the Marketing Terminal at Siliguri having a project cost of Rs. 186.23 crores as a linked project to the Numaligarh-Siliguri product pipeline project implemented by M/s Oil India Limited. The pipeline has been implemented for providing a smooth, reliable and economical mode for product evacuation from Numaligarh refinery.

avishar

September 11th, 2009, 12:33 PM

More bad news Andal Airport project seems to have run into some problem.This is turning out to be de rigueur for Bengal.Doesnt even surprise me anymore.

todscreen

September 11th, 2009, 03:11 PM

^^is it a land problem?

this is all the fault of the media...if they had chosen to silence the voice of the poor and the few, none of this would have taken grounds.

Suncity

September 12th, 2009, 03:47 PM

Govt raises gas estimates at Essar's Raniganj block by 40%

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/govt-raises-gas-estimates-at-essar%5Cs-raniganj-block-by-40/369660/

Essar Oil’s coal-bed methane block at Raniganj in West Bengal, slated to begin production by December, has had its gas reserve estimates raised from 42 billion cubic meters to 60.77 billion cubic metre by the Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons.

“Essar has invested around Rs 150 crore in the Raniganj block, though the project will see an overall investment of approximately Rs 1,500-1,750 crore. The net cash spend is likely to be around 35 per cent of that amount, as the project will start generating revenues by December",said Shishir Agrawal, CEO and executive director of Essar Exploration and Production, a unit of Essar Oil.

SarafIndian

September 12th, 2009, 06:17 PM

Photo cc Optimal Power

Jamuria 2MW Solar power project u/c.. :cheers:

http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv214/SarafIndian3/3880704160_9d165c029e_o.jpg

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http://i685.photobucket.com/albums/vv214/SarafIndian3/3880704156_1e63d87fe3_o.jpg

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rupakd

September 17th, 2009, 08:17 AM

Two decades after he made waves with his first film Aashiqui, actor Rahul Roy is planning a ‘return’ to the silver screen — this time as multiplex owner. Roy has promised to bring the plex comfort to rural audiences in West Bengal by next year.
Roy, who hails from a business family that owns a bouquet of construction firms, has floated OSS Entertainment, an entertainment company, for setting up multiplexes in small towns and rural hubs apart from producing films. Roy is its CEO.
The Bollywood star of the ’90s, he has also set up an IT firm called OSS Retail (P) Ltd that deals in internet and ITES. Roy is also keen to set up an ITES unit in Kolkata once the business stabilises.
Roy told TOI during his recent visit to Kolkata that setting up a rural multiplex chain has been his dream. “Though I started my career as an actor, I hail from a business family and want to get into entertainment-related business,” he said.
Roy believes that rural multiplexes could redefine the entertainment industry. He pointed out that in states like Bengal or Punjab, rural folk have surplus money to spend on entertainment. But there are hardly any avenues for this. “Smaller towns even lack a proper cinema hall. We want to project our multiplexes as rural entertainment centres and want to extend the comfort of these multiplexes to rural folk,” he added.
OSS Entertainment is planning to set up 50 multiplexes in tier 2 as well as in tier 3 towns in the next two years. “We are now preparing the roadmap for the rollout,” he added. The actor said these multiplexes would bear the OSS brand and have a capacity of 300-400 seats with two screens, unlike posh urban multiplexes that have capacities of 1,100-1500 seats with three to four screens. “We may even set up up one-screen theatres in rural hamlets,” he added. Commenting on film production, Roy said that OSS is now making two films in Hindi — Ada and Mera Bachpan — and one in a regional language. “Our plan is to make three films a year,” he added.

Source: TOI

rupakd

September 17th, 2009, 09:05 AM

Hong Kong-based Townland Consultants Private Ltd (TCPL) hopes to finalise the master plan for a proposed airport city project at Andal in the next six months.
Bengal Aerotropolis Private Ltd, in which Singapore’s Changi Airport is a partner, has asked TCPL for a detailed plan of the airport city, which will come up over 2,200 acres.
“We will create a framework for optimum land use within the city, keeping in mind the various components of the project — airport, industrial cluster and residential block,” Richard J. Durack, director of TCPL, said.
Durack was in Calcutta today to kickstart the planning exercise. About 600 acres have been earmarked for the airport around which the city will be built.
Construction work is expected to start in the next one year.
Durack said two-third of the project land has been earmarked for light engineering, logistics and IT.
Steven Michiel Beunder, the master planner for TCPL, said the residential block would be low-rise.
“There will be a central park on 50 acres. There will be a lot of green patches and water bodies,” Beunder added.
The proposed city will accommodate 150,000

Source: The Telegraph

rupakd

September 17th, 2009, 10:46 AM

DPSC Ltd has identified additional land for its proposed thermal power project. Speaking after the firm’s annual general meeting, DPSC managing director S Radhakrishnan said the firm needs 225 acres for the power project near Dishergarh. “We have around 110 acres. We have also identified the remaining 125 acres. DPSC is approaching the state government for procuring that land,” he said.
Incidentally, the power utility is planning a 500 MW (2X250) power plant at an estimated investment of Rs 2,200 crore. Radhakrishnan said that DPSC has sought ‘in-principle’ approval from West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) for setting up a 33 KV sub station at J K Nagar in Burdwan district.
“The total investment in the project is Rs 76.50 crore covering the upstream and downstream infrastructure necessary for purchase of power from West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. Work on the project will commence once the preliminary approval of the commissioned is received,” he said. DPSC’s promoters Andrew Yule and insurance companies are planning to divest their stakes in the power utility. However, the process has been delayed due to a legal wrangle.

Source: TOI

rupakd

September 17th, 2009, 10:54 AM

The railways have identified land 500m from the sea in Digha and on Hill Cart Road in Siliguri to build budget hotels, shopping malls and book stalls for tourists.
Of the 49 such complexes to be built across the country, six will be in Bengal.
The other four sites planned are Tarapith, Ganga Sagar, Burdwan and Majerhat.
The Digha facility will be on 25 acres near the railway station.
“The area is not developed now. But since the introduction of two daily trains between Digha and Calcutta, the number of people using the route has increased manifold,” said a railway official.
Tamralipta Express and Kandari Express, which had 14 coaches between them when they began running, now have 17 to cater to the tourist rush.
On an average, they carry around 2,000 passengers everyday. “So a hotel and other facilities close to the station will be a convenience,” the official said.
“Unlike in other coastal towns, Digha station is not far from the sea, which makes the property position even better,” he added.
Siliguri will actually get two “multi-functional complexes” — one at Air View More on Hill Cart Road in the heart of the town and the other adjacent to the New Jalpaiguri station, which all tourists going to north Bengal and Sikkim use.
“Both locations are ideal. Air View More is close to the Mahananda bridge that all vehicles bound for Darjeeling and Gangtok use. Also, the bus terminuses — Bengal’s Tenzing Norgay stand and one for Sikkim vehicles — are close by. So the area always has tourists,” said an official of the Indian Railways Construction Company (Ircon).
“The New Jalpaiguri station is the largest in north Bengal and at least 45 long-distance trains stop there every day.”
Ircon and the Rail Land Development Authority will work on the projects.
All the plots belong to the railways. Land for the four other projects in Bengal will be identified soon, the official said.
The plans have been sent to the railway ministry for the final approval, though the project cost is yet to be finalised.
In her budget speech, railway minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that Digha, Darjeeling (district), Ganga Sagar and Tarapith would be four places where commercial complexes were to come up. “Burdwan and Majerhat in Calcutta were added to the list later,” an Ircon official said.

Source: The Telegraph

rupakd

September 18th, 2009, 09:30 AM

Fervently hoping that the state would soon iron out the freshly developed creases in the aerotropolis project, BAPL (Bengal Aerotropolis Private Ltd) has started drawing up the masterplan for the project.
Officials from the Hong Kong-based Townland Consultants are currently in the city to work on the detailed master-plan for the aviationrelated enterprises (hotels, business parks and township) around the proposed 600-acre airport at Andal in Burdwan. A three-member team comprising director Richard J Durack, master planner Steven Michiel Beunder and town planner Veronique Dryden met BAPL officials, intending to complete the master-plan six months from now.
WBIDC would have handed over a token 551 acres for the project site this month and BAPL paid the first instalment (land price). All of the 2200 acres needed for the first phase is scheduled to be handed over by the year-end.
The prospects appeared a little uncertain recently as the government broke the news about hidden costs which took the company that has Changi Airports as its FDI partner off guard. Not ready to be daunted by yet another hiccup (Coal India’s objections earlier this year had led to realignment of the project area), BAPL is determined to doing its own bit for the project planning.
Officials of Townland are upbeat as this airport-township would be the biggest they would have handled in India and “by far the greenest”. Said Durack, “The township, given it’s span and the psyche of the people living in that area, will be green and very open. Around 50 acres will be dedicated for a central park.” About twothirds of the project area will be reserved for industrial and commercial use, including an IT park.
Beunder said: “Matching the semi-rural set-up, the township will be low-rise — very different from Rajarhat that caters to high-end clientele. The project time span is 10 years, so the master-plan will have to be revisited. The framework will remain same, though.” A dozen schools, hospitals, hotels and buses for inter-commuting are on the cards.

Source: TOI

rupakd

September 18th, 2009, 09:32 AM

Mahabharat Motors Manufacturing Company (Pvt) Ltd (MMMCL), the joint venture between Singapore-based Universal Success of Prasoon Mukherjee and the Salim group, will set up an ancillary park alongside its two-wheeler facility in Uluberia. The park is likely to attract investment exceeding Rs 500 crore and could create over 1,000 jobs.
MMMCL had sought additional land from chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee for future expansion of the facility. The company now has 64 acres of land.
The initial investment in the mother plant will be Rs 125 crore which will gradually increase to Rs 1,000 crore over the next couple of years. The main plant will employ 100 people for a start.
West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation sources said it has already acquired 35 acres of land adjacent to the Mahabharat project site. “It will be handed over to the company after the pujas,” an official said. MMMCL’s chief operating officer T G Sridhar said the company expects at least 25 ancillary units to come up in the park. “Like the automobile sector, the two-wheeler industry, too, is largely dependent on ‘ancillarisation’. We are talking to some firms who could set up ancillary units,” he said....

Source: TOI

todscreen

September 19th, 2009, 03:44 AM

RUPAKD: heres the masterplan for the Bengal Aerotropolis.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yvTBRLjXadE/SjzHa2ZDibI/AAAAAAAAAKU/tADI-csO8Zo/s1600/durgapur.gif
cc:http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yvTBRLjXadE/SjzHa2ZDibI/AAAAAAAAAKU/tADI-csO8Zo/s1600-h/durgapur.gif

rupakd

September 21st, 2009, 08:18 AM

Yes Todscreen, they also have their own website.

http://www.bengalaero.com/index.html

But, I think, the masterplan showing here is not finalized yet....

rupakd

September 21st, 2009, 08:19 AM

The country's first grid connected solar power project in Asansol, West Bengal has begun operation, marking a major breakthrough in the green energy revolution in the country.

"The project has become operational and power generated is is being pumped into the grid. This is first grid connected venture so far," DPSC MD S Radhakrishnan told PTI.

The plant, implemented in collaboration with DPSC and Green Energy Development Corporation, was expected to generate 3 million units of electricity a year.

It annual revenue was pegged at Rs 4.8 crore.

WBGEDC could earn a further 97 paise per unit through the sale of carbon credits that the project would accrue.

Radhakrishnan said, "We are buying solar power at Rs 5 a unit from the project for distribution as our commitment towards the environment" .

Source: www.ptinews.com

todscreen

September 24th, 2009, 08:22 AM

Yes Todscreen, they also have their own website.

http://www.bengalaero.com/index.html

But, I think, the masterplan showing here is not finalized yet....

have they already been granted the land space. I was looking at google maps..and I think I know the rough outline of where this is going to take place.

It doesn't seem to require a lot of space.

todscreen

September 24th, 2009, 08:37 AM

^^
Durgapur Aerotropolis-(a guesstimate as to its possible location alongside NH2..this guess is based from their plan...which shows the city being sidelined by the Highway at a "click") Durgapur AFB's runway is at a similar angle to NH2
http://i687.photobucket.com/albums/vv233/kolkatawb/aerotropolis.jpg

sabya99

September 24th, 2009, 02:08 PM

sabya99

September 24th, 2009, 02:12 PM

This area has another air base namely Panaghar AFB south of Durgapour which is a fully operational AFB of Indian airforce. They are thinking to extend the runway here also. I have submitted the link in one of my earlier posts.

sabya99

September 24th, 2009, 02:28 PM

Here is the link for Panaghar AFB south west of Durgapour township.
Panaghar air force station near Durgapour a major air transport base.
Link: http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=23.4705093&lon=87.4327612&z=16&l=0&m=b&v=8

todscreen

September 24th, 2009, 09:56 PM

Proposed site of Andal airport by Bengal Aerotropolis Co. You could still see the diagonal runways and turning pads used during WWII.
http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=23.5938895&lon=87.2246003&z=16&l=0&m=a&v=2:)

Hey Rupakd...thats the same place I have earmarked in my map. Mine is zoomed out a bit to show the city of Durgapur also..so you can't see the runway but its there.

sidney_jec

September 25th, 2009, 09:42 AM

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com//news/city/kolkata-/Textile-park-planned-at-Howrah-mill/articleshow/5053314.cms)

Textile park planned at Howrah mill
Pinaki Das, TNN 25 September 2009, 05:09am IST

HOWRAH: The management of Siddheswari Cotton Mills in Howrah has plans to set up a textile park on its premises. A proposal will be submitted to

the Union ministry of textiles within a month. This was announced by Navneet Kumar Dujari, director of the Dujari Group, on Thursday.

The mill is one of the oldest in the state. It was set up in 1942 on 25 acres provided by former chief minister Dr B C Roy. The mill shut its operations in 2000. Five years later, it was taken over by the Dujari Group. Today, the mill employs 200 workers and has five small- and medium-scale units. On Thursday, a programme was organized at the mill where clothes were donated to 150 poor people. Nearly 50 people also donated blood during the day. Among those present was Sultan Ahmed, Union minister of state for tourism.

"We plan to manufacture yarn and dye at the textile park. The park will generate 500 new jobs. We have requested the minister to help us by developing infrastructure. Movement of goods may be possible along the nearby Rupnarayan river. There is also a need to develop road infrastructure around the mill," Dujari said.

Ahmed took a tour of the mill and promised to take up the matter with the Centre once the proposal is submitted.

The proposed textile park is part of the Trinamool's list of projects for development of the state. Recently, at a meeting in Singur, railway minister and party chief Mamata Banerjee had announced that she would urge Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee to set up such a park near Dhaniakhali in Hooghly, which is famous for its tant sarees.

A number of cotton mills in Bengal have fallen on hard times. It is believed such projects could work towards their revival.

sabya99

September 25th, 2009, 02:17 PM

Hey Rupakd...thats the same place I have earmarked in my map. Mine is zoomed out a bit to show the city of Durgapur also..so you can't see the runway but its there.

Addressed to wrong forum member! It should be sabya99!!:)

todscreen

September 26th, 2009, 03:36 AM

^^haha sorry.

sabya99

September 30th, 2009, 10:21 PM

New Jersey Durga Puja of 2009.

This year my family visited Durga Puja at two different places , Bharat Sebashram Sangh, Kendall Park , NJ and South Plainfield, NJ. BSS Durga Puja was very strict ritualistic without any fancy music .Only serious and devoted Hindus generally visit that place. People came as far from central Pennsylvania and New York city. About 1000 or so devotees were present. BSS is collecting funds for building a nice temple in Kandell Park.
South Plainfield Puja is always crowded and this year about 2000 devotees were present. Kolkata artist like Madhumita and Arnab performed here. Also local dance drama group performed there with the help of NRI children. Rabindrasangeet and geetinatya are still alive in such far away places. I hope next generation NRI children will under Bengali culture!

sabya99

October 7th, 2009, 02:38 PM

Breaking News:

Printed from TOI

Govt seeks 2 weeks for Andal solution
TNN 7 October 2009, 04:52am IST
KOLKATA: Rattled by Singur and Nandigram and now, the IT township imbroglio, the state government is determined to sort out the problems dogging the aerotropolis project in Andal, Burdwan, within a fortnight.

Officials of Changi Airports International, the FDI partner, met chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti on Tuesday to express their concerns over the hurdles that the project has met with so far. The government, in turn, has asked for a fortnight's time to iron out creases.

Post Nandigram, Singur and the IT township imbroglio, the Rs 10,000-crore Bengal Aerotropolis Project partnered by the Singapore-based Changi Airports International is the only mega investment project in the Buddhadeb Bhatttacharjee government's kitty.

Problems cropped up as the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) was about to hand over the first tranche of land last month. Eugene Gan, vice-CEO of Changi, and Partha Ghosh, director, Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL), met the chief secretary on Tuesday morning to spell out their stand.

Not willing to invite trouble for what could be the country's first privately-owned airport-cum-township project, the chief secretary told them that the government would try and iron out the issues in the next fortnight and do the needful for the smooth handover of project land to BAPL.

Gan told the chief secretary that time was running out and the government should pull up its socks to get the project under way. The duo later met officials of WBIDC to discuss the issues.

After the meeting, Chakrabarti told reporters at Writers' Buildings, "We will ensure speedy land acquisition so that the project can be implemented soon enough."

Trouble began early last month when WBIDC, which is implementing the project, suddenly asked BAPL to bear the cost of removing the high-tension lines passing through the project site at Andal. Though WBIDC was ready to loan out the Rs 50 crore for the purpose, it insisted that BAPL should repay the amount later. BAPL was also asked to shell out another Rs 100 crore by way of drainage and water connections along the periphery of the project.

Sources at Writers' said BAPL and its FDI partner were all the more disappointed when WBIDC decided to add a new clause in the agreement that was already clinched in January, 2008. Keeping the Nano fiasco in perspective, WBIDC decided to incorporate a clause saying investors cannot hold the government responsible should the project not work out due to law-and-order problems.

Clearly, WBIDC did not want a repeat of the Nano project fiasco in Singur, where things have come to such a pass that the Tatas will hand the land back only if compensated adequately.

Officials said BAPL is not ready to have this clause incorporated and has told the chief secretary that the original January 2008 agreement should be honoured.

Topics:Kolkata
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October 8th, 2009, 03:28 AM

sabya99

October 8th, 2009, 02:29 PM

There were four Durga pujas in Boston area. Bengalis have started pandal hopping (just like Kolkata) in Boston!:)

sidney_jec

October 9th, 2009, 09:53 AM

Source (http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jkisEdgahai&title=JSW_Steel_plans_to_raise_Rs_6_600_cr_for_Bengal_project):

JSW Steel plans to raise Rs.6,600 cr for Bengal project
2009-10-08 18:40:00
JSW Steel, part of the Sajjan Jindal-owned JSW Group, aims to raise Rs.6,600 crore through debt for financing its Rs.11,000-crore steel project in West Bengal's Salboni, a senior official said here Thursday.

'Sixty to 65 percent of the total project cost will be funded through debt. The rest will be taken care of through equity,' joint group chief financial officer Krishna Deshika said.

JSW Steel entered into a development agreement in 2007 with the state government, West Bengal Minerals Development and Trading Co and West Bengal Industrial Development Corp for setting up the 10-million-tonne per annum steel and power plant.

The project will be executed by JSW Bengal Steel Ltd, a subsidiary of JSW Steel.

JSW Bengal Steel and JSW Energy would form a special purpose vehicle for setting up the 1600-MW power plant with a share holding of 26 percent and 74 percent respectively, said Biswadip Gupta, chief executive of JSW Bengal Steel.

The estimated project cost for the power plant is Rs.7,680 crore, which would be funded by a combination of debt and equity in a ratio of 3:1.

The project is expected to be operational commercially by February 2015.

JSW Energy is proposing to enter the capital market with an initial public offering (IPO). It plans to raise Rs.3,000 billion crore, Gupta said, adding that the Salboni steel project would benefit from it.

'The IPO will take care of funding a substantial part of the power project, and consequently the promoters will be left with more cash for the steel project,' he said.

The power plant will be set up within the 4,500 acres identified for the integrated project.

'We have already completed land acquisition,' Gupta said.

rupakd

October 12th, 2009, 07:54 AM

Russia is likely to get land in West Bengal for a second nuclear power project in the country. The Haripur site in the Communist-ruled State has been earmarked for Russian participation and could house up to eight Russian `VVER'-series reactor units, official sources said. A second site could give a head-start for the Russians in the Indian nuclear market.
The Russians are already in advanced stages of commissioning the first phase of the Koodankulam project in Tamil Nadu that consists of two "VVER-1000" units of 1,000 MWe each. These are being built with assistance from Russian State-owned firm Atomstroyexport, which would be involved in the construction of new units as well, sources said.
So far, the French have been allocated the Jaitapur site in Maharashtra for Areva's "EPR" reactors. The Americans are still waiting in the wings, though the Union Government has indicated its willingness to earmark two sites to US reactor manufacturers.
India had earlier conveyed its readiness to expand its nuclear engagement with Russia beyond the Koodankulam site.
Both sides commenced preliminary discussions on the construction of Russiandesign reactors on a new site during delegation level talks between the Atomic Energy Commission Chairman, Dr Anil Kakodkar, and the Rosatom chief, Mr Sergei Kiriyenko, earlier last month.
Both sides also reaffirmed their resolve to finalise contracts for the second phase of the Koodankulam project and commence construction of the proposed third and fourth units at the site.
The Department of Atomic Energy's Site Selection Committee has approved a few sites for new nuclear power plants. These include Mithirvirdi in Gujarat, Kowadi in Andhra Pradesh, Pati Sonapur in Orissa, Haripur in West Bengal and Jaitapur in Maharashtra. Of these, two coastal sites - Mithirvirdi in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat and Kowadi in Andhra Pradesh - have been tentatively earmarked for US reactor firms.

sabya99

October 12th, 2009, 02:24 PM

rupakd

October 13th, 2009, 06:50 AM

Can Dooars give chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and railway minister Mamata Banerjee a common cause? It’s too early to say, but the tourism potential of Dooars and the prospect of showcasing its delights on a train similar to Palace-on-Wheels or Golden Chariot may succeed in doing the impossible.
The Dooars region is characterized by rich plant and animal bio-diversity with 60% species being endemic to the area. The generic diversity of mammals here is also the second highest among the country’s tiger reserves.
So, what better way to display the great greens than on board a beauty comprising exquisite cabins, well-stocked bars, dining cars and a very personalized service? Officials at Writers’ Buildings say the forest and tourism departments will join hands to prepare the project, which, they are confident, will find a taker in Mamata. “Especially because she has been aspiring to create a Switzerland out of North Bengal,” an official said.
The train could comprise 10-12 air-conditioned deluxe saloons with twin-bed chambers, channel music, intercom, attached restrooms and other amenities. The luxury-onwheels will chug at its own pace between Siliguri and Alipurduar. The route could be the same as the existing one or amended if necessary; the idea is to take the tourist (ideally foreigners and NRIs who could afford the steep price) through Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Buxa National Park, Gorumara National Park, Chapramari Wildlife Reserve and Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary with highlights on Rajabhatkhawa, Nimati, Barobisha, Raidak, Raimatang, Bhutanghat, Buxaduar and Jayanti (nestled on the banks of river Jayanti between mountains and thick forests).
N C Bahuguna, chief conservator of forests (North Bengal), said: “The train passing through these wildlife destinations and the tea gardens in the Himalayan foothills will be a treat for foreigners and Indians living outside Bengal.” ........

Source: TOI

rupakd

October 29th, 2009, 09:16 AM

Finally, a big day for Brand Bengal. The state government has handed over the first 533.51 acres for the big-budget aerotropolis project in Andal, Burdwan. The airport will be operational by September 2011, while the township-cum-airport project will be completed in seven to eight years.
The land was handed over to Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) on a 99 year lease by the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) on Tuesday at a premium price of Rs 44.37 crore. In all, 2,182 acres are needed for the first phase of the airport-cum-township project.
The country’s first (Rs 10,000-crore) greenfield airport project has hit several hurdles since it was announced two years ago. Land acquisition started behind schedule last year only after local political leaders agreed to offer landlosers an attractive rehabilitation package.
But the project hit another roadblock as Coal India raised objections on the grounds that the project area overlapped with its underground coal reserves. Several meetings later, the plan was revised. Problems again arose when BAPL objected to certain conditions by the state government. WBIDC sources said all troubles had been sorted out.
An elated BAPL CEO Subrata Pal told TOI on Wednesday, “The project is now moving in the right direction and a major milestone has been achieved by the government with the hand over of the first 533 acres to BAPL.”
The Aerotropolis project, which is being developed in association with Singapore’s Changi Airports International (CAI), is all set to change the face of the Asansol-Durgapur belt and is expected to create the second metropolitan city in the region. The project aims to attract around $2.2-billion in investment and will be home to around 150,000 people and generate over 40,000 direct and indirect jobs. The airport is expecting a passenger volume of approximately 4 lakh by 2011-12. This passenger traffic is expected to grow by as much as 12% in the next few years.

Source: TOI

sidney_jec

October 29th, 2009, 09:24 AM

^^ u are fast..

anws
much needed relief to everyone i guess except Didi and her cadres..

sidney_jec

October 29th, 2009, 09:27 AM

artists impression of Aerotropolis
TOI

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/6355/getimagen.jpg

sidney_jec

October 30th, 2009, 08:47 AM

Source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/Govt-Bengal-ink-chemical-hub-pact/articleshow/5178562.cms)

Govt, Bengal ink chemical hub pact
30 Oct 2009, 0426 hrs IST, ET Bureau

KOLKATA: The Centre, on Thursday, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the West Bengal government for setting up a chemical hub at

Nayachara island. This is a step towards implementing the much-awaited chemical hub project, which is a critical component of the proposed petroleum, chemical and petrochemical investment region (PCPIR) in the state.

The Centre will invest Rs 2,508 crore in developing infrastructure for the hub. This allocation will be part of the 11th Five-Year Plan. On the state’s part, private developer New Kolkata International Development (NKID), the three-way joint venture between the Salim Group of Indonesia, realty firm Unitech and Universal Success promoted by NRI Prasoon Mukherjee, will build infrastructure on Nayachara island.

Nandini Chakravorty, ED of WBIDC, said: “The Centre had approved this in Februray this year. MoU marks the formalisation.” The MoU was signed by joint secretary Neel Kamal Darbari, joint secretary of department of chemicals and petrochemicals from the central government and Sabyasachi Sen, state commerce and industry secretary.

todscreen

October 30th, 2009, 10:10 AM

Awesome news

they are four laning the road from Kolkata to Krishnangar. which means smooth ride for me from the airport to my hometown. yippie.

Centre clears road project
New Delhi, Oct. 29: The Centre today approved the four-laning of the 84km Barasat-Krishnagar section of NH 34 at an estimated cost of Rs 859 crore.

The cabinet committee on infrastructure cleared the project, which will help reduce travelling time between Calcutta and north Bengal. The highway is the only route for traffic from the Haldia and Calcutta ports and the industrial areas of south Bengal to the Northeast and Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
http://telegraphindia.com/1091030/jsp/bengal/story_11677348.jsp

arijeetb

October 30th, 2009, 04:16 PM

Awesome news

they are four laning the road from Kolkata to Krishnangar. which means smooth ride for me from the airport to my hometown. yippie.

http://telegraphindia.com/1091030/jsp/bengal/story_11677348.jsp

What about land acquisition? Several NH projects are stalled bcoz of this.

todscreen

October 30th, 2009, 04:28 PM

^^shouldn't be a problem...our districts are very forward about development.

Stranger99

November 2nd, 2009, 08:14 PM

Source (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/Govt-Bengal-ink-chemical-hub-pact/articleshow/5178562.cms)
Really good news....all these road reconstruction & chemical hub would really help WB to change its economic condition. Election is nearby. Hopefully the outcome of the election will not effect the developmental work. Can't trust these political leaders though....

arijeetb

November 4th, 2009, 09:54 PM

Rs 1600-cr boost to state industry
Source: TOI Epaper

Kolkata: In the gloom, a ray of hope. The Chennai-based Shriram Group has lined up a Rs 1600-crore coal gasification project in Haldia at a time when a host of big ticket projects have been shelved due to the political uncertainty in Bengal.
The Rs 40,000-crore group from the south is one of the biggest players in finance in the country. It has already floated a company — Haldia Chemicals Ltd — for its proposed venture in Bengal. If it materialises, this will be the third project of the Shriram Group in the state. It is investing close to Rs 2,000 crore to set up an IT and auto component park in Uttarpara. The group’s Ennore Coke has already invested Rs 100 crore in a 1.3-lakh-tonne coke oven plant at Haldia and has started producing metallurgical coke.
“This will perhaps be the first gasification project in the country. We shall use Lurgi technology for the venture,” Ganesh Natarajan, director of Haldia Chemicals, told TOI. The ammonia produced here can be used in fertilizer and other industries. They have identified a 100-acre plot which, the Haldia Development Authority has assured, will be handed to them in a few months.
Shriram Group has written to WBIDC for equity participation in the venture, Natarajan said. “We have offered 5% stake to WBIDC in the gasification venture. Talks are on. We can raise the offer,” he added.
WBIDC officials feel the Chennai group has offered a “lucrative proposal”. “HDA has assured them about the land, considering the importance of the project,” they added.
Natarajan is confident of starting operations by end-2010. The plant will have a daily production capacity of 1,050 tonnes. “We plan to source coal from Mahanadi Coalfields. MCL coal is suited for our project. The coal requirement of 1 lakh tonnes a month will not be difficult to meet,” he added.
Power firms, however, do not prefer MCL coal for its high ash content.

rupakd

November 6th, 2009, 06:14 AM

French cement major Lafarge on Thursday said its grinding unit at Mejia has attained “commercially viable” levels but added that 100% utilisation of the 1 million-tonne unit could take a while to be reached.
The low-key company said it has been almost a month since the Rs 300-crore facility started operating at current volumes and began supplying to clients, with the job-related protests it encountered during the trial phase having become history.
However, the building materials giant — which also has a strong presence in the aggregates & concrete, and gypsum segments — pointed out that it has thus far not taken a decision on whether it would go in for a formal inauguration of the Mejia unit with dignitaries doing the honours.

Source: TOI

highrise-kolkata

November 11th, 2009, 06:15 AM

Kolkata: The production at Dunlop’s Sahaganj plant is likely to resume within 15 days as West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL) restored power supply to the plant on Monday.

The Dunlop management has given WBSEDCL a bank guarantee of Rs 1.60 crore. The impasse was resolved on Monday after a meeting between chief secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty, Dunlop chairman Pawan K Ruia and WBSEDCL managing director Malay De.

The Dunlop management declared suspension of work at its Sahaganj plant on November 30. Workers were offered a subsistence allowance for 5 months but a section refused the offer. Power connection was surrendered to WBSEDCL .

The factory was reopened on March 6, this year, and the management asked 229 workers to join the maintenance programme. It also applied for restoration of power supply then.

The management, in a press communication, said the production at the Sahaganj plant willresume within 15 days of restoration of power.

The power distribution company asked for arrears worth Rs 12.5 crore for the 1999-2006 period before Ruia took over the factory. Later, Dunlop agreed to pay the arrears in 108 monthly instalments.

“The immediate target for the Sahaganj plant is to process about 40 tonnes of rubber a day. With Sahaganj going on stream, a wider spectrum of Dunlop products, including off-the-road tyres, will shortly be available in the market,” the company said.

Source:Financial express

SarafIndian

November 11th, 2009, 07:17 PM

Photo cc SarafIndian

COSMOS mail, Siliguri. I didn't get a good chance to visit/ take photo of this mall(I was in a bus). Heard this is a nice mail. It has a large Pantaloons store. At least 3-5 new mall u/c around Siliguri.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/1199/26102009001a.jpg

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9375/26102009s.jpg

highrise-kolkata

November 13th, 2009, 05:20 AM

Calcutta, Nov. 12: The Bengal government has invited Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (Bhel) to set up a power equipment factory and suggested as a possible site the land leased out to Tata Motors in Singur.

The government also plans to set up a power plant jointly with the public sector Navratna company in Katwa, Burdwan, where land acquisition has run into trouble from farmers.

A Bhel team, led by general manager S.C. Mittal, today visited the Singur site, about 40km from Calcutta and originally meant for the Tata Nano. Mittal was accompanied by Debashis Sen, managing-director of the state power development corporation.

Power minister Mrinal Banerjee said Bhel, which specialises in manufacturing boilers and turbo-generators, had no equipment manufacturing plant in the region. “We took them to Singur today for a look at the site,” he said, stressing that it happened to be one of the areas being considered.

Banerjee said the government had proposed setting up a 1,600MW power plant jointly with the public sector company. “We want to set up two 800MW units and we came to know that Bhel is eager to participate in power generation.”

Talks were on with Bhel regarding both, the minister said, but no decision had been taken yet. “Bhel has neither rejected nor accepted our proposal,” he added. “The Bhel officials will return to Delhi, have a discussion among themselves and get back to us.”

Banerjee said Bhel could set up the equipment factory in Singur “if they like the place. But for setting up a power plant, we think Katwa would be ideal.”

:bash:Mamata Banerjee, whose agitation forced the Tatas to shift the Nano project from the nearly 1,000-acre site, made her stand clear this evening. “The (Bhel) factory can come up on 600 acres but 400 acres have to be returned to farmers from whom land was taken forcibly,” she told STAR Ananda from Delhi.

It is not clear how much land Bhel will need for the factory. An NTPC-Bhel power equipment plant is coming up in Andhra Pradesh on 750 acres.

The southern project, estimated to cost Rs 6,000 crore, is expected to create 6,000 direct jobs and 25,000 indirect opportunities. Factories making power equipment are usually more employment-intensive than power generation plants.

Describing the state government’s drive as “a gimmick and an eyewash”, Mamata said Bhel wanted to set up two power plants with the railways, too.

The Singur land is still in the possession of Tata Motors and its vendors. A Tata Motors spokesperson said the company would discuss the matter with the government. The lease is due for renewal in April.

Source: The telegraph

arijeetb

November 13th, 2009, 02:48 PM

sabya99

November 13th, 2009, 03:06 PM

^^the plant may not come up here since the land(600 acres) is not sufficient. Another pipedream after FAW and Mamata's coach factory. Observe how she never commented on the coach factory ..which shows she was playing bluff and taking on emotions of the people

Soon or later people of WASTE BENGAL will understand what a whipm she is! It is easy to organize an agitation, it is also easy to humiliate CM when you are on the street. But good governance is a very different stroy. :ohno:

zenith_suv

November 15th, 2009, 08:23 PM

Soon or later people of WASTE BENGAL will understand what a whipm she is! It is easy to organize an agitation, it is also easy to humiliate CM when you are on the street. But good governance is a very different stroy. :ohno:

what are the poor souls of WB supposed to do. vote for the Left again and accpe their way of daily hartals and anti-industrialization sentiment or vote for Mamta and see what a total nut job she can be. It's like Choosing between the Devil and the deep blue sea

arijeetb

November 16th, 2009, 08:43 AM

what are the poor souls of WB supposed to do. vote for the Left again and accpe their way of daily hartals and anti-industrialization sentiment or vote for Mamta and see what a total nut job she can be. It's like Choosing between the Devil and the deep blue sea

^^Left does not have anti industry sentiment nor do they organize regular hartals. 2009 has been a low key year so far . The big question mark is Mamta and what she can/cannot do.

Stranger99

November 16th, 2009, 02:41 PM

Soon or later people of WASTE BENGAL will understand what a whipm she is! It is easy to organize an agitation, it is also easy to humiliate CM when you are on the street. But good governance is a very different stroy. :ohno:
Absolutely.....the sooner it happens the better for Waste Bengal. It was not only scary but also frustrating to see how people got carried away with the game that she played in singur.

Suncity

November 17th, 2009, 04:00 AM

Unless she has plenty of bad luck or goes completely insane or the Congress pulls out of the alliance, Miss Mamata is all set to sit in the CM's gaddi in 2011 (or earlier).

However will anything change for the better?

Going by her past and present performance, she has nothing in her that will put Bengal back on the right track to progress. She may be honest (although allegedly some of her brothers are corrupt) but that alone cannot solve Bengal's problems (even most top tier Left leaders are honest).

Bengal needs industrialization, not self declared intellectuals.

highrise-kolkata

November 17th, 2009, 05:39 AM

Siliguri, Nov. 16: New industries in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri are being offered a 20 per cent rebate on land prices if they start production within 18 months of getting plots in what appears to be a last-ditch Left bid to get things moving on the ground before the Assembly elections.

Plots will be taken back and only 90 per cent of the money returned if a promoter fails to get work started within six months, said Avanindra Singh, the chief executive officer of the Siliguri-Jalpaiguri Development Authority.

“If a company starts construction within six months of the date of the purchase of the plot, we will return 10 per cent of the land price. Similarly, if it starts production within 18 months of the purchase, another 10 per cent of the land price will be paid back,” Singh said during a meeting with industrialists here on Saturday.

“If an entrepreneur does not start work on his unit even six months after the plot is bought, we will deduct 10 per cent of the plot price, return the balance and take the land back,” he added.

Source:The telegraph

rupakd

November 17th, 2009, 05:45 AM

For a Bengal government desperately seeking investments, here’s a reason to smile. The Rs 25,000-crore Essar group has zeroed in on the state for its maiden fertilizer venture.
The Rs 4,000-crore greenfield venture is likely to come up near Panagarh in Burdwan district. It should have a production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes a year.
Sources said the group has already floated a company named Matix to set up the mega-fertilizer unit. The MoU between Essar group and the state government is likely to be signed next week.
The Essar group is a diversified business corporation with a balanced portfolio of assets in the manufacturing and services sectors — steel, energy, power, communications, shipping, ports and logistics. The group has a presence in more than 15 countries.
Essar group chairman Shashi Ruia had quietly met state government officials for the fertilizer project in September. “The company has identified a site near Panagarh where the state government plans to build a mega industrial cluster called Panagarh Industrial Park,” sources said.
It is learnt the state plans to accommodate steel and fertilizer units in the proposed industrial park due to availability of raw material for the two industries in the region.
Shriram group, the South India-based Rs 40,000-crore conglomerate, has shown interest in setting up a coal gasification plant here. Sources said Bharat Forge of Baba Kalyani, too, will be accommodated in this mega-cluster.
Great Eastern Energy of the YK Modi group has already started producing coal-bed methane from its Raniganj blocks. The Essar group, too, has CBM blocks in the area that can be used as feedstock for the fertilizer unit.
Besides Essar’s greenfield project, the two closed units of Hindustan Fertiliser — one in Haldia, the other in Durgapur — will be revived as well.
Atul Chaturvedi, the Union steel secretary and former fertilizer secretary, told reporters a global tender will be floated within a month. “Both units will be revived through a PPP model. There will be a revenuesharing agreement with the private partner,” said Chaturvedi, who was here with steel minister Virbhadra Singh.
According to Chaturvedi, each unit will have a production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes and attract a combined investment of Rs 8,000 crore.

Source: TOI

highrise-kolkata

November 18th, 2009, 05:26 AM

:cheers:Westbank Group will soon set up a multi-speciality hospital at Howrah, West Bengal, with an investment of around Rs 61 crore. The hospital, the group's second venture in the district, is expected to become operational by mid-2011.
The proposed hospital will have 200 beds initially which will be expanded to 400 at a later stage. To be constructed on a 1.5 lakh sqft area, the hospital will have medical facilities like radiotherapy with linear accelerator and invasive cardiology along with cardiothoracic surgery.
The first hospital, with a 500-bed capacity, established by the group in Howrah offers specialisation in gastroenterology, diabetes and endocrinology, cardiology, neurology, medical oncology, psychiatry, paediatrics, dermatology, gynecology, and nephrology, plastic and micro vascular reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, and spinal surgery, including occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and speech therapy.

Contact: Westbank Hospitals, Andul Raod, Howrah, Kolkata, West Bengal. Tel: 033-26448888; Fax: 033-26448673; Email: info@westbankhealth.org

highrise-kolkata

November 18th, 2009, 06:37 AM

Saturday, 14 Nov, 2009

The Kolkata Port Trust (KPT) has invited global tenders from interested companies for the construction of a riverine multipurpose jetty in upstream of 3rd oil jetty along with all required backup facilities at Haldia Dock Complex.

The project is likely to be executed on DBFOT basis for a concession period of 30 years.

Source:projectstoday.com

highrise-kolkata

November 18th, 2009, 11:44 AM

Eastern Railway plans coach factory in North 24 Paraganas
PM News Bureau, Monday, November 16, 2009, 18:25 Hrs [IST]

Eastern Railway is setting up a railway coach factory at Kanchrapara in North 24 Paraganas district of West Bengal. The foundation stone for this project is expected to be laid three months from now. The state-of-the-art factory, to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 900 crore, will manufacture 500 coaches per annum.

highrise-kolkata

November 19th, 2009, 07:38 AM

KOLKATA: After years in the backburner, the 800-km Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) and Gas Authority of India Ltd
(GAIL) is back on the table. The ambitious project that will transport compressed natural gas (CNG) that is extracted in Gujarat to Bengal has been approved by the Centre and boards of the two companies.

What makes the project special is that it will carry the green fuel right into the heart of the carbon capital, enabling the region to switch from an economy that is currently carbon-intensive to one that is independent of coal. Apart from meeting the needs of all major industrial hubs along the route, it will also meet the transportation needs in major cities and towns in the region.

Speaking to TOI, a GAIL official said tenders for the Rs 7,600-crore pipeline had already been floated and the process would be completed in time to begin construction next year. The pipeline from Jagdishpur in UP will reach Haldia sometime in 2013, catering to requirements at Allahabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Patna, Gaya, Bokaro, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Sindri, Durgapur, Katwa, Bandel and Kolkata along the way.

Apart from the primary pipeline, another 1,250 km of feeder line will be laid to transport CNG to customers in catchment areas along the route. While the main pipe will be of 36-inch diameter, the secondary pipes will be of 30-inch, 24-inch, 18-inch and 12-inch diameter.

"The pipeline that currently stretches from Haira to Jagdishpur via Bijapur, will reach Haldia by 2013, completing a cross country network that will meet the industrial requirement for a clean fuel. The transport sector will comprise only a minuscule portion of the business. If some other company taps coal bed methane in the region and supplies it to Kolkata or any other town, it will not affect the project's viability," the official said.

In the first phase, 1,410 km of pipeline will be set up between Haldia and Phulpur along with spur lines to major consumers. Thereafter, 450 km of pipeline will be laid to Kolkata, Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Sagardighi. Finally, another 190 km of lines will be laid around Haldia.

For distributing auto CNG to Kolkata and other towns, a special purpose vehicle will be floated that will set up a company similar to Indraprastha Gas Ltd in the National Capital Region and Mahanagar Gas Ltd in Mumbai. With space for retail stations a major constraint in Kolkata, some of the existing IOC and BPCL stations will be converted to CNG stations. Elsewhere, greenfield CNG stations will be set up. Source:Times of india,19/11/2009

rupakd

November 19th, 2009, 10:37 AM

Clean air, a distant dream for a Kolkata choking from automobile pollution, may only be two years away.
Bengal will soon have access to over 3 million standard cubic metres of green gas every day which, apart from feeding its entire commercial transport fleet, will help generate over 600 MW power and emerge as a lifeline for the state’s floundering industrialization process.
This green future will also be easy on your pocket — CNG (compressed natural gas) is 30% cheaper than diesel that costs the Kolkatan Rs 35.07 per litre (1kg CNG costs Rs 21.30 in New Delhi).
Moreover, the daily supply of green gas to Bengal — from the fields of Essar Exploration and Production India Ltd (EEPIL) — is set to be thrice the volume the housing and transport sectors in the Capital consume daily. Once commercially available, it’ll provide an eco-friendly, cost-effective alternative to thousands of toxic smoke-spewing buses on Kolkata roads every day. Even autos, which recently went green with LPG, can instal a CNG kit to switch to the cheaper fuel.
The Rs 25,000-crore Essar group hopes to start commercial production from its coal bed methane (CBM) sites at Benachiti near Durgapur from March 2010 (CBM is compressed to CNG for automobile use). The Shashi Ruia-controlled group’s EEPIL already has 15 wells in the CBM block — called RG (east) — and estimates a daily production of 3 million standard cubic metres in two to three years’ time. Prem Sawhney, COO (clean coal business) of EEPIL, said on Wednesday all 15 test wells have started production. The company aims to have 500 wells in the next five years. The group will invest over Rs 2,000 crore in the CBM block.

Source: TOI

highrise-kolkata

November 19th, 2009, 01:40 PM

PepsiCo India plans to expand its facility in West Bengal by 2011-2012.

The company has acquired an extra 4 acre near its existing factory in the state to ramp up production of Frito-Lay -- the food division of the company.

According to sources, PepsiCo had initially invested Rs 140 crore in the facility which is located at Sankrail Food Park. The company plans to infuse another Rs 110 crore in a phased manner to enhance the factory's capacity from 25,000 tpa to 50,000 tpa. This unit produces two of the company's major brands - Frito Lay and Kurkure.

highrise-kolkata

November 20th, 2009, 05:16 AM

Calcutta, Nov. 19: The world’s sixth largest steel maker may come to Bengal as a partner in Sajjan Jindal’s JSW Steel for its proposed project in Salboni, West Midnapore.

JFE Steel Corporation of Japan and JSW today announced strategic collaboration on various fronts, with the Bengal project being the cornerstone of the deal.

Jindal, vice-chairman and MD of JSW Group, said JFE was keen to participate in the 10-million-tonne Bengal project.

Industry sources said JFE could even pick a stake in the special purpose vehicle, JSW Bengal Steel Ltd, which would execute the Rs 35,000-crore project over the next 10 years.

Jindal had announced the commencement of construction on November 2, 2008.

While chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was returning from the programme that day, Maoists tried to blow him up. The police action that followed sowed the seeds of the Lalgarh agitation and a guerrilla uprising.

JSW stopped construction, but blamed the economic meltdown for the delay instead of the Maoist trouble. Jindal said he would be able to arrange funds for the 3-million-tonne first phase only by 2011, when the company’s ongoing expansion at Vijaynagar, Karnataka, was completed.

The year 2011 is also one when Bengal will go to polls with the possibility of a change of guard at Writers’ Buildings.

Not many are hopeful of a start earlier than 2011 and Jindal has remained non-committal.

However, unlike Ratan Tata, who justified pulling out of Singur in 2008 again yesterday and said Bengal had “an alien view of industrial development”, Jindal said the Maoist trouble had not dented his resolve.

“I am very clear in my mind. I am not worried about the climate. We have to go ahead with the project,” Jindal, who was born in Calcutta in 1959, told The Telegraph.

The bomb targeted at the chief minister last November missed his car and exploded before Jindal’s, which also had his brother Navin and then Union steel minister Ramvilas Paswan.

“The project got stuck because of want of money and bankers were not keen to put funds in the steel industry. But if a giant like JFE invests, arranging resources would be easier,” a source said.

JFE joins other international players like ArcelorMittal and Posco in showing serious intent in investing in India but Japan’s second biggest steel manufacturer would be the first foreign player to enter Bengal, which has got over Rs 1 lakh crore worth of investment proposals in the metal sector.

JSW Bengal CEO Biswadip Gupta said he was hopeful of an early start to the Salboni project.
“We have got the land, environmental clearance and SEZ status. Coal blocks have been allocated. The company will be able to kick off construction once the funds have been organised,” he added.:cheers:

Jindal’s Bengal project includes a 1,600MW thermal power plant.

Source:The telegraph,20/11/2009

rupakd

November 23rd, 2009, 06:21 AM

Teeing off for tea. That’s what the state government plans in North Bengal. Hoping to achieve what MoUs — signed in the corridors of power — have failed to deliver, it is banking on giving a boost to tea tourism through a round of golf on the greens.
The state-owned West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC), in an effort to attract highend travellers — both from India and abroad — is planning to develop a course for tourists flying into Siliguri who like to mix business with pleasure. It plans to rope in a private partner for the project.
The aim is to launch a new tourism circuit for avid golfers in the next couple of years. To start with, WBTDC will promote Siliguri and the adjoining Dooars belt for this tourism package.
WBTDC managing director TVN Rao said plans are on to promote golf tourism either in Darjeeling or Jalpaiguri. “A boost to tourism will not only benefit the economy, but also draw in corporate bigwigs to the state. This should help attract investment in the long run. If we receive proposals from other districts of North Bengal, they would be evaluated as well,” he said.
WBTDC is going to tie up with tea gardens, so that tourists can have the experience of staying in a garden bungalow as well. Officials are aiming to attract golf tourists from Shillong, which continues to be a prime attraction for those keen on wielding the club at a high altitude. “In order to cater to their demands, we thought of adding golf in our package,” said Rao.
The tourism body requires around 80 acres for the golf course and a resort. The private partner will have to provide the land. “In case a bigger plot is not available in the area, we might even settle for a 25-30 acre plot, which could be a mini golf course,” said Rao.
While WBTDC plans to hard-sell the golf tourism concept to the target tourists, they also have plans to tie up with golf associations for logistic support.
An official said that they have plans for a four-day package for tourists, which would include sightseeing, apart from golf. As the area gets a regular inflow of foreign tourists, the flow of foreign revenue could be increased through this tourism package, said an official.
Rao said that WBTDC would play the role of a facilitator, while the private promoter will be the key player. This tourism project, he said, is likely to get a subsidy from the Centre, which could be to the tune of Rs 50 crore. But a prior sanction was needed for that. “The project is still at a nascent stage, as we are only looking for a partner. It will take another three to four months to finalize.”
An official said that when the project eventually takes off, it will have a 5-star hotel with 200 rooms as well as a budget hotel in the vicinity.
The state government might host golf tournaments once the course is ready. The chosen destination, besides an excellent golfing infrastructure, would also have sightseeing opportunities to add another dimension to the state’s tourism map.
“Golf is an integral part of tourism and has great potential to attract high-end travellers. The exotic locations of North Bengal, along with the golf course, is all set to become a perfect destination both for leisure travellers and golfers,” Rao said.

Source: TOI

arun-sydney

November 24th, 2009, 11:35 PM

What is the status of rajarhat action area 2, can anyone please tell me what's happening to individual plots and when they are planning to handover ?

highrise-kolkata

November 25th, 2009, 06:45 AM

Calcutta, Nov. 24: Two big-ticket Bengal projects involving a total investment of over Rs 40,000 crore are in trouble because they are likely to make an estimated 200 million tonnes of coal inaccessible.

The Rs 22,000-crore aluminium smelter and power plant of Vedanta Resources near Ranigunj is slated to come up in an area now under Coal India’s leasehold, while Bhushan Steel is to build a plant near Asansol where the land has been notified as a “coal block”.

At a meeting in Asansol today, additional district magistrate Biswajit Dutta discussed the problem with representatives of the two companies. “We will send our observations and recommendations to the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) within 10 days,” Dutta said.

The Vedanta project, spread over 1,100 acres, comprises a 6.5-million-tonne aluminium refinery and 3,000MW power plant.

The company, listed on the London Stock Exchange, has 270 acres with it. But the rest of the land, which has to be acquired, is believed to be sitting on 51 million tonnes of coal.

Coal India has even started mining nearby and a shift of location appears the only way to rescue the Vedanta project.

State officials appear more confident about keeping Delhi-based Bhushan’s 6-million-tonne steel plant where it is — Salanpur — with some minor realignment. It is the only hope because the company has ruled out relocation. For the realignment, the state has to convince Delhi to denotify the block, said to be having 150 million tonnes of coal.

Nearly 85 per cent of the project’s 2,500 acres has been notified by the Centre as a coal block for which mining bids are being invited.

A Bhushan official said: “We have spent considerable time on the project. Realignment is OK but we won’t go ahead if the project is shifted.”

Vedanta officials were not available for comment.

The meeting also discussed a proposed Videocon steel plant in nearby Jamuria.

Both Coal India and the Central Mine Planning & Design Institute said there was coal in this project area, too, but could not say when they planned to start mining. The area neither falls under Coal India nor has it been notified as a coal block.

ADM Dutta said: “The Bhushan and Videocon projects can go ahead. We are recommending that to the WBIDC.”

Coal India had earlier raised objections when coal-bearing land was offered for the airport city project in Andal, near Durgapur. The state then agreed to downsize the project area and take Coal India into confidence for future plans.

Today’s meeting was part of a process to decide how land for big projects can be arranged with least damage to coal.

Source: The telegraph

rupakd

November 25th, 2009, 01:55 PM

JSW Steel, which last week tied up with Japanese steel giant JFE for technology, may sell as much as 40% in its upcoming 10-million tonne steel unit in West Bengal to its overseas partner.

“At JSW Steel level it will be a minority stake, whereas, in JSW West Bengal, it could be in excess of let’s say 26% or 40%,” Sajjan Jindal, JSW managing director told ET NOW in an interview. He did not comment on valuations. There may be a stake sale in JSW, too.

JFE could end up investing close to $1 billion in buying up to 40% stake in JSW Bengal Steel, said an analyst with a domestic firm who did not want to be identified. These funds would be used to build the steel plant which is estimated to cost about Rs 35,000 crore.

The company expects the construction of Bengal project to start soon since it has already acquired 4,500 acres of land at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal.

Currently, JSW Steel holds 89% stake in the subsidiary, while the rest is held by the West Bengal state government. JSW Steel had delayed the construction of the plant due to unavailability of funds last year because of credit crisis.

JSW may even make a token reciprocal investment in the Japanse company even though India has brighter prospects. “India is where all the money is required, there won’t be much money we will invest in JFE. But as a strategy we don’t want to give away the option of JSW not investing in JFE but in reality whether JSW will invest in JFE is yet to be seen,” Jindal said on Monday.

JSW Steel last week announced a strategic alliance with Japan’s second-largest steelmaker JFE Steel Corporation, but the markets were then disappointed that the pact did not involve the acquisition of an equity stake in the Indian listed company.

JSW, India’s third largest steelmaker, then said the partnership will allow it access to JFE’s technology for producing steel used in automobiles. JSW Steel closed 2.93% up at Rs 998.95 a share on the BSE.

Source: The Economic Times

rupakd

November 25th, 2009, 01:59 PM

The Government of West Bengal has agreed to provide 100-acre land to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) like institution in the state, during the second phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

“The Cabinet had approved the proposal on February 5, 2009 while the implementation of the project will be taken up on the selection of a suitable land in consultation with the State Government,” said the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad.

The institution will have a 960-bedded hospital intended to provide healthcare facilities in 42 speciality /super-speciality disciplines.

In the first phase of PMSSY, six AIIMS-like institutions are being taken up, one each at Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Jodhpur (Rajasthan), Patna (Bihar), Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and Rishikesh (Uttarakhand).

The construction of housing complex for these institutions has started and is expected to be completed by the end of 2010.

highrise-kolkata

November 26th, 2009, 06:43 AM

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/6384/dunlopoe.jpg

rupakd

November 27th, 2009, 06:34 AM

The kid-glove treatment of the Tatas on Singur is finally off.
On Thursday, state industries minister Nirupam Sen — who had lately been maintaining a studied silence on the fate of the abandoned Nano factory site in Singur — made it clear that the government is determined to put the 997-acre plot to industrial use.
The minister — who was present at the joint press conference on September 1 when Ratan Tata expressed an intent to return the land only if compensated for the investment gone waste — said the authorities would ensure that Bhel faced no problems in getting the land, if that proved necessary.
“If Bhel selects the land, then it is our responsibility to get it released,” Sen told reporters on the sidelines of Eastern Print Pack 2009, a trade show of the printing and packaging industry. However, he did not elaborate on whether there have been any talks with Tata Motors on this issue.
Tata Motors could not be reached for a comment on the minister’s statement. Despite moving the small car project to Sanand in Gujarat, the Tatas have paid the annual lease rental for the Singur plot till March 2010. The original lease between the state government and Tata Motors was for 99 years.
On November 12, Bhel officials, accompanied by senior representatives of West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd, visited Singur to determine the suitability of the abandoned Tata land for setting up a 1,600-MW power plant and an equipment unit.
Following the Bhel visit, chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti had said on Monday that the Tatas could not hold on to the land as it was given to them for a specific purpose. As the Tatas did not own the Singur plot (which was acquired by West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and leased to the private firm) and the Nano project had been shifted to Sanand, there was no justification for the Tatas to retain the plot, the state’s topmost bureaucrat had asserted.

Source: TOI

arijeetb

November 27th, 2009, 03:38 PM

Ramsarup Ind plans to double wire making capacity in West Bengal (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/indl-goods-/-svs/steel/Ramsarup-Ind-plans-to-double-wire-making-capacity-in-West-Bengal/articleshow/5276084.cms)

NEW DELHI: Kolkata-based Ramsarup Industries plans to invest Rs 500 crore to double steel wire making capacity in West Bengal over the next 3-4
years, a top company executive said. The expansion will be funded through a mix of internal accruals, debt and fresh issue of shares.

The company that clocked revenues of Rs 2,000 crore for the year ended March’09, had recently announced plans to raise Rs 100-125 crore through issue of new shares to institutional investors to meet its expansion plans.

Currently, the company operates two steel wire plants in Kalyani and Durgapur with production capacities of 0.22 million tonne and 0.07 million tonne, respectively. “We intend to add another 0.3 million tonne to Durgapur plant in a phased manner by 2013,” Ashish Jhunjhunwala managing director of Ramsarup Industries said.

As part of backward integration strategy, the company is also setting up a 0.7 million tonne steel plant in Kharagpur that is likely to get fully commissioned by March next year.

Meanwhile Ramsarup Industries has signed an agreement with West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) to supply surplus electricity generated by its waste heat, gas-based 22 MW power plant at Kharagpur. “This is likely to generate additional revenue of Rs 60 crore every year,” said Mr Jhunjhunwala.

The company will set up another 50 MW power plant at the same location in the next 18-20 months, which would generate power from char produced in the steel plant.

highrise-kolkata

November 28th, 2009, 05:30 AM

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7538/28112009010005.jpg

highrise-kolkata

November 29th, 2009, 05:50 PM

Kolkata: The auto hub at Shalimar in Howrah will come up on about 4.5 acres of railway land, but the details are still being worked out at the Railway Board, senior officials said.
It is expected that the land will be leased out to a conglomerate or logistics company for a long term. In return, the railways will receive licence fee and rent. The real benefit to the railways will be the additional freight traffic.
Railway minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday mentioned that her department’s earnings are expected to go up by Rs 1,000 crore through her initiatives. Officials are not sure whether this will be possible simply by setting up 10 auto hubs across the country.
“We are sure that the minister had some other projects in her mind as well. If that kind of revenue were to be generated by the 10 hubs alone, the one at Shalimar would have to contribute Rs 100 crore. This does not seem quite realistic. The minister has also spoken of industry on railway land under the public-private partnership model. Once this happens, it may be possible to increase earnings by Rs 1,000 crore,” a senior official said.
Mamata made an open offer to industry houses on Saturday to set up industry on railway land. Her speech was all ‘business’. She refrained from making any political statement and concentrated on how the railways can help to create more business opportunities and generate employment. Members of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) seemed quite pleased with this attitude.
SIAM has been discussing the matter of auto hubs with the railways for the last two years. “Ideally, an auto hub should be completed in two years as much infrastructure is not required. The vehicles will simply have to be driven off the rakes and parked in designated spaces till they are transported to their destinations by road,” an official said.
Transportation of vehicles by rail will be beneficial in more ways than one. The journey time between Pune and Kolkata can be reduced from eight days to four, said Union minister of state for health Dinesh Trivedi. Secondly, movement of cargo by rail will be less costly and result in less pollution.
“This move will certainly be of great help to industry which is facing major problems with transportation,” said Sri Prakash, member (traffic), Railway Board.

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7186/getimagedll.jpghttp://img402.imageshack.us/img402/7186/getimagedll.jpg

highrise-kolkata

November 30th, 2009, 10:28 AM

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/4371/30112009007002.jpg

sidney_jec

November 30th, 2009, 01:39 PM

Oh
so now she's ok with the land to be utilized for industrial purpose.
this is hypocrisy of the highest level..
down with her.. :ohno:

arijeetb

November 30th, 2009, 02:08 PM

Oh
so now she's ok with the land to be utilized for industrial purpose.
this is hypocrisy of the highest level..
down with her.. :ohno:

^^she's ok with the 600 acres, not the 400

Stranger99

November 30th, 2009, 03:01 PM

Initially i thought it is her political game..now i realise she is fully insane. she needs proper treatment. :mad:

Suncity

December 1st, 2009, 03:16 AM

Green plants to be opened in Bankura, Burdwan

TOI epaper

On December 7, Union minister of new and renewable energy, Farookh Abdullah, will inaugurate two environment-friendly power plants in Burdwan and Bankura that can catalyze the switch to low carbon economy.

“Starting two clean power stations in India — 2 MW solar power plant in Jamuria, Asansol and 10 MW bio-mass power unit in Bonkati, Bankura — will be the best response to criticism from developed countries that India is not doing enough to contain carbon emission. Since the world attention is on India’s dependence on thermal power, the move will symbolically address concerns about the sector,” said West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation managing director S P Gon Chaudhuri.

In fact, the success of Jamuria project has been instrumental in shaping the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission to rapidly add solar power capacity. The Solar Mission was approved by the Cabinet just over a week ago.

“The 2 MW solar project was a test case. Its success spurred the Solar Mission. By 2013, India should have 1,000 MW solar power. This should grow to 20,000 MW by 2022,” Gon Chaudhuri said. Bengal, which has solar power capacity of 12 MW, aims to grow to 150 MW by 2012 and 1,000 MW by 2022.

While capital costs to set up a solar plant is still five times as expensive as a thermal unit, the Centre’s commitment to offer subsidy of Rs 10 per unit will enable state and private power distribution companies to purchase the green power at a competitive Rs 5 per unit. Moreover, if any utility refuses, National Thermal Power Corporation will purchase the entire power, thereby ensuring that investors in solar energy do not suffer.

“In the past three years, per MW installation cost of solar electricity has gone down from Rs 25 crore to Rs 15 crore. Over the next 12 years, the cost could be down to Rs 5 crore per MW. Then there will be grid parity,” he said.

The second project that Abdullah will inaugurate is a 10 MW rice husk plant. Set up by Amrit Bio Energy, it is the biggest bio-mass project in the region, taking the state’s bio-mass energy capacity up to 60 MW.

rupakd

December 1st, 2009, 06:14 AM

The financial turmoil in Dubai is not going to affect DP World’s projects in India, including the proposed minor port in Kulpi.
A DP World spokeswoman in India told TOI that there is no impact on the firm following the financial restructuring of the Dubai government. DP World, a subsidiary of Dubai World, is one of the largest port operators in the world with cargo handling capacity of more than 40 million TEU (twenty foot equivalent container units).
“We are not under the purview of the Dubai government’s restructuring drive. DP World has enough financial resources to go ahead with its projects in India,” she said. She also pointed out that the delay in implementation of the Kulpi project has nothing to do with the financial crisis. “It is largely due to the Kolkata Port Trust.”
According to her, DP World is committed to the port project in Bengal. Bengal Port, a joint venture between DP World and Keventer group, is implementing the minor port project at Kulpi. P&O Port had originally formed the JV but following the takeover of P&O by DP World, the equity stake came to the Dubai firm. DP World and Keventer each hold 44.5% in the project while the remaining 11% is with the state government.
The project was initially conceived in 1996. Chairman of Keventer group, M K Jalan, also echoed DP World’s view and said that signing of an agreement with KoPT for sharing of water, and dredging has been delayed. “We want to push it but there is no permanent chairman in KoPT, which is the main reason behind the delay,” he said.
The DP World spokeswoman indicated that there could be an escalation in the cost of Kulpi project due to this delay. “We have not evaluated the cost escalation aspect but that could be a possibility. Unless the cost escalation is prohibitive, we are not going to dump the Kulpi project,” she added.
It may be noted that Bengal Port had estimated an investment of Rs 1,200 crore for the project. The project includes a special economic zone. Total land requirement is 700 acre. US-based global infrastructure consultant Jacobs Babtie (JB) has expressed optimism about the technical viability of minor port and a special economic zone at Kulpi in its DPR.

Source: TOI

tall_dreams

December 1st, 2009, 10:59 AM

Today I passed the site of Burdwan Health City and from the hoarding it seemed they had changed the design. Now there is a high rise glass clad building and there are are no more white coloured structures. Unfortunately I did not have my mobile with me so could not take any pics. Serach on the net also turned up the old design. If any one have the new render please post it. Next time I visit the area I would certainly capture some shots. As far as construction is concerned I could see some pillars coming up and huge heaps of sand. Nearby the construction of Rennaissance township is also on full swing. Adozen or so bunglowws have been completed. The new bus stand also nearing completion. However the plot for radio station is still vacant. It is very clear that this particular area is going to be the new city centre in the near future.
P.S - The road to Siuri, which used to be in a deplorable contidition not to long ago, has been upgraded to a national highway and now it is super smooth with proper lane marking.

rupakd

December 3rd, 2009, 05:55 AM

At a time when Salboni in West Midnapore has turned into a battlefield and an epicentre of Maoist activities, there was a ray of hope for the villagers when officials of the Jindal Steel Plant visited the site at Jambedia on Wednesday, on the eve of the Maoist martyr’s day.
Jindal Steel Plant CEO Biswadeep Gupta reached out to the area along with five representatives of Japanese firm JFE — the sixth largest steelmaker in the world — kindling hope among the locals. Midnapore SDO Partho Ghosh escorted the team. “We have already signed an MoU with JFE. We will jointly work here. Five representatives of JFE visited the site and our social projects here,” said Gupta.
The proposed steel plant suffered a blow hours after chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee inaugurated the project on November 2, 2008 as the Maoists ambushed the CM’s convoy. Contractors engaged to set up the boundary wall around the site stopped work and the villagers — who were initially enthusiastic about the project — got scared.
Maoists, on the other hand, are against the project saying that such projects would encroach upon the forest land that belonged to the sons of the soil. Even some city intellectuals opposed the Jindal project on similar grounds.
Maoists have not changed their stance. Bikash, a CPI (Maoist) leader looking after the party’s activities in and around Lalgarh made it clear on Wednesday that they would continue with their operations even if Union Home Minister P Chidambaram wants them to lay down arms. “We can at best suspend our fight against the security forces if the government calls us for talks,” said Bikash. Pointing to the huge expenses towards the security forces daily, Bikash wanted the governments to spend that money towards the development of the area and its inhabitants.

Source: TOI

Suncity

December 3rd, 2009, 06:23 AM

Bharat Forge prefers Gujarat over Bengal
Ajanta Chakraborty, TNN 3 December 2009, 02:02am IST

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/Bharat-Forge-prefers-Gujarat-over-Bengal/articleshow/5294075.cms

Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL) has finally decided to shift its power equipment project to Gujarat, moving out from West Bengal, where it was
facing hurdle in land acquisition, which was delaying the project.

Ironically, Modi’s counterpart in West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, was almost ready to provide BFL land for its captive steel plant at Panagarh. But the process has now been delayed because land acquisition (in Burdwan district) has hit administrative hurdles. Modi took only two months in providing land and has already earmarked another 700 acres for other BFL projects.

How is a proposed steel plant and a power equipment project the same?

tall_dreams

December 3rd, 2009, 11:56 AM

SamitB

December 4th, 2009, 01:39 PM

Any update on Baruipur Township project by NKID(Universal Success)

Stranger99

December 4th, 2009, 07:56 PM

http://sify.com/finance/salboni-thermal-power-plants-construction-to-begin-mid-2010-news-default-jmfaacaegfc.html

........hopefully now every thing should move well:cheers1:

Stranger99

December 4th, 2009, 07:58 PM

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/katwa-power-project-gets-fresh-impetus/378614/

.....:banana: another positive news for West Bengal. I really pray a smooth progress of these projects in near future.

rupakd

December 7th, 2009, 05:45 AM

The West Bengal government has floated a global tender for its first mega power project. The 1000 MW project will come up as the second phase of the Sagardighi Thermal Power project in Murshidabad which has two units of 300 MW each now. As such land, which is stalling many a project, will not be a problem in this case.

Given the reliefs, on account of excise and customs that the mega power project attracts, the tariff on the power flowing from this project was set to be lower, sources said. Moreover some of the facilities were already operational. The project is being implemented by the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd. It now takes about Rs. 5 crore to install a single MW of thermal power.

Source: The Hindu Businessline

rupakd

December 7th, 2009, 05:58 AM

Land acquisition for industry in Bengal cannot happen without controversy, it seems.
The decision of Haldia Development Authority (HDA) to give clearance to the takeover of 6,000 acres — to create a land bank for industry — has triggered a fresh controversy involving rivals Trinamool Congress and CPM.
While both the parties do not seem to have any problems with the takeover of land for the Haldia project, CPM has accused Trinamool of having “double standard” on the question of land acquisition for industry. Trinamool, though, has maintained that it is only opposed to forcible acquisition of land.
Lashing out at Trinamool, former Tamluk MP and CPM leader Lakshman Seth on Sunday said the opposition party — which had been opposing forcible land acquisition — is now following in CPM’s footsteps as it has realized that it cannot afford to lose industry support. This change in stance is reflective of Trinamool’s double standard, he added.
“They (Trinamool) had to adopt such a strategy sooner or later. Now, they are gradually changing their tactics and showing a pro-industry stance. They know that if they want to run the show, they cannot do without industry for long. Had they followed this path earlier, so many people would not have lost their lives in East Midnapore and elsewhere in the state,” Seth said.
At its last meeting, HDA cleared a proposal to acquire over 6,000 acres in Haldia for expansion of industry. It was done in the presence of chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti. Adhikary, too, attended the meeting and did not oppose the decision. He said: “We understand that more land is required for industry. We do not have any problems with the takeover of land for industry. What we are opposed to is acquisition without the consent of the landloser.” To drive home his point, he asserted that Trinamool was not opposed to land acquisition in Salboni or Purulia’s Raghunathpur.

Source: TOI

rupakd

December 7th, 2009, 06:32 AM

Some big-ticket investments in the steel sector in Bengal could take a hit if the Centre introduces open auction of captive coal blocks, commerce and industries minister Nirupam Sen said on Saturday. The minister expressed his fear in view of the proposed open auction of the coal mines.
Talking to media at the Steel Conclave 2009, organised by the CII in the city on Saturday, the minister held that the new system might also do away with the state’s dispensing coal mines.
Sen pointed out that the proposed auction system would adversely affect at least three mega steel projects — Videocon, Bhusan Steel, and Kalyani Steel — due to uncertainty over coal linkages.
“Progress of these projects would suffer if the state government is unable to provide coal linkages. The banks too would not give loan if the project does not have confirmed coal linkage,” Sen added.
It may be noted that after iron ore, coal is the second most vital input for the steel industry. The combined investment proposed in these three projects is over Rs 25,000 crore.
Of the three mega firms, Videocon has proposed a 3-million tonne steel plant and a 1,600-MW power project. Kalyani has proposed 2-million tonne while Bhusan was planning to set up a 3-million tonne plant. According to the industries minister, the state government had written a letter to the Centre against the open auction system. “We got the reply yesterday but there is no clear indication about the future of the state’s quota over coal blocks. The reply is not very positive,” he said.
In fact, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee took up the matter with the Centre and had asked for 15 coal blocks for various upcoming projects. “Since 2006, we have received allotment of six coal blocks, but we need nine more blocks for steel and other projects,” the minister said. Sen elaborated that JSW has got three blocks out of six allotted to the state. It may be noted that JSW is planning to set up 10-million tonne steel and 1,600-MW power project in two phases with an investment of Rs 35,000 crore.
Jai Balaji too has got coal blocks for its project. It has proposed a 5-million tonne steel and a 3-million tonne cement plant at Raghunathpur in Purulia with an investment of Rs 16,000 crore. Sen further added that water access for the projects is also crucial and an area of concern.
“Various projects coming up in Asansol, Durgapur and Purulia are facing water shortages with DVC being the sole supplier. JSW has thought of laying down a 70 KM pipeline to draw water from Rupnarayan to its plant in Salboni,” he said.

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9871/coale.jpg (http://img40.imageshack.us/i/coale.jpg/)

Source: TNN

SarafIndian

December 8th, 2009, 08:08 PM

Solar photovoltaic power plant commissioned in West Bengal

December 8th, 2009 - 8:19 pm ICT by IANS

Asansol (West Bengal), Dec 8 (IANS) The country’s first 2MW solar photovoltaic power plant was commissioned Tuesday at West Bengal’s Seebpur village by Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah, who said the National Solar Mission has fixed a target of adding 1300 MW of solar energy in the next three years.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/solar-photovoltaic-power-plant-commissioned-in-west-bengal_100286228.html

arindam_laketown

December 9th, 2009, 09:00 AM

Asansol gets country’s first commercial solar unit
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Asansol/Kolkata: Even as the Copenhagen summit seeks an end to environmental damage, the Bengal has taken a green step forward.
U n i o n minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday inaugurated the country’s first commercial unit of the 1.25-MW solar photovoltaic power plant at the DPSC power house complex in Jamuria, Asansol. The solar plant replaces a 6-MW thermal power plant in the complex — the first instance of a solar plant replacing a fossil fuel-based power plant in the country.
Abdullah said though the cost of solar energy was high compared to hydel or thermal power, the environmental factor was more important. “I was coming from Kolkata to Jamuria by road and saw the carbon emission from large chimneys in Durgapur and Mongolpur. It is impossible to breathe properly and this should be replaced immediately with solar or other less polluting technologies,” he said.
State power minister Mrinal Banerjee said there is huge scope for green power generation in Purulia and Bankura. “Every day, we receive proposals in the green power sector for fresh investment. Bengal will lead the country by setting an example,” he observed.:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

WE NEED MORE OF THESE...............THE COUNTRY NEEDS MORE OF THIS......................THE WORLD NEED MORE OF THESE

sidney_jec

December 9th, 2009, 09:56 AM

Another one by TMC
Complete Story (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIKM/2009/12/09&PageLabel=6&EntityId=Ar00600&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

Trinamool upset with N-plant nod
Achintyarup Ray & Arnab Ganguly | TNN

Kolkata: A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made public the Union government’s decision to go ahead with the nuclear power plant at Haripur in East Midnapore, the Trinamool Congress — a key constituent of the UPA — has started raising voices of dissent against the project.
Tamluk MP Subhendu Adhikary has already written to the Prime Minister, saying that the selection of the site was an unwise decision. “The Centre’s decision is based on wrong inputs sent by the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government. No central or state team have visited the spot till date. So, how can they take such a decision? The state government wants to create another Nandigram,” said Adhikary. “It’s a densely populated area, the land is fertile and a large number of people are dependent on fishing. I am no expert to say whether a nuclear plant is good or bad, but it can’t be built in Haripur,” he added.
.......

arijeetb

December 9th, 2009, 01:39 PM

Suncity

December 9th, 2009, 09:58 PM

The bogus that is TMC will now start creating more problems for the center:ohno:

Plus Mamata's new favourite intellectual - Mahasweta Devi is dead against nuclear plants (she is also against the Jindal plant in Salboni) and has already written to the PM asking for scrapping the project. Don't be surprised if the usual anti industrialization brigade - Arundhati Ray, Medha Patkar etc. join the chorus soon.

I think the state should put the ball in Mamata's court and ask her to pick the land of her choice.

Suncity

December 9th, 2009, 10:09 PM

Chirag logs in to light up PC market

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/infotech/hardware/Chirag-logs-in-to-light-up-PC-market/articleshow/5316840.cms

At a time most businessmen across industries were groping in the dark for ideas to survive the global meltdown, the face of 34-year-old
Kaustuv Ray stayed all lit up, as if he was blissfully unaware of the turmoil. Hooked on to his laptop, the Kolkata-based businessman was watching his ‘Chirag’ shine bright and emerge India’s third largest domestic PC brand after HCL and Zenith.

“The recession came as a big blessing as it was during this time that we started bagging large-ticket PC contracts from government, corporates and the education sector. As most of the PC spenders were looking for cheaper options, it helped us to come up with extremely competitive pricing vis-à-vis the MNC brands,” says Ray, lead promoter and chairman of the Rs 520-crore Kolkata-based RP Group.

During the last nine months, Ray doubled the national market share for his Chirag brand to five per cent. Chirag computers are sold through 92 exclusive brand stores and more than 1,000 retail points across the nation.
Today, Ray’s order book is full till February 2010. So much so, he is now running three shifts in his two factories at Howrah (near Kolkata) and Himachal Pradesh. He is not only setting up a second plant in Himachal, but also eyeing a turnover of Rs 880 crore by March 2010.

Ray, however, is determined to make it big. “Today, whatever Chirag has achieved is due to long hours of work since 1999. Challenges has been all throughout, but proper strategising always pays,” he says.

With the likes of former ONGC chairman Subir Raha in the company’s board and providing strategic input, Ray’s confidence is today sky-high.

It all started when Ray, hailing from a Bengali middle-class family, dared to leave his secured job at Kolkata Port Trust, joined hands with an old friend, Shivaji Panja, and try the path of entreprenuership with a meagre capital of Rs 25,000. His business then was to supply paper rolls for telephone meters installed in STD booths. In fact, it was in one of such booth where Ray chanced to meet someone who wanted to buy a PC.

“I gave a lower quotation and bagged the deal. Still, I made a profit of Rs 13000,” gleams Ray. It was then the assembled PC market was at its peak. It took seconds for Ray to realise his gold pot. His strategy was simple: bulk purchase of computer components and sell the finished product at the lowest cost. However, there was a burning desire in Ray to develop his own brand.

“But I soon realised expenses involved in brand building were huge,” says Ray. It was then Ray thought of erecting billboards across Kolkata and also floated a TV production house.

“It helped me to reduce my costs of branding for Chirag. In fact, I still run the advertising and TV production business which too have emerged as additional revenue stream,” says Ray.

The group also floated its own soccer club, Chirag United Sports Club, in 2006 as a way to build the Chirag brand. Today, the club is in the third position of national football league, playing across India, and has become a good vehicle for brand building.

Suncity

December 9th, 2009, 10:14 PM

Tinamool MP has change of heart about industrialization? Good for WB

Bengal Shipyard revives project after land worries ease

Bengal Shipyard Ltd, a joint venture between Bharti Ship Building Yard and Apeejay Surendra Group, is likely to start construction work of its Rs 2,200 crore ship building project by middle of 2010 with land acquisition hurdles being eased.

Sourav Das Patnayak, project director of Bengal Shipyard Ltd, told Fe that the company is likely to get its required 500 acres shortly. “ We expect to start the project’s construction work by middle of 2010,” Patnayak said.

He said although there were uncertainties in getting land, “we remained committed to set up the project here”.

Bengal Shipyard revived the project after Subhendu Adhikary, MP from Tamluk, under whose jurisdiction comes the Haldia industrial region, assured it that his party (Trinamool Congress) would support the company in setting up the shipyard.

The project got Kolkata Port Trust’s (KoPT) technical clearance in 2007. In fact, under section 46 of the MPT act any construction on the Bengal waterfront requires KoPT’s approval.

However, resistance came when the district magistrate’s office issued notification for land acquisition and Subhendu Adhikary, not an MP till then, led a movement against it. Nandigram, just on the opposite bank of Haldia, was also astir by then.

Adhikary on Friday said: “We are not against industrialisation and we will support all industrial investment in Haldia, which doesn’t bring with it the hazards of pollution.”

Adhikary said his party was actually opposed to the 1894 Land Acquisition Act and if the land losers were compensated with a price at par with the current market rates “ my party has no issues then.”

Patnayak said the project, which would take another three years from the start of construction, would create 5,000 direct employment and 15,000 indirect jobs.

Stranger99

December 10th, 2009, 07:32 AM

Plus Mamata's new favourite intellectual - Mahasweta Devi is dead against nuclear plants (she is also against the Jindal plant in Salboni) and has already written to the PM asking for scrapping the project. Don't be surprised if the usual anti industrialization brigade - Arundhati Ray, Medha Patkar etc. join the chorus soon.

I think the state should put the ball in Mamata's court and ask her to pick the land of her choice.
I really dont understand their policy!!! Are they really against industrilization or against Budhdhadev? What ever happen some how or the other they try to find a link with state government and oppose it. It is childish. As for Mahasweta Devi..
With due respect to her i am really sorry to say her agenda is dangerous. She does not want SEZ, no Nuclear power plants......God knows what she wants!!! She is a writer better be that. Should not interfere in some thing that she does not understnad. It will do no good either to her or to the state.. Govt should handle these people a bit strongly.

sidney_jec

December 10th, 2009, 08:09 AM

^^they have just one policy..
come to power in the 2011 assembly elections by hook or crook..

Suncity

December 10th, 2009, 02:29 PM

As for Mahasweta Devi..
With due respect to her i am really sorry to say her agenda is dangerous. She does not want SEZ, no Nuclear power plants......God knows what she wants!!! She is a writer better be that. Should not interfere in some thing that she does not understnad. It will do no good either to her or to the state.. Govt should handle these people a bit strongly.

Being an excellent writer doesn't necessarily mean that the person knows everything. Mahasweta Devi is entitled to her opinion. The problem is with people and the media who are afraid to question her logic on some of the issues. There is simply no proper debate. It is like we have to blindly and willingly accept what these 'intellectuals" are preaching us through the self serving media houses.

Also she looked like a fool when she tried to pacify the singing intellectual - Suman. Here was Suman raising issues about corruption and here she was doing photo sessions with him in the media and trying to push the corruption issues under the carpet. So is that the change she wants for Bengal in reality - "Please don't see corruption committed by Trinamool henchmen"?

Look at some of the other intellectuals. They have shamelessly taken over lucrative positions created by Miss Mamata in the Railways.

Suncity

December 11th, 2009, 03:09 AM

This map published by the Telegraph shows the official version of Singur Tata plot.

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/845/singurplot.jpg (http://img44.imageshack.us/i/singurplot.jpg/)

It shows why Miss Mamata's "idea" of giving back land of "unwilling" farmers will not work.

I wonder why Miss Mamata and her Swajan Poshon intellectuals are not publishing their version of the Singur Tata plot or even a proper accessible list with name, address and plot location of the "unwilling farmers" claiming "400" acres.

Why isn't the media pushing Miss Mamata and the Swajon Poshon intellectuals to come out with their version of the "truth" publicly?

Suncity

December 11th, 2009, 03:13 AM

Mamata funds plea

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091211/jsp/bengal/story_11850672.jsp

Mamata Banerjee today gifted Bengal the lion’s share of some 50 projects which will be paid for by a Rs 731.3-crore supplementary demand for grants she placed before Parliament today.

The projects include doubling of tracks between Krishnagar and Bethuadahari, laying a Liluah-Dankuni third line, deploying personnel at some 450 unmanned level crossings, installation of public address system in suburban trains which feed Calcutta from Eastern and South Eastern Railway networks and a rake rehabilitation yard at Noapara. Siliguri, where her party has recently made inroads, will get Rs 20 crore for a shed to house some 100 locomotives.

The railway minister described the projects for which she was seeking funds as “national projects”.

SamitB

December 11th, 2009, 06:22 AM

Shristinagar:

KISHORE Biyani’s Future Group has entered into an agreement with Shristinagar — the mega integrated green township coming up at Asansol— to put up Big Bazaar, its brand of hypermarket chain.
The group has already signed up with the developers of Shristinagar, Bengal Shristi, for 30,000 square feet (sq ft) of space. The latter intends to take up additional 15,000 sqft of space as anchor as soon as the mall is ready, Shristi Infrastructure Development Corporation managing director Sujit Kanoria told mediapersons at a meeting held in Kolkata on Thursday.
Spread over 90 acres, the integrated township, Shristinagar, will have lifestyle apartments, group housing, bungalows and a central business district christened Asansol Centrum, comprising a shopping mall, multiplex, IT park, hotel and a lifestyle club, covering an area of some 2,50,000 sq ft.
“Asansol Centrum with Big Bazaar as an anchor store is expected to change the retail scenario and shopping experience for people living in the city. Some of the other brands which have also taken up space in the proposed mall are Nike, Reebok, Nokia, Hoffmen, Moustache among others,” Mr Kanoria added. Efforts are on to help Big Bazaar open their store by Poila Boishak next year.

Source:ET

SamitB

December 11th, 2009, 06:29 AM

WBPDCL plans to go for gas power

WEST Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) is toying with the idea of retrofitting its coal-fuelled thermal power plants with equipment that can make them run also on gas. The corporation is in talks with Development Consultants Ltd (DCL) in this regard. Simultaneously, WBPDCL is also in talks with Gail for supply of gas to these proposed retro-fitted units as well as future new units.
Confirming the development, WBPDCL managing director Debasis Sen told ET: “We are in talks with Gail for supply of gas to our proposed units at Sagardighi and existing units at Bandel and Kolaghat. In case it works out, we will build two gas-based units at Sagardighi. These will be the 5th and the 6th units at the site. Simultaneously we have asked DCL to look at the engineering possibilities of retrofitting existing units at Bandel and Kolaghat, so that they can also run on gas partly, apart from the conventional coal fuel.”
WBPDCL has a 450 mw generating capacity at Bandel. This consists of four 60-mw units and a 210-mw unit. Kolaghat on the other hand has six units of 210 mw each totalling 1,260 mw.
These units are quite old and require very high quality coal to run them. WBPDCL’s cost for running some of these units have in fact doubled in the recent past after they started buying high quality under ground coal extracted by CIL at cost plus basis. Following talks with Gail officials, WBPDCL has been given to understand that a gas will be available in West Bengal by 2012. This will assure gas transmission capability. But we need to look at the issues of availability and allocations.
Meanwhile, WBPDCL’s Sagardighi unit 3 & 4 (2x500mw) are at an advanced stage of commissioning. This would be the state’s first mega power project and will receive customs and import duty exemptions. “We have already concluded the detailed project report, achieved financial closure and have received coal linkage for the project,”said Mr Sen.

Suncity

December 12th, 2009, 11:29 PM

Inauguration of Seal Factory in India

http://hunger-group.com/index.php/news.114/items/Inauguration_of_Seal_Factory_in_India.html

On December 12, 2009 Hunger Hydraulics Group will celebrate the inauguration of its first factory for sealing and bearing elements outside Germany. The factory is located at Poly Park Sankrail near Kolkata. The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will inaugurate the manufacturing facility. The production of seals and bearing elements for the Indian market will start in February 2010.

Suncity

December 13th, 2009, 04:12 PM

Miss Mamata's latest: After asking the state to give the land to railways, she is now back pedalling! BTW how can the Railway board chairman ask the state to "return 400 acres of land to unwilling farmers". That's not legal but a political stance and government officials shouldn't indulge in politics in official letters.

Mamata refuses to send team to Singur

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091213/jsp/bengal/story_11857831.jsp

Calcutta, Dec. 12: Mamata Banerjee today ruled out sending a railway ministry team to inspect the Singur land saying she did not want to “encroach” on property held by the Tatas.

“I don’t want to speak as railway minister on the Singur issue as the Railway Board is interacting with the state government. But the point is, who is the owner of the Singur land? The land is still with the Tatas and not with the state government. So, why should I encroach on someone else’s property? I can make a visit to Singur only when I know that I have the right to do so. So, how does the question of inspection of the Singur land arise?” Mamata asked.

Chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti had requested the Railway Board to inspect the site.

Mamata added: “I don’t believe in the idea of barging into somebody’s room. That is not done. I cannot enjoy the fortunes of other people. These people have given the land to the Tatas on lease. How can I put my foot on Tata’s land?’’

Railway Board sources said chairman S.S. Khurana has sent a reply to the state government’s second letter, too. “In the letter it has been repeated that out of the 997.11 acres, 400 acres should be excluded and 600 acres handed over to the railways,” an official said.

Maybe Mr Khurana and Miss Mamata can take a look at this map

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/845/singurplot.jpg

SamitB

December 17th, 2009, 06:22 AM

Japan co eyes stake in upcoming Bhushan Steel unit

TOI KOLKATA

SUMITOMO Metal Industries of Japan is eyeing a stake in a steel plant being built by Bhushan Steel in West Bengal.
The development comes close on the heels of JFE Steel Corp of Japan entering into a pact with JSW Steel. The JFE deal includes a possible tie-up for JSW Steels upcoming steel project at Salboni in West Midnapore district.
Delhi-based Bhushan Steel plans to build a new steel plant in the state at an investment of nearly $4.3 billion. Sumitomo may buy a 26-40 % stake in the venture, Bhushans managing director Neeraj Singhal said.
The possibility of Sumitomo entering into a joint venture with Bhushan Steel for this project is being explored, he added.
The new plant is likely to have an initial capacity for 3 million tonnes (mt) a year when it starts production by 2014/15.
Steel demand is growing so rapidly. It is a very important market for Sumitomo to explore , Hiroshi Tomono, president of Sumitomo Metal, told reporters on Wednesday after signing a production and sales pact with small Indian steel producer Bhushan Steel in Delhi.
Under the pact, Sumitomo will buy steel from Bhushan and sell under its brand name to Japanese car makers operating in India, such as Toyota Motor Corp, Suzuki Motor Co and Honda Motor.
Bhushan currently has a capacity to produce 1 mt of steel a year and is set to start operations at a new plant in Orissa in January that can produce 2.2 mt a year.

rupakd

December 17th, 2009, 11:03 AM

Petrochemical units are likely to come up only on 5,000 acres of the Nayachar island spread over 12,340 acres. The rest, coming within the Coastal Regulation Zone, has to house projects such as eco-tourism, fisheries and small and medium units.
Jurong Consultants is now busy preparing a detailed engineering report of the masterplan for the proposed PCPIR region, including Nayachar and Haldia.
It will submit the report to PCR Chemicals — a joint venture between the state government and the New Kolkata International Development (NKID) of which the Indonesia-based Salim Group is a stakeholder — in the second week of January, 2010. The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government has signed the lease agreement with PCR Chemicals over Nayachar land.
The masterplan will give details about the processing area, logistics, utilities and also carve out the marketing strategy for the chemical hub in the global market.
Sources said the masterplan envisages petrochemical units outside the coastal regulation zone (CRZ). State officials pointed out that there are 5,000 acres outside the CRZ area in Nayachar.
Not only that, the Jurong Consultants has drawn up plans for other projects in conformity with the rules laid down for the different categories of the CRZ — CRZ 1, 2 and 3. According to sources, only pipelines can be laid in the CRZ 1 area. No other activities can be taken up in this area. CRZ 2 area can see warehousing and other activities like ecotourism. The CRZ 3 area can house some small industries. It may be noted that the processing area of the PCPIR region will be 108.42 square kilometre.
Going by the PCPIR policy, total area required is 250 square km. However, the minimum processing area required for the PCPIR is 100 square km. The proposed PCPIR will include existing units like HPL, Mitsubishi Chemicals, South Asia Petrochem, Haldia refinery of IOC and Tata Chemicals. Besides, Haldia dock complex too will be a part of the region. The existing processing area for PCPIR is 9551 acre. It constitutes almost 40% of the area required for processing.

Souce: TNN

rupakd

December 18th, 2009, 07:54 AM

Owing to lack of adequate healthcare facilities in Puruliua, the patients have to cover long distances to find medical help. They have to travel to Bankura Sammelani Medical College Hospital, Ranchi, Bokaro and Tatanagar to find medical facilities.
Meanwhile, a non-government organisation, Swarnabhumi Health Care Limited from Kolkata, has come forward to set up a hospital with modern equipment on a stretch of 18 bigha land at Bhangra, 12 km from Purulia town on the Purulia-Bankura road.
During the foundation ceremony last week, Mr Biswanath Bhattacharya, managing director of Swarnabhumi Limited stressed on the need to build the hospital near the town areas. He informed: “A 150-bed hospital will be completed by the middle of 2011.” The health services will begin just after completion of the first phase of construction.
There will be an intensive care unit, intensive trauma unit, ultra-modern operation theatre and labour unit facilities. There will also be a cancer unit in the next phase of the hospital.
A training centre will be introduced in the second and third phase. A nursing training school and a para-medical course training are also scheduled to start in the hospital premises. The total expenditure behind the hospital is being estimated at around Rs 20 crore.
Mr Natabar Bagdhi, former MLA and a local resident, expressed his greatfulness to the voluntary organisation for the noble work undertaken by them.
While talking to The Statesman here yesterday, he said: “There is no health services, practically in a down trodden districts of Purulia, although there is a sadar hospital with 500-bed in Purulia town, without any intensive care unit and other necessary units also.” Mr Bagdhi further added: “We are happy for the new hospital of Swarnabhumi group which will provide all necessary facilities lacking in the sadar hospital.”

Source: The Statesman

highrise-kolkata

December 21st, 2009, 03:34 PM

Monday, 21 Dec, 2009

Haldia Coke and Chemicals, a group company of Ennore Coke, is planning to mop up Rs 125 crore through private equity for acquisition and expansion of its facilities. However, the company is yet to decide on the dilution part.

This apart, the company is in the process to acquire a 90 per cent stake in Broughton, mining firm in Australia, at an estimated cost of around $15 million (approx Rs 72 crore. The proposed acquisition is expected to be complete by June 2010.

According to sources, Broughton has reserves of 30 million tonne of coking coal. The mine is likely to supply one million tonne of coal, though the requirement of the company is 7,20,000 tonne. Post acquisition, the company will not have to depend on the third parties for coal.

Ennore is planning to double the metallurgical coke capacity from 1.30 lakh tpa to 2.60 lakh tpa under Phase II at Haldia in Midnapore district of West Bengal. It is also planning to increase the power generation capacity at the Haldia plant to 24 MW from 12 MW.
Source:Projectstoday.com

highrise-kolkata

December 21st, 2009, 03:37 PM

Azure Power plans to set up a 2 MW solar plant in Purulia, West Bengal, soon.

The project is likely to come up in an area that is deficient in power and it will cover around 80 per cent of the local substation area and help the region through the local grid. The company also proposes to raise the capacity to 40 MW in the next five years.

Azure Power plans to have a capacity of 100 MW by 2013 that is expected to require an investment of $300-400 million (approx Rs 1,395-1,860 crore).

Source:projectstoday.com

rupakd

December 22nd, 2009, 05:32 AM

The government today passed a bill that allows it to acquire from clo- sed and sick mills, factories, workshops and tea gardens land that had been leased out to them.The West Bengal Estates Acquisition (Amendment) Bill, 2009, was necessitated by the fact that the land at these units was being used to build commercial and residential complexes and not to serve the purpose for which it had been given on lease.

“With the amendment, land retained by individuals or groups under the West Bengal Estate Acquisition Act, 1953, for… running factories, mills and tea gardens cannot be used or developed for any purpose other than for what they had been retained and will be taken back,” says the bill tabled by the land and land reforms minister.

The land will then be reused for industry, government officials said. They added that many of the shut jute factories dotting the city and its suburbs are on such land.

Land minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah said the total area of land that had been given on lease under the 1953 act was 4.63 lakh acres. “So far, we have identified 41,000 acres that have closed factories or tea estates. But the process of identification is on.” “After the bill becomes law, we can immediately begin the process of acquiring this land,” he added.

Trinamul Congress leader Mamata Banerjee had been insisting that instead of acquiring fertile land, the government should use land locked up in closed factories for industry. “The objective of passing the bill is clear. Either the land will have to be used to run factories, mills and tea gardens or it will be vested (taken back),” said Mollah.

The 1953 act had been enacted to take away land in excess of a ceiling imposed after the zamindari system was aboli- shed. However, instead of shutting down the mills, gardens and workshops already in operation on the zamindars’ plots and acquiring the land, the state government gave it on lease to the owners of the units.

A clause in the 1953 act, though, had left the door open for misuse: it said the premises of these factories, mills or tea gardens may be developed or used for other purposes as well, but with the permission of the state government. Today’s amendment does away with that clause to prevent “misuse” of the land.

“Citing this provision, many owners were increasingly looking to build shopping malls and housing complexes on the land on which their sick or closed units and tea gardens stood. The bill is aimed at stopping this and giving the government liberty to use the land for industry again,” a senior government official said.

Earlier, the official added, “the moment the government denied them permission (to build a mall, for example), they moved court and obtained a verdict in their favour,” said a senior government official.

Asked what would happen to the complexes that have already come up, minister Mollah said: “A lot of issues have to be examined. But if the state had given permission for them and everything is legal, there shouldn’t be a problem.”

Source: The Telegraph

Suncity

December 23rd, 2009, 07:41 PM

Mackeil Ispat sets up Rs.2 bn plant in West Bengal

Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/mackeil-ispat-sets-up-rs2-bn-plant-in-west-bengal_100293678.html#ixzz0aXRwQOAW

Mackeil Ispat and Forging Ltd Wednesday said it has set up a plant with a production capacity of 40,000 tonnes annually at the industrial town of Durgapur in West Bengal for an investment of Rs.200 crore (Rs.2 billion).
The plant will be commissioned by Friday.

“We have funded the Rs.200 crore project through debt and internal accruals and may visit the capital market for a maiden public offering of shares at a later stage to fund the second phase,” company’s chairman P. Chakraborty told reporters.

He said the company plans to set up a steel melting shop of 300,000 tonne a year at Durgapur with an investment of Rs.500 crore by December 2011.

The furnaces that will be used to make the forgings will be fuelled by coal bed methane gas and liquefied petroleum gas sourced from Great Eastern Energy.

Suncity

December 23rd, 2009, 08:42 PM

Pragnya picks 49 percent stake in Paharpur SPV

http://in.reuters.com/article/indiaDeals/idINIndia-44940720091223

Paharpur Cooling Towers Ltd, a Kolkata-based company offering cooling tower solutions, has formed a joint venture with Pragnya Fund I for a real estate foray. Pragnya has picked up a 49% stake for an undisclosed sum in Paharpur Pragnya Realty Pvt Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed to execute two residential projects in West Bengal.

The first of these two projects is coming up at Palta in Barackpore, said the company in a statement. The company will develop around 1,000 apartments under the scheme over three years. The apartments will be priced between Rs12 lakh and Rs 15 lakh each. The complex will also comprise a club house and a convenient shopping centre.

The company further stated that the SPV will also undertake a 1.2-million square feet of mixed-use development project at Asansol, an affluent and a fast growing industrial town in West Bengal.

Paharpur, which made its real estate foray quite recently, has already developed a 2 million square feet mid-income housing complex called Gennexx Valley at Joka in Kolkata.

SamitB

December 24th, 2009, 09:51 AM

State to get Mackeil forging unit
City-Based Firm To Invest Rs 700 Crore In The Project
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIKM/2009/12/24&PageLabel=15&EntityId=Ar01502&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T

rupakd

December 24th, 2009, 10:56 AM

Second phase land aquisition for Andal Aerotropolis is completed and to be handed over to WBIDC soon. Total 515 acre land is aquired in this phase, the news is published on the famous bengali daily Anandabazar Patrika.

http://img704.imageshack.us/img704/479/abp.jpg (http://img704.imageshack.us/i/abp.jpg/)

highrise-kolkata

December 27th, 2009, 08:46 AM

Mamata on industry drive
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Dankuni (Hooghly): “Return to Bengal. A lot will happen here in the days to come” — this was railway minister Mamata Banerjee’s clarion call to those who believe that everything in the state is a lost cause.
On Saturday, Mamata laid the foundation stone for factories at Dankuni in Hooghly that will manufacture spare parts for Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi and Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), closer home. According to her, Dankuni will become an important spot on the country’s industry map once the factories are completed.
“There were a lot of discussions regarding the location of these factories. The Railways’ assets are increasing and new projects like these will be necessary,” said Rakesh Chopra, member (engineering), Railway Board. He said work on converting Howrah into a world-class station will begin soon.
Amit Mitra, chairman of the expert committee set up by Mamata, said the entire region will benefit from the new projects. “Setting up the componentmanufacturing units was the first recommendation of our committee in September. Here, private investment will save railway funds. The work will, however, be done by railway employees. The plans for a training institute and a food processing unit will lead to a social and economic change in the area,” he said.
Mamata claimed that work has already started at Dankuni. “Of our total land bank of 1.13 lakh acres, 500 acres are in Dankuni. We have been planning the factories here for long and senior officials have already visited the spot and made an assessment. Earth work has already started. The demand for rakes, coaches and locomotives has gone up. production capacity has to increase accordingly. We shall go in for expansion of DLW and CLW but will also set up new units,” she said.
According to her, Dankuni will soon develop into an industrial township with ancillary units coming up. The training institute that the railways plans to set up there will provide technical training to 500-1,000 youths. They will join the railways subsequently. “I have already ordered 1,100 apprentices to be absorbed. We shall also recruit 15,000 staff for unmanned level crossings,” Mamata said.
Elaborating on the importance of Dankuni, she said that the dedicated eastern freight corridor will connect the town to Ludhiana in the future. The final survey for the 526 km stretch from dankuni to Sonnagar in Bihar has already started. The railways also has plans to connect the South Eastern Railway to Dankuni via Andul. This line will also connect Dum Dum Jn via Bhattanagar to the Kolkata port.
“Wait for 2-3 years. The scenario in the state will change completely. I will appeal to people to help the railways for these projects. Your children will be the ultimate beneficiaries. On January 2, I shall lay the foundation stone for extension of the Metro Railway from Dum Dum to Dakshineswar,” Mamata added.
NEW PROJECTS

• On December 30, Mamata will flag off a Duronto Express between Howrah and Bangalore

• On January 6, she will lay the foundation stone for a Metro coach rehabilitation factory at Noapara

• On January 8, she will lay the foundation stone for the Tapan Sinha Metro Railway Hospital.

rupakd

December 29th, 2009, 05:36 AM

The state government expects to generate 115 MW of solar power by March 2013, which will require an investment of about Rs 1,500 crore.
Speaking on climate change and renewable energy during a seminar at the Industrial India Trade Fair on Monday, West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC) managing director S P Gon Chaudhuri said they were setting a target of 110 MW of solar with the help of private players. “We also expect to generate another 5 MW through rooftop solar panels in the same period, taking the total to 115 MW,” he added.
Gon Chaudhuri said they would sending a proposal to the Centre to block the 110 MW to connect it to the grid. “We are sending a proposal to the ministry of new and renewable energy so that this solar energy is blocked and sent to the grid.”
The top WBGEDC official said around Rs.1,500 crore would be invested to generate 115 MW of solar energy. At present, the state is producing about 15 MW of solar power from different renewable energy sources.
Gon Chaudhuri said according to the National Solar Mission, which would be notified shortly, 20,000 MW of solar energy is expected to be generated by the end of 2022 in the country; this will be implemented in three stages.
In the first phase, scheduled to get over by 2013, the solar power capacity is expected to be around 1,300 MW. “Of the 20,000 MW, we want to generate 2,000 MW in West Bengal,” he said, adding that the state would also take up the job of manufacturing solar modules. “By 2013, the country is expected to produce solar modules that could generate 5,000 MW of solar power, according to the mission.”
Gon Chaudhuri said a number of companies have shown interest in making solar modules in the state. These include Videocon, Webel, Reliance, Moser Baer, Synergy Solar Pvt Ltd and Astonfield. “We are also trying to have adequate solar home lighting in the state. There are plans to set up solar lighting in 20 million homes in the rural areas of Sunderbans,West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia and parts of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri by 2022. We also expect to to set up about 1 lakh home lighting units by 2013 and 2 million by 2022. The investment will be around Rs 2,000 crore,” he said.

Source: TOI

SarafIndian

January 1st, 2010, 08:11 PM

Photo cc Anandarup

A bridge somewhere in West Bengal
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/4018/4231475992a3465585fbb.jpg

SamitB

January 4th, 2010, 06:10 AM

Bhel keen to build thermal power units at Sagardighi

TOI KOLKATA

BHEL has expressed interest in undertaking construction of two 500-mw thermal power units for West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL ) at Sagardighi.
Confirming the development, a senior Bhel official said: We have acquired expertise in setting up 500-mw thermal power units. The tender floated by Bhel was very clear and it wants to set up two 500 mw units.
WBPDCL managing director Debasis Sen said: This would be West Bengals first mega power project. When thermal power units of at least 1,000 mw or more are set up at a location, they qualify as a mega thermal power project . These projects thus become eligible for certain customs and excise exemptions.
WBPDCL has also achieved financial closure for the project. We have received in-principle approval from Power Finance Corporation (PFC) for a 70% funding. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 4,000 crore and PFC will provide a long-term loan of about Rs 2,800 crore. The actual funding will come in once the project is awarded to the contractor , Mr Sen said.
He, however, clarified there is still some time left before the tender is closed and the company is open to accept bids from international players including Chinese companies like Dong-Fang and Shanghai Electric, provided they qualify in the technical parameters.
Interestingly, WBPDCL has also received in-principle approval from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for a soft loan to fund the 5th unit of Bakreshwar Thermal Power Station.
WBPDCL is planning to set up a new 500-mw unit at Bakreshwar , which is estimated to cost around Rs 2,250 crore. Around 70% of this amount (about Rs 1,500 crore) is likely to be offered by JICA at a nominal rate of interest.

rupakd

January 5th, 2010, 05:38 AM

The Bengal government has handed over the second parcel of land for the proposed Aerotropolis project at Andal near Burdwan.

Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), which is developing the project, has received 515.33 acres from the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation through a 99-year lease agreement.

The integrated Aerotropolis project will be spread over 2,300 acres. The airport, which will be built on 650 acres, is scheduled to be operational by late 2011.

In October last year, Bengal had handed over the first tranche of 533.51 acres to BAPL. Singapore’s Changi is a strategic equity partner in the project.

The 1,049 acres received by BAPL include the requisite 650 acres for the airport.

The lease premium paid, so far, is around Rs 88 crore.

“We have started site preparation work for the airport, which will be followed by extensive civil construction work,” Subrata Paul, CEO of BAPL, said.

“We expect to receive the remaining 1,000 acres in the next few months.”

The airport is expected to have a passenger volume of around 4 lakh annually.

Land acquisition for the project began after preparing a rehabilitation package that had the support of the locals.

Source: the Telegraph

SamitB

January 6th, 2010, 06:26 AM

Dollar charts plans for expansion in East

TOI KOLKATA

DOLLAR Industries Ltd, the owner of the knitted innerwear brand Dollar, has decided to follow a two-pronged strategy to expand its footprints.
Seeing enough room for growth in the eastern region, it has decided to expand its market across the region . As for other states where the brand Dollar has a significant presence but finds difficulty in growing further in urban markets, it has a different plan. It intends to grow there by making deep inroad into rural areas . Currently, the brand has a strong presence in states like Rajasthan , Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.
With identification of focus markets in place, the company expects to raise the topline to Rs 350 crore by 2010-11 , which is estimated to touch Rs 280 crore by the end of the current fiscal, indicated the company managing director Vinod Gupta.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Gupta said currently the Dollar as an umbrella brand of DIL owns 16% share in the innerwear market in India. With enough scope available for expansion in identified markets , the company has decided to ramp up its production by 35% in all its existing units within a couple of years.
Currently, two of its units in Kolkata churn out one lakh pieces per day while its unit at Tirupur rolls out 2.5 lakh pieces per day and the Delhi unit 5,000 socks per day.
In sync with its drive on expanding its markets, the company is set to expand its production capacity.
It is going to set up a fabrication facility at the hosiery park at Jagdishpur in Howrah, for which it has bought some 10 bigha from the parks developer the West Bengal Hosiery Park Infrastructure Ltd.
Plans are afoot to put up a Rs 5-crore fully mechanised fabrication unit there, civil work for which is expected to commence by end-2010 , said Mr Gupta.
Work is under way to set up an elastic tape manufacturing unit at Tirupur at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore and a spinning mill at an estimated project cost of Rs 40 crore.

Bombay2Calcutta

January 6th, 2010, 06:50 AM

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/bengal-promotes-new-tourist-destinations/380996/)

Although the West Bengal government is reluctant to admit that the political turmoil in the Hills has affected the tourism industry in Darjeeling and the surrounding areas, it is attempting to aggressively market other destinations within the state to ensure a steady inflow of tourists.
“Darjeeling is a destination that is almost two centuries old and there is no replacement for it. However, we are trying to bring up other destinations in West Bengal and the number of inbound tourists have been increasing at a rate higher than the national average,” state tourism Manab Mukherjee said. Mukherjee said that Dooars, Malda, Murshidabad, Santiniketan as well as the sea beaches in the south of the state were being increasingly frequented by tourists. The state government, through the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC), was also working on a number of cultural festivals to act as promotional vehicles for establishing new tourist destinations.

“Next year, we are going to organise a cultural festival at Bishnupur for showcasing the musical heritage of the region and are also planning to hold a festival at the Hazarduari (Palace) in Murshidabad to promote the culture and crafts of the erstwhile Nawabs of Bengal,” Mukherjee said. He was speaking at a press meet for the West Bengal Tourism & Food Festival 2010.

Ganga Heritage Cruise
West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation on Monday said that it would take at least six months for the Rs 130-crore Ganga Heritage River Cruise project in West Bengal to materialise as a re-tendering for private participation in the scheme will be undertaken next month.

“When we originally floated a tender for the (Ganga Heritage) River Cruise project last year, the private firms wanted a change in the proposed equity structure of the PPP (public private partnership) and also wanted a certain amount of land to set-up their onshore facilities. We have agreed to these changes and a new tender will be floated next month,” WBTDC Managing Director T V N Rao said.

SarafIndian

January 7th, 2010, 09:18 PM

Photo cc SarafIndian

X-postiong from Hotel thread. West Bengal Eco tourism. Sana Beach Resort, Mandarmoni..
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6991/ksc04966.jpg

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rupakd

January 8th, 2010, 09:40 AM

After inviting the Railways for setting up coach factory in Singur, the West Bengal Government has shown keen interest in joining the PSU for developing logistic parks in the State.

West Bengal is one of seven states, which has shown interest in setting up logistic parks along the Dedicated Freight Corridors, said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Other states which are keen on developing logistic parks are Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana.

“We had a meeting with all State nodal officers including from West Bengal for finalising the selection of land for the projects,” said the official. A logistic park requires a minimum of 150 hectares and an investment of Rs 1,500 crore for developing va rious facilities including warehouse, truck terminal, container terminal, rail goods shed, wholesale market, banks and packaging and assembly unit in a single complex.

“Though the Railways had proposed the project four years back, nothing much was done due to various issues including the land acquisition issue involved in it,” the official said. However, the official made it clear, “It is the State’s responsibility to provide land for the developing logistic hubs.”

Besides land, the State is responsible for providing basic infrastructure including road, electricity and water to the logistic hub sites.

Source: PTI

arijeetb

January 8th, 2010, 04:52 PM

[QUOTE=SarafIndian;49678427]Photo cc SarafIndian

X-postiong from Hotel thread. West Bengal Eco tourism. Sana Beach Resort, Mandarmoni..

^^Cool pics, Saraf:cheers: Very Serene.

Like the resort here at Mandarmoni, WB govt should do more in building the infrastructure to promote tourism across the state

rupakd

January 12th, 2010, 05:38 AM

The ministry of coal is clearly unhappy with the West Bengal government’s attitude towards realigning boundaries of steel plants proposed in the Asansol coal belt.
In a meeting convened under the chairmanship of the state chief secretary on April 8, 2009, it was decided that the project boundaries of Bhusan Steel, Videocon and Abhijeet Group would be reviewed to allow extraction of coal from reserves that Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) is yet to tap.
Soon after this, a committee set up under the chairmanship of the Asansol ADM raised issues such as the depth at which the reserves exist, whether extraction is economically viable and if so, when ECL proposes to start extraction. The ministry of coal was taken aback at how an official at the district level can raise such issues once the chief secretary of the state has agreed to realignment.
In a letter written on December 15, 2009, the additional secretary of the ministry of coal has requested the chief secretary to direct the “district officials to abide by the decisions taken at the meeting chaired by the chief secretary and expedite the process of realignment of boundaries”.
In the letter (a copy of which is with TOI), the senior bureaucrat from Delhi has pointed out that: “Coal reserves in Raniganj Coalfields are of the best quality available in the country and it would be grossly inappropriate to allow sterilisation of any further reserves for the sake of industrial development. Coal companies, worldwide, carry out mining in the leasehold areas systematically and in a planned and phased manner as a ‘going concern’ is expected to do. Coal reserves that are not being mined immediately, may be taken up for mining within the time frame of a decade or two or even more through underground or opencast mining depending upon the depth of reserves and its economics. Therefore, reserves which are not being worked in the medium term cannot be sterilised by developing industrial plants, particularly in
context of visible gap between demand and supply of coal.”
On December 21, 2009, chairman of Coal India Ltd wrote to the chief secretary pointing out that during the meeting, it had been stated that the boundaries of these projects shall be realigned so as to exclude coal bearing areas.
The estimated gross geological coal reserves under the land allotted to Bhusan Steel, KAIL (Videocon Steel Project) and Abhijit Group are 170 million tonnes, 300 million tonnes and 360 million tonnes respectively, the chairman-cummanaging director of ECL has written to the Asansol ADM.

Source: TNN

rupakd

January 12th, 2010, 05:39 AM

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is going ahead with its plans to set up an energy park at Haripur in East Midnapore despite protests by political and environmental activists.
Speaking on the sidelines of 60th Foundation Day programme of Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), DAE secretary and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Srikumar Banerjee said the baseline study would get under way at Haripur once the ongoing environment impact assessment (EIA) is completed later this year. The baseline study is done around a 10-30-km radius of the proposed site to track human development index — the economics of the area and the living standard — before activity begins on the ground.
“We are going ahead with the process that began with the site selection committee evaluating various sites along the coastline and will lead to acquisition of land and finally construction of a nuclear power plant of 6,000-10,000-MW capacity. Once the EIA is over, the baseline study will begin followed by the process of land acquisition,” Banerjee said.
Of the five sites finalized across the country, construction has started at Kudamkulam in Tamil Nadu. The process of land acquisition is under way at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, with Mithi Virdi in Gujarat, Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh and Haripur next in line.
“The baseline studies have started at Mithi Virdi and Kovvada. So, in a sense they are ahead of Haripur. But these are independent processes and not based on prioritizing. It so happened that the deal for rectors in Kudamkulam was signed with Russians early,” Banerjee explained. Negotiations are at an advanced stage for French reactors in Jaitapur.
Responding to the concerns that green activists have raised over the Haripur project, the DAE secretary said extensive studies had been conducted and more were under way to ensure that the impact on environment was minimal.
“For five years, eight universities studied the tolerance of sea water temperature variation so that aquamarine life is not affected. The findings showed that at no point should the water we release from our plants be more than 7.5°C above the sea water temperature,” he said, adding that the extensive baseline study was intended to track changes minutely.
Pointing to the Kaiga atomic power station located in a forest area in Karnataka, Banerjee said more birds had been spotted now than before. “Environmentally, nuclear power is a lot cleaner than thermal, which requires large fly-ash collection ponds and railway yards,” he added.
While nuclear plants had not been proposed in West Bengal earlier due to the national policy of locating them at least 800 km away from coal belts so that they were viable, the equation has changed since then with the proposal of setting up mega energy parks of 10,000 MW that would require transportation of heavy equipment through sea.
At each energy park, the AEC proposes to acquire contiguous land of around 2.5 km in diameter along the sea coast and 1.25 km in radius. The proposed investment at each site is $2.2 billion or around Rs 10,000 crore.
The five energy parks are critical to India achieving its target of 35,000 MW of installed nuclear power capacity by 2020 and 60,000 MW by 2032. Out of this, 40,000-45,000 MW would come from energy parks and the balance from the other installations.

Source: TNN

highrise-kolkata

January 13th, 2010, 04:30 AM

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/5017/13012010010022.jpg

sidney_jec

January 14th, 2010, 07:41 AM

TOI (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIKM/2010/01/14&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00305&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

Haripur N-plant gets green nod
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata: The Centre has given a crucial environment clearance to the proposed nuclear plant in East Midnapore’s Haripur, Union minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh said on Wednesday. Ramesh met chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at Writers’ Buildings, after which the CM confirmed that the government had “received a letter from the Centre on Haripur”.
The nod will cause heartburn in Trinamool Congress, which is vociferously opposing the project.
According to officials, the clearance was necessary to begin the environment impact assessment. But more than the administrative clearance, the political ramifications are far more significant.
Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee has not been enjoying the best of vibes with the Congress leadership of late. She is particularly agitated about the Centre not taking her into confidence on Lalgarh operations. She has already questioned the Centre’s willingness to curb the Marxist-Maoist nexus in Bengal and has rapped the Centre on price rise. The party leadership is also peeved that Mamata was not even informed when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh came down to Kolkata to visit Jyoti Basu.
In this backdrop, the environment clearance to the Haripur plant is expected to further strain the ties between the two allies. Haripur divides Cong, Trinamool
Kolkata: The Centre’s environment clearance to the proposed nuclear plant in Haripur may further strain ties between Congress and Trinamool leadership. “The Centre has not discussed the matter with us. If they give a clearance despite us being the second largest party in the UPA, we are not going to take any responsibility for it,” said Trinamool MP from Tamluk Subhendu Adhikary.
Local MP and Union minister Sisir Adhikary and local MLA Dibyendu Adhikary have also voiced their objection to the project.
On Wednesday, Subhendu Adhikary dropped broad hints that Trinamool would continue its agitation against the project at the grassroots. “Haripur is a thickly populated area. We will see how land acquisition takes place when the time comes. The people of East Midnapore are fighters,” he said.
Ramesh meanwhile, was not willing to discuss the differences between Congress and Trinamool. “I didn’t discuss anything political with the CM. The Haripur clearance has been given, and the process at Nayachar is still on. I don’t know about the Trinamool’s opposing the two projects, but the CM is aware of the environmental aspect of the Nayachar project and he wants it to be well taken care of,” the minister said.
Reacting to the Union minister’s statement, rights activist Anuradha Talwar said, “So far as we know there has been no environmental impact assessment study in Haripur, because the people there never allowed any Central team to enter the area. I fail to understand how is it possible for the Union environment department to give a go-ahead without conducting a survey and hearing of the local people.”

SamitB

January 18th, 2010, 12:26 PM

Andal may get countrys first solar valley

TNN

Kolkata: Riding piggyback on its first-mover advantage in the solar energy sector, West Bengal Green Development Corporation (WBGDC) is trying to set up the first solar valley in the country at Andal near Asansol. Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), promoters of the airport city in Burdwan district, have agreed to earmark 100 acres for the project.
WBGDC managing director S P Gon Chaudhuri said BAPL officials had been extremely receptive to the idea and agreed to submit a blueprint proposal soon. Such speedy action is unprecedented in the state, given that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh mooted the solar valley proposal only a few days ago at the launch of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The mission will attempt to spur solar generation to 1,300 MW by March 2013 and 20,000 MW by March 2022.
WBGDC has been in talks with BAPL to set up a green energy park to attract firms engaged in the manufacture of solar energy components. When the PM proposed solar valleys across the country on the lines of Silicon Valley, IT minister Debesh Das and I had a word with BAPL officials , who readily agreed to dedicate 100 acres at the proposed airport city for the project , Gon Chaudhuri said.
Once Gon Chaudhuri receives the proposal from BAPL, he will forward it to the Union ministry of new and renewable energy for approval. If the latter gives its nod, the project will get funds from the Centre, which will, in turn, make it attractive to investors.
What we have proposed to BAPL is that it creates the necessary infrastructure for green technology companies to set up solar cell, module, wafer, LED light and other manufacturing units, the WBGDC official said.
If the project does go through, it has the potential to bring in investments worth over Rs 2,000 crore and give a huge impetus to the backward integration of solar technology . Till now, West Bengal has been a pioneer state on the application front but not been able to get a major solar component manufacturing firm to set up shop.
Of the 1,300 MW solar energy capacity targeted by March 2013, 200 MW will be offgrid for village electrification, 100 MW will be rooftop technology to be implemented in cities and 1,000 MW will be land-based solar plants like the unit in Jamuria, Asansol.
West Bengal has already signed agreements for construction of solar plants (25 MW) and power purchase with Videocon, Astonfield and Moser Baer. Gujarat and Rajasthan have also signed pacts with several firms to set up plants aggregating 115 MW capacity. While all these will now migrate to the central sector and receive money from NTPC instead of state electricity boards, the remaining 860 MW will be through open expressions of interest. For remote areas, the project will be offered to the bidder quoting the lowest rate.
The remote area projects will be on a build-operatetransfer (BOT) basis for five years during which they have to provide assured supply to a specified number of rural homes, Gon Chaudhuri pointed out.

SamitB

January 18th, 2010, 12:33 PM

SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN
Night-landing facility at Bagdogra soon

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata: Evening flights can soon start at Bagdogra. The defence ministry has given its nod to extend civilian operations at the airport, a strategic forward base of the Indian Air Force and a gateway to the tourist hotspots of Darjeeling and Gangtok.
It has been a long standing demand of the state government as well as the travel and tourism industry to allow for more flexibility in flight operations at Bagdogra. Right now, civilian flights can operate only between 10 am and 3 pm.
Buoyed by the defence ministry nod, the state government quickly announced its decision to hand over 14.5 acres to the civil aviation ministry for developing infrastructure for night landing. The state had given 8.5 acres earlier for expansion of the terminal. We had given a portion of land that the civil aviation ministry had sought to upgrade and expand the airport. The remaining land will be handed over soon, said transport secretary Sumantra Chaudhuri. He will accompany transport minister Ranjit Kundu to oversee the acquisition at Bagdogra on January 18.
Airports Authority of India (AAI) officials said the land would be used to construct the approach landing facility for operations after sunset. The 9,000-feet long runway at the airport has night landing facility for Air Force planes. Though civilian aircraft are allowed to use it in exigencies, in the absence of an approach, only skilled pilots can make the landing. Once the approach landing facility is in place, all pilots will be able to land here after sunset, said Bagdogra airport director R Bhoumik.
Modernization of the terminal is underway and is expected to be completed by April 2010. The number of parking bays is being increased from three to five, allowing more flights within a short span of time. The security hold is being expanded to accommodate 400 passengers, double the capacity now. We expect a growth in traffic, Bhoumik said.
At present, five domestic airlines Kingfisher, Jet Airways, Air India, SpiceJet and GoAir operate to and from Bagdogra. Bhutans national carrier Druk Airways operates four days a week to Paro and is keen to start daily flights between Bagdogra and Kathmandu.

SamitB

January 18th, 2010, 12:41 PM

Deep-sea port project rolls again

Chief Secretary Meets Industrialist Prasoon Mukherjee On Friday, Five Sites Shortlisted

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata: If you were wondering whatever happened to the plan to set up a deep-sea port in the state, here is a word of hope. State chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti met industrialist Prasoon Mukherjee on Friday to discuss the project. Mukherjee is the director of New Kolkata International Development (NKID), a subsidiary of Indonesiabased Salim Group.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Chakrabarti said the state had shortlisted five sites, including Digha, Mondarmoni and Sagar Island, for the deep-sea port. The project site would be selected after detailed studies on the level of sedimentation at the five locations . Mukherjee said he had visited the five spots but the final project site had not yet been selected.
The fate of the Rs 7,000-crore project has been mired in red tape since 2007-end . The Centres attempt to rope in consultants for the prestigious project hit a roadblock in December 2007 after seven consulting outfits responded to the initial expressions of interests but never moved to the next stage.
The state government finally managed to revive the project by getting the nod to appoint developers for setting up the port. This new step, initiated by the state, gave the plan to set up the project an impetus. NKID has shortlisted five locations for the deepsea port. For each location, there will be a strength, weakness , opportunity and threat (SWOT) analysis. We will look at the sedimentation rate at each location. Our objective is to build a port that can be used for at least 50-55 years, said a West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC) official.
Earlier, the Centre had expressed an interest in developing a Rs 2,000-crore shipyard near Sagar Island as part of a policy to have such facilities on the eastern and western coasts of the country. The facility , it was decided, would be developed on the public-private partnership model.

sidney_jec

January 18th, 2010, 12:59 PM

with the draft in the Hooghly getting shallower by the day this project holds a lot of importance..
the state govt should now expedite it otherwise it may lose a lot on cargo handling front..
as it is the damage has been done :ohno:

SamitB

January 21st, 2010, 06:28 AM

JSW Steel plans power plant in West Bengal
http://projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?nid=29489

kolkata

January 22nd, 2010, 04:06 AM

Construction for the Durgapur aerotropolis project will start in April and the first phase will be operational by the end of 2011, developers said today.

“The tenders for the construction work have already been floated and a number of companies have applied. We are planning to complete work by the end of 2011,” Subrata Paul, CEO and director, Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd, said on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry conference here.

According to Paul, companies like Larsen & Toubro, Tantia group and others have already responded to the tender invitation.

Source:The Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100122/jsp/bengal/story_12014908.jsp)

Turnkey contract majors L&T, HCC, Simplex and Tantia are among the firms that have bid for construction of the airport at the Andal aerotropolis. Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL) CEO Subrata Pal said tenders would be opened and the turnkey project contractor finalized by next month-end for work to begin in April.

"The initial concept design for the project has been frozen. We have received five-six bids for turnkey project tenders that were floated. Once the contractor is selected, work will begin on ground. The runway and a 4,00,000-passenger per annum capacity terminal building will be ready and operational by December 2011," Pal said.

......

"Once the airport is operational, it will act as a catalyst for the rest of the project. It will also spur investment in the region, like it has in similar projects around the world," said Changi Airports International Pte Ltd CEO Wong Woon Liong. Changi has a 25% stake in the Rs 10,000-crore project and has developed the airport's concept and design and will provide technical support. It will also monitor construction, do route plan modelling for flights connecting the airport and help manage the airport for a year.

"As of now, we plan to connect Durgapur to all major metros. They will be hopping flights via Kolkata and other cities," Pal said. The 3,300-metre runway can accommodate all aircraft below Airbus A-340 and Boeing B-747 and B-757.

.......

A unique and first of its kind rehabilitation package is being offered to landlosers. Besides this, the rehabilitation package also offers free vocational training at ITI, Durgapur, to one eligible person from each landlandloser's family. Training at ITI commenced on September 4 2009, and two batches consisting of 356 trainees are getting trained.

Source:Times of india (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Race-to-build-airport-city/articleshow/5486240.cms)

kolkata

January 22nd, 2010, 04:09 AM

Prasoon Mukherjee, whose company is involved in the Nayachar project, today fleetingly mentioned at a seminar that he had plans for an eco-tourism project at the site of the proposed chemical hub...
....

Trinamul chief Mamata Banerjee, whose land agitation in Nandigram had forced the government to shift the hub to Nayachar, has opposed the project on the river island, too, citing the possible destruction of marine life.

Local MP Subhendu Adhikari and his father, East Midnapore strongman and a minister for state at the Centre, Sisir Adhikari, have demanded that Nayachar would have to be used for eco-tourism.

Source: The Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100122/jsp/bengal/story_12014907.jsp)

kolkata

January 22nd, 2010, 04:54 AM

Essar Exploration and Production Ltd, an arm of Essar Oil, will invest $400 million (Rs 2,000 crore) in its coal bed methane gas project at Ranigunj in West Bengal by 2012, a top company official said here Thursday.
...

"We plan to bring the gas to Kolkata by laying a pipeline from Ranigunj," Sawhney told reporters on the sidelines of a conference organised by Confederation of Indian Industry.

Source: Times of India (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/oil-gas/Essar-Oil-to-invest-400-mn-in-Ranigunj-gas-project/articleshow/5485376.cms)

rupakd

January 22nd, 2010, 09:20 AM

Telco Construction Equipment Company Ltd (Telcon), the 60:40 joint venture between Tata Motors and Hitachi Construction Machinery Co Ltd of Japan, quietly commenced production at its new unit in Kharagpur last month. The company will produce 35-tonne rigid dump trucks as well as excavators of 20 to 45 tonne capacity there initially.

While the excavator assembly line of the new unit had a low-key inauguration on December 4, 2009, by Tata Motors vice-chairman-cum-Telcon chairman Ravi Kant and Hitachi Construction Machinery CEO Michijiro Kikawa, who is also a Telcon director, the dumper assembly line was inaugurated the same day by Tata Motors managing director P M Telang and Mitsuo Mori, senior vice-president and executive officer, Hitachi Construction Machinery, who too is on the Telcon board.

With the addition of the new unit at Kharagpur, which has come up on around 250 acres, Telcon now has manufacturing base in three places including Jamshedpur in Jharkhand) and Dharwad in Karnataka.

The construction equipment major has handled rehabilitation issues amicably by way of working closely with the land owners on whose land the project has come up --- offering training first to those employable in the families and promising employment at a later date.

Speaking to FE here recently, Telcon managing director Rana Sinha said taking into account the economic slowdown in North America and Europe, the Kharagpur plant has been conceived to come up in three phases. The work of the first phase, which would witness the rolling out of 3,000–4,000 construction sector equipment in financial year 2010-11, has been completed at a cost of around Rs 270 crore.

The December 4 inauguration had also seen the first sales of an excavator and a dumper, both assembled at the new plant.

On completion of the entire project by 2011-12 at an investment of around Rs 565 crore, Telcon’s Kharagpur plant will be able to roll out around 12,000 construction equipment. “Orders for plant & equipment (for phases II and III) have already ben placed,” added the Telcon managing director.

Source: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Telcon-s-Kharagpur-unit-starts-production/569851/

SamitB

January 25th, 2010, 11:16 AM

Bids invited for canal pumping stations in West Bengal
Monday, 25 Jan, 2010

The Project Manager Unit on behalf of Irrigation and Waterways Department, West Bengal, has invited separate bids from prospective national/international companies for construction of three canal pumping stations.

These pumping stations are to be constructed at Chowbaga (Tender), Keorapukur (Tender) and Monikhali (Tender). Last date for submission of bids is 15 March 2010.
http://projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?nid=29531

SamitB

January 29th, 2010, 06:23 AM

Rly invites bids to select expert for Adra power venture

TOI KOLKATA

RAILWAYS has invited global bids to appoint consultants regarding its plans to set up a 1,320 mw thermal power venture in Adra, West Bengal, at an investment of Rs 8,000 crore. The project was part of the promised pack from Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee in her last railway budget proposals.
The selected consultant will prepare the bid documents and assist the railways in the financial appraisal and legal scrutiny of the project capital and bid document. Additionally, the consultant will help the railways scrutinise and draft the memorandum of association , the joint venture agreement and the MoU for formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for setting up a power plant.
We will urge the consultant to advise us on taking the proposal forward either through a public private partnership (PPP) or joint venture routes, a railway ministry source said.
We are hosting a pre-bid conference on February 11, the official added. The power plant was part of the railway budget proposals made by rail minister Mamata Banerjee last year. The bid documents will be available between January 28 and till 11 am on March 4, and applications will be opened on the same day.
The consultant job will also involve coordination with the appropriate authorities for wheeling and evacuation of power from the proposed Adra power plant to various load centres of the railways located in the western, eastern, southern and northern regions. It will also have to negotiate with necessary wheeling and banking arrangement with distribution companies in different states.
Railways avails of power for traction supply at 220kv/132kv/66kv for running trains at electrified routes from distribution companies , power companies and state electricity boards. Annual consumption of electricity by railways is 12.2 billion units at the rate of Rs 4.4 per unit. The bid to set up a power plant at Adra is to obtain power at an economical rate.

SamitB

January 29th, 2010, 06:25 AM

Graphite India mulls 50 MW plant at Durgapur
Friday, 29 Jan, 2010

Graphite India (GIL) is planning to set up a 50 MW plant at Durgapur, West Bengal, at an investment of Rs 214 crore.

Besides the power plant, GIL is planning to augment its graphite electrode capacity by 10,500 tpa at its facility in Durgapur. The facility produces 40,000 tpa of electrode.

The proposed power unit is to come up next to its existing plant in Durgapur. It may require about 20 acre. Power constitutes one of the major costs of electrode production. The captive unit is expected to reduce cost.

The company is likely to fund the two projects at a total cost of Rs 400 crore through internal accruals.
http://projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?nid=29581

rupakd

January 29th, 2010, 07:33 AM

JSW Steel plans to set up 2 x 800 MW power project in West Bengal. The company board has approved the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) by its subsidiary JSW Bengal Steel jointly with JSW Energy for the project. JSW Bengal Steel will hold 26 percent of the SPV's equity.

The project envisages an investment of Rs 9,680 crore, comprising Rs 7,680 crore for setting up the power plant and Rs 2,000 crore for development of mines. The project will use thermal coal from Ichhapur mines. The project is proposed to be funded on a debt-equity ratio of 3:1 (Rs.7,260 crore and Rs.2,420 crore, respectively) & the first unit targeted for completion by March 31, 2014 and the second by March 31, 2015.

Source: Projects Monitor

SamitB

February 1st, 2010, 06:59 AM

NABARD funds for West Bengal
http://projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?smid=24&nid=29589

sidney_jec

February 1st, 2010, 08:05 AM

Source (http://www.thehindu.com/2010/01/31/stories/2010013155111100.htm)

Graphite to set up power plant in Durgapur,

Special Correspondent
KOLKATA: K K Bangur group company Graphite India is planning to invest Rs.214 crore for setting up a coal-based 50 MW thermal power plant as part of its plans to optimise costs.

The company, which has units in Durgapur, Bangalore, Nasik and Germany, is now operating at a 60 per cent capacity due to the economic downturn. Addressing a press conference here company Chairman K. K. Bangur said the required land of 20 acres for the power project, which is to be set up in Durgapur, was already with the company. GIL’s products find use in auto, aerospace, chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgical and machine tool industries. The company turned in good results for the third quarter. He said that the company continued to be export-led having a presence in 50 countries. However from a 70-30 ratio between exports and domestic sales, the company was now able to export only 50 per cent of its output.

SamitB

February 2nd, 2010, 10:53 AM

The ministry of environment cleared nuclear power project
Protects Monitor

The ministry of environment and forests has cleared the nuclear power project proposed at Haripur in East Midnapore district of West Bengal. The plant is one of five N- plants to be set up in the country in collaboration with Russia. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier signed an agreement with the Russian government to this effect.
http://www.projectsmonitor.com/POWDIST/the-ministry-of-environment-cleared-nuclear-power-project

rupakd

February 3rd, 2010, 05:31 AM

Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL) has completed its Supermax project by augmenting ethylene capacity, and is ready to reopen shortly, after a three-month expansion shutdown. The naphtha cracker has been shut since November 2009 to commission the Rs 1230 crore Supermax project, aiming to increase ethylene capacity from 520,000 tpa to 670,000 tpa. The plant is reopening at a time when ethylene prices are rising in the world markets. Ethylene prices have spiked by almost $120 in the week of January this year, in Asia.
The much-hyped Supermax project, which already faced a cost over-run of over Rs 550 crore due to delay in execution, was temporarily halted after the ruling CPI-M party’s labour wing CITU had called an indefinite strike a few months ago. Citu had threatened to call a strike on issues concerning casual and contract workers, several times since early 2008. But shutdowns were averted each time after the interventions of the top CPI-M leaders like the chief minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee.
Ironically, the Trinamul-affiliated trade union, which was eager to play the responsible card then, wanted work to continue and decided to defy the strike and join work. This had led several clashes between them. “But, after going through several hurdles, the company’s Supermax project is finally set to reopen shortly," said a senior HPL officer. Meanwhile, according to a senior officer of HPL, the company has merged HPL Cogeneration with itself, to reduce costs. HPL had bought L&T’s 51% stake in HPL Cogeneration last year at a consideration of Rs 180 crore, following which it became a 100% subsidiary of HPL. HPL Cogeneration produces 118 mw of power and uses naphtha as a fuel and supplies power and steam exclusively to HPL. HPL has also embarked upon implementation of a Rs 70-crore power plant project by using the gases produced during the breakdown of naphtha.
“The company will have to pay back interest against loans it had taken. Since HPL doesn’t want to default any more in loan repayment, it is necessary for the company to maintain profitability. A roadmap of the company’s future performance has already been worked out,” said a senior official of West Bengal Industrial Development (WBIDC).
However, HPL will not have to undertake repayment of fresh loans it had taken for implementing Project Supermax. “There is a moratorium for a certain period on repayment of these loans,” the official said.

Source: The Statesman

SamitB

February 4th, 2010, 06:13 AM

Srei-led pool plans 500 mw power plant

TNN
THE Srei-led consortium, which has bought the 57.17% stake in DPSC Ltd, will go ahead with DPSCs original plan of setting up a 500 mw power plant at an outlay of Rs 2,500 crore. The new board, formed last Friday, will meet shortly to finalise the companys future roadmap.
Talking to ET, Mr Hemant Kanoria, chairman of Srei Infrastructure & Finance, said: We will implement whatever plans DPSC originally had in a time-bound manner. Our focus will be that in the medium and long term, the company should grow faster and larger.
Incidentally, Srei has floated a special purpose vehicle called Orbis Power Ventures Ltd to buy out 57.17% in DPSC Ltd, held originally by LIC, United India Insurance and Andrew Yule, at an investment of Rs 172 crore. The new board comprises Mr Jyoti Poddar, Mr NG Khaitan and DP Patra.
DPSC already has nearly 200 acres for its new power plant. It has also received approval for the environment impact assessment report. The plant is expected to come up within two to three years. The debt-equity ratio is 70:30.
DPSC, which is also looking at non-conventional sources to generate power, is almost ready with its 2mw solar power plant at its Seebpore site for meeting a part of its energy requirements. Erection of the power station is almost complete and power from the solar station will be shortly available on the DPSC grid.
With regard to its proposal to set up a new 220/33 kV substation at JK Nagar in Burdwan to increase bulk purchases of power from West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company to substitute power purchases from Damodar Valley Corporation, the company has sought the in-principle approval from West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission for undertaking phase I of the project, involving a capital expenditure of about Rs 76.50 crore. All projects that are in the pipeline will be implemented , Mr Kanoria said.

rupakd

February 8th, 2010, 06:58 AM

JSW vice-chairman & managing director Sajjan Jindal will call on chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Monday to discuss the progress of the group’s projects in Bengal, including the proposed 3-million tonne steel plant at Salboni whose capacity is slated to be progressively scaled up to 10 million tonne.
The meeting assumes significance not just because it comes at a time when Brand Bengal’s stock is running particularly low, but, more importantly, since, it would be the first face-to-face interaction between the two since November 2, 2008, when Maoists had tried to target the CM’s convoy on its way back from the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Jindal’s Salboni project.
“Although they (Jindal and the CM) have spoken a few times since that incident, somehow or the other, a meeting has not happened,” said Biswadip Gupta, joint MD & CEO of JSW Bengal Steel, the company implementing the Salboni project. Jindal was among the first lot of top-flight industrialists to vouch for the Bengal story.
Gupta said Jindal’s visit was a reaffirmation of the group’s commitment to the state and its desire to fast-track the steel venture, following an improvement in the economic situation. Incidentally, the cost of the Salboni project has come down appreciably for JSW Bengal Steel as the power and mining ventures, that were originally included with the steel plant, are now being undertaken by another group firm JSW Energy. “The saving on this account is nearly Rs 9000-10000 crore,” he added.
Gupta said the other plus working in Salboni’s favour at the moment is the tremendous interest shown by JFE in the steel plant. JFE representatives had visited the plant site within days of the Japanese steel major agreeing to collaborate with JSW Steel on a range of projects in future. In the past, sources had not ruled out the possibility of JFE even picking up an equity stake in JSW Bengal Steel.

Source: TNN

SamitB

February 8th, 2010, 07:24 AM

Bhel only bidder in 2nd phase of WBPDCL project

ET KOLKATA

CHINESE power equipment supplier Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC) kept themselves off the second phase of bidding for West Bengal Power Development Corporations (WBPDCL) Sagardighi Thermal Power Plant project, though they had bagged the award for the first phase at a price (about Rs 3.5 crore per mw) which no Indian equipment supplier could match.
Despite WBPDCL floating a global tender, Bhel has emerged the only bidder for the Sagardighi project. Estimated at Rs 5,000 crore, it will be a 2x500 mw unit. It is an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract that WBPDCL may award to Bhel. Currently, the power generator is in talks with it to decide on the heat rate for the boiler.
Confirming the development, WBPDCL managing director Debasis Sen said: There was another Indian bidder apart from Bhel, but it is not a manufacturer. Hence, Bhel has emerged the only bidder for the EPC contract.
In the first phase, two 300-mw units were synchronised on December 2007 and August 2008, respectively. The main plant package was awarded to DEC, China.
A WBPDCL official close to the development said: Currently, negotiations with Bhel on the technical front are on and the contract is likely to be awarded in about two months time.
The first unit is expected to be completed 45 months from the date of awarding the contract, while the second would be completed in 48 months.
A Bhel official said: We have acquired expertise in setting up 500 mw thermal power units. The tender floated by WBPDCL was very clear and it wants to set up two 500 mw units.
This would be West Bengals first mega power project. When thermal power units of at least 1,000 mw or more are set up at locations, it qualifies as a mega thermal power project. These projects thus become eligible for certain customs and excise exemptions, Mr Sen added.
WBPDCL has recently achieved financial closure for the project.
We have received in principle approval from Power Finance Corporation for a 70% funding. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 4,000 crore and PFC (Power Finance Corporation) will provide a long-term loan of about Rs 2,800 crore. The actual funding will come in once the project is awarded to the contractor.
The company has already received water clearance , chimney height clearance from the Port Trust and railway transportation clearance.
Coal sourcing has been tied up with captive coal mines Pachawar North and East of Damagaria coal mines.
Nevertheless, in-principle clearance from the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission as well as the environmental clearance for the project are pending. Additionally, clearance from irrigation and water department is also awaited.

rupakd

February 8th, 2010, 10:55 AM

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has sanctioned West Bengal Rs 857.81 crore during the year 2009-10 so far, the highest ever sanctioned to the State under Rural infrastructure development fund (RIDF). Recently, it has sanctioned Rs 197.51 crore under the fund, which includes Rs. 10.19 crore for cost escalations in respect of earlier tranches, to the state government.

The projects sanctioned by Nabard includes construction of brick paved roads, bridges, development of agricultural farms rural markets, rural industrial estate projects, and one joint forest management project.

For improving rural connectivity in the Sundarban area, an amount of Rs 40.69 crore has been sanctioned for 19 brick-paved road projects in North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas districts. A road length of 218 km is expected to be created under these projects. Non-recurring employment generation is expected to be 15.26 lakh man days and the projects would benefit 208 villages, according to a press release by Nabard.

An amount of Rs. 12.52 cr has been sanctioned for nine rural bridge projects in Bardhaman, Malda and Paschim Medinipur districts of the State. A total bridge length of 289.14 metres will be created under these projects. The non-recurring employment generation under this is expected to be 5.31 lakh man days and the projects would benefit a population of 1.03 lakh in 78 villages.

In order to improve state agricultural farms, and provide proper storage facilities for seeds and fertilizers, while ensuring supply of quality seeds to farmers, an amount of Rs 34.86 crore has been sanctioned for infrastructure development of 35 agriculture farms. The farms are expected to benefit 6.15 lakh farmers in Bardhaman, Bankura, Birbhum, Howrah and Paschim Medinipur districts. Non-recurring employment generation is expected to be 11.01 lakh man days

Also, an amount of Rs 23.57 crore has been sanctioned to establish two industrial estates and one garment and textile Park in Birbhum and South 24 Parganas districts.

Source: Business Standard

SamitB

February 9th, 2010, 11:15 AM

NEW DELHI: It seems everything in railways moves towards Bengal. Mamata Banerjee’s goodies for her home state continue with at least nine multi-specialty hospitals and medical colleges to be set up on vacant railways land going to West Bengal.

Not only this, the railway minister has also ensured around nine second-level medical units with 100-bed hospitals to be established in West Bengal. This were part of the MoU the health ministry signed with the railways on Friday. They plan to jointly set up around 500 healthcare facilities — hospitals, diagnostic centres and super-specialty hospitals — on vacant railway land.

Sources said land for opening 361 diagnostic centres, 88 second-level medical units with over 100-bed hospitals (5 acre) and 41 multi-specialty medical facilities (20 acre land) around railway tracks had already being identified. To begin with, health ministry will start working on the diagnostic centres at major railway stations and junctions across the country. "The initiative will benefit passengers, employees and common people living around railway stations," Banerjee said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Bengal-to-get-9-hospitals-on-railway-land/articleshow/5550360.cms

India101

February 10th, 2010, 04:25 AM

Renaissance Township, Bardhaman

http://i49.************/rct3qg.jpg

Master Plan:
http://i46.************/2u8vz0m.jpg

Updates:
http://i48.************/sx0h2o.jpg

http://i47.************/2m47rcl.jpg

http://i46.************/242ivjc.jpg

http://i49.************/112c39j.jpg

http://i47.************/29fsaxy.jpg

http://i46.************/4lr1tx.jpg

Website (http://www.shrachibardhaman.com/)

sidney_jec

February 10th, 2010, 07:44 AM

naice project..

SamitB

February 10th, 2010, 09:27 AM

HCC bags 3 NHAI contracts in West Bengal
BS
Hindustan Construction Company Limited (HCC) today received letter of awards from National Highways Authority of India, New Delhi to develop three contiguous sections of approximately 256 kilometer length between Bahrampore to Dalkhola on NH-34 in the State of West Bengal on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) Toll basis.
In a filing to Bombay Stock Exchange, HCC said that the contracts will boost the order book by about Rs 2,860 crore and the special purpose companies implementing these projects under HCC infrastructure, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company will receive another Rs 1,033.47 crore during the construction period.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/hcc-bags-3-nhai-contracts-in-west-bengal/85423/on

rupakd

February 11th, 2010, 05:35 AM

South Korean Behemoth Eyes Rs 10000 Crore JV With SAIL In Kulti

Posco, the South Korean steel behemoth, has offered to set up a Rs 10,000-crore joint venture plant with Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in the industrial town of Kulti, Burdwan, about 200 km from Kolkata. Land acquisition will not be an issue here because the project will come up on the land of Growth Works, a SAIL-owned plant that is in the red.
This is the best news the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government has had on the industry front in recent years.
Posco (Pohang Iron and Steel Company), which is locked in a long and bitter land dispute for its Rs 52,000-crore plant in Orissa, has only recently got clearance from the Union environment ministry to acquire forest land for the Orissa project. Wiser from the five-year ordeal, it is looking for ‘clean’ land for its venture with SAIL.
The Kulti Growth Works fits the bill. It would take only an agreement with SAIL to start the project.
Sources say Posco is keen on getting started early, possibly in the next six months.
On Monday, four Posco officials, including two general managers, visited the Kulti plant, which belonged to the erstwhile Iisco and is now under SAIL’s growth division. Kulti Growth Works GM Probal Gupta showed them around. Sources said the officials are pleased with the land, especially since they won’t have to go through the political minefield of acquisition.
SAIL executive director (works) S Subhedar confirmed the Posco visit. “They will submit a detailed project report to SAIL. It was their maiden visit and the project is in a preliminary stage,” he said.
Asansol MP and Asansol Durgapur Development Authority chairman Bansa Gopal Choudhury welcomed the development, saying the Posco plant would be a huge boost to Bengal’s investment scenario.
SAIL has a long-time technology tie-up with Posco. The Kulti joint venture aims at setting up a 1.5 million-tonne brownfield (as opposed to greenfield) steel plant with nextgeneration technology that will be a first in the country.
It also plans to set up a greenfield ‘caster plant’, for which the Posco delegation was shown land in the area. Posco needs about 600 acres for the entire project.

Source: TNN

rupakd

February 11th, 2010, 05:37 AM

The Kulti Growth Works sits on 850 acres, of which the old plant takes up 228 acres. It has 2,300 houses, a 9-hole golf course, hospital and club. The land was given to Iisco on a 999-year lease during the British period. Bengal Iron Works Company was founded in Kulti in 1870 and on 1936 it was merged with Iisco till its closure in 2003.
SAIL had shut down the factory on April 1, 2003, handed most of the 3,000 employees VRS, and tried to sell it off through open tender. Tata Metallic, Bhushan Steel, Ruchi Group and Pawan Ruia expressed interest, but later all of them backtracked. On Christmas Day, 2007, steel minister Ram Vilas Paswan reopened it in its present avatar. There are just 70 contractual workers now.
The Posco project is not the only good news for the region. Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation has evinced interest to set up steel plant in Salanpur, near Asansol, in a joint venture with Bhushan Steel. The project has been cleared by the state government. And the Kolkata-based Vibgyor Group has proposed to set up a four-wheeler plant (with Chinese technology) and an automobile spare parts plant in Durgapur, along with an IT Park. “I have told them to submit project report,” said ADDA chairman Bansa Gopal Choudhury.

Source: TNN

Suncity

February 11th, 2010, 08:08 PM

Suncity

February 12th, 2010, 02:42 AM

Low credit deposit ratio in Bengal alarming, says Asim

http://www.financialexpress.com/news/low-credit-deposit-ratio-in-bengal-alarming-says-asim/578329/

Low credit deposit ratio in West Bengal is a matter of concern, state finance minister Asim Dasgupta admitted on Wednesday. He has asked banks in the state to monitor the issue closely.

According to Dasgupta, the ratio has declined to 60% as on September, 2009 which hints that money is being siphoned off to other states whereas various small scale units here are in desperate need for loans.

From a low of 49% in March 2004, the state’s CD ratio went up to 66% in end-2007, was 65% in March, 2008, 64% in March, 2009 and then fell to 60% in September, 2009.

Present at a state credit seminar organised by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), he said the state is likely to achieve 35% growth in loans to farm and small-scale sector in 2009-10, and is expected to touch Rs 90,015 crore.

Dasgupta said banks have already disbursed more than 80% of the amount and are in a position to achieve the target. "We recently met officials of the commercial banks and they have assured us that a growth of 35% is achievable during the current financial year," he said.

rupakd

February 12th, 2010, 05:23 AM

Haldia Petrochemicals’ capacity expansion project is nearing completion, and the company is likely to start production over the weekend.

Once the operations get fully stabilised within a month, the company’s polymer making capacity will increase by a third. HPL has invested close to Rs 1,200 crore in Project Supermax against an initial estimate of Rs 675 crore, made three years ago. The company will get the full benefit of the additional capacity from the next fiscal. HPL may clock a turnover of Rs 12,000-13,000 crore if the present price level remains. “The margin is nothing exceptional, but it will make money at the present price,” a state government official said.

After work on the project started on October 30, when the plant took a planned shutdown, HPL faced an unprecedented labour trouble leading to a four-day strike. It destabilised the expansion work and led to a substantial loss. HPL had set January 15 as the date to resume production. Instead, it will start production a month later, irking The Chatterjee Group (TCG), a shareholder of the company. Purnendu Chatterjee, chairman of TCG, is believed to have voiced his displeasure at the delay. He had visited the plant with Subrata Gupta, managing director of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation. The state government and TCG, the two main promoters of HPL, are engaged in a legal battle for the control of the company.

The HPL management, backed by the state government, had said the delay was not unusual given the complexity of the job.

Source: The Telegraph

rupakd

February 12th, 2010, 05:45 AM

WBIDC on Thursday handed over 505 acres at Raghunathpur in Purulia to city-based Adhunik Group for its proposed Rs 7,200 crore steel, cement and power units in the state. The total land requirement for the project is 2,324 acres. After handing over the documents to the MD of Adhunik Corporation, Mahesh Agarwal, local MP Basudeb Acharia said the people of Purulia are keen to give land for industry. Besides Adhunik, he said WBIDC has already acquired 315 acres for the proposed steel and power projects of Shyam Steel in Purulia.
“The land acquisition process is pretty smooth in Purulia. We have already handed over a large chunk of land to the Jai Balaji Group. Adhunik, too, has now got a portion of land. We will hand over some land to Shyam Steel by the end of this month. Jai Balaji has already started preliminary work for the project,” Acharia said.
Agarwal said Adhunik would initially invest Rs 850 crore in the first phase. It will set up a 0.4 million tonne steel plant and a 60 MW(30X2) power plant at Raghunathpur in the first phase. “We have already done the financial closure for the first phase. PNB will be the lead banker for the project,” he added.
Agarwal said the first phase of the project would be completed in 27 months. Adhunik would set up a 1.1 million tonne steel, 1125 MW power and 1 million tonne cement plant in 2-3 phases. “The total employment in the project will be 5,000. First phase would provide employment to 1,000 people,” he added.
Adhunik Corporation MD pointed out that it has already got coal blocks near Andal along with Uttam Galva Steel, Ramsarup and other partners for the project.

Source: TNN

rupakd

February 12th, 2010, 08:13 AM

The Indian Railways will set up IIT-Kharagpur's (IIT-KGP) largest research and development (R&D) centre. The investment may exceed Rs 120 crore.
Currently, the largest R&D centre at the institute is with the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), towards setting-up an energy park over a five-year period beginning 2007. The estimated cost of this project is close to Rs 100 crore.

Union Railway minister Mamata Banerjee recently said the Railways will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with IIT-Kharagpur on February 13 to rope in students of the institute for research work involving her ministry. Officials at IIT-Kharagpur, however, point out that the establishment of a R&D centre would be central to the arrangement.

"The Indian Railways will set up an R&D centre at the IIT Kharagpur campus. The MoU to this effect is also for a long-term framework for advanced training for railway staffs," an official said on condition of anonymity.

When contacted, P P Chakraborty, dean - sponsored research and industrial consultancy, IIT-Kharagpur, confirmed the development but refused to share further details.

IIT-K is expected to carry out research on behalf of the Indian Railways on areas like equipment, manufacturing and technology upgradation for building a modern rail eco-system.

The Railways is also looking at sponsored research and staff training in collaboration with IIT-Kharagpur. Last year, Banerjee had said that the Railways intended on forging a stronger relationship with instituions such as IIT-Kharagpur and IIT-Kanpur. Currently, almost all Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) handle sponsored research projects for Indian Railways.

But IIT-Kharagpur would be the first to partner for a dedicated R&D centre.
During the 2008-09, IIT Kharagpur received 167 research projects from the government, private and international funding agencies for a total value of Rs 158 crore and 142 consultancy projects worth Rs 13 crore, aggregating to a total of 309 projects for Rs 171 crore.

This is a record for the institute. Over 60 per cent of the funds have come from the industries in India and abroad.

Source: Business Standard

Suncity

February 13th, 2010, 03:35 PM

Corruption ridden and incompetent Coal India trying to thwart industrial development in eastern India including West Bengal?

So we cannot have factories in "fertile" land. We cannot have factories near the coast (coastal environment will be affected). We cannot have factories in empty islands (fish farming will be affected). We cannot have factories in forested areas. We cannot have factories in the mountains. We cannot have factories in mineral rich areas. So maybe West Bengal should start thinking of putting up factories in thin air?

Coal India shocker

State-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) has successfully persuaded the country’s largest power generator, NTPC, to relocate its North Karanpura Super Thermal project in Jharkhand on the ground that it would block about 6 billion tonnes of coal, if established.

The decision to relocate the power project could set a precedent for other projects that are proposed to be set up in coal- bearing areas. In West Bengal alone, three steel projects, including Bhushan Steel’s Rs 49,000-crore project, are expected to come up in the coal-rich Asansol-Ranigunj belt in Bardhaman.

Subsequent to this decision, it is also understood that steel plants, proposed to come up in the coal bearing areas of Ranigunj, will not be allowed to be established by CIL, as they will block large coal reserves.

Steel companies argued that proposed facilities were being set-up on coal-bearing areas and not on the licensed command area of CIL. However, NTPC’s North Karanpura venture is outside CIL subsidiary Central Coalfield’s command area. The West Bengal government and the steel companies had also pointed out that the depth of the reserves would not make it viable for mining.

arijeetb

February 14th, 2010, 10:26 PM

SamitB

February 15th, 2010, 06:34 AM

SUN CITY
BAPL plans solar valley in airport city
ET KOLKATA

BENGAL Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), in which Singapores Changi Airport International holds a 26% stake, plans to set up a solar power equipment manufacturing hub within the proposed Rs 10,000-crore airport city coming up in West Bengal. Coined the Solar Valley , the area is expected to attract an investment of Rs 4,000 crore.
BAPL has just received 1,090 acres from the West Bengal government for the airport city project. And it has roped in IL&FS to prepare a detailed roadmap for the Solar Valley project, which will be a part of the science and technology park being planned by the company .
Talking to ET, Subrata Paul, chief executive officer of BAPL, said: The science and technology park is an integral part of our airport city project. The solar valley will be part of this park, for which we are in talks with West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation. This will be part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission project, which has been unveiled recently.
The states Green Energy Development Corporation has also initiated the process of setting up the solar valley. SP Gon Choudhury, managing director of the Green Energy Development Corporation said: We are in talks with BAPL for setting up a solar valley over 100 acres. The solar valley will be set up within BAPLs territory and is likely to attract an investment of Rs 4000 crore. The valley will be the hub for manufacturing solar power generation components like modules , cells, inverters and LEDs (light emitting diodes).
Mr Paul said the company expects to get its third tranche of land by March this year.
West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) is working on land acquisition and it is likely that at least 500 acres will be handed over to us by March 2010, he added.
The first phase of the BAPL project will house an airport, IT Park, logistic hub, township and theme park.
The airport and a few other facilities will be done by BAPL itself. But for some of the other facilities, it will invite partners and develop them on a joint venture basis. It is a seven-year project and will be implemented in phases. The total investment will be Rs 10,000 crore, said a senior state government official from the commerce and industry department .

SamitB

February 15th, 2010, 06:37 AM

Majerhat rail factory plan hits roadblock
ET KOLKATA

THE railways plans to set up a factory to manufacture high-capacity freight bogies in Majerhat near Kolkata appears to have hit a hurdle.
On Friday, when railway minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off renovation of the Majerhat station and a multi-functional complex at Alipore , there wasnt even a mention of the much hyped Rs 100-crore Majerhat factory.
Last October, the railways had been forced to halt the tendering process for the proposed factory following objections relating to setting up of polluting industries within city limits. It had resolved to establish a factory on its own land near Majerhat, which had been part of the announcements made by Ms Banerjee in the last railway budget. But following objections from the pollution control board, the railways has been on the lookout for alternative land near Haldia. We havent been able to make any headway in the last few months, a railway ministry source said. The Majerhat factory was supposed to be part of two factories, the other is due to come up in Dalmianagar in Bihar, for manufacturing and supplying high-capacity freight bogies to the railways. The indicative project cost for each of these factories, due to come up through a public private partnership (PPP) basis, was estimated to be around Rs 100 crore.
The railways plans involved manufacture of 25,000 freight bogies in each factory over a period of five years. Apart from this, the project would also have involved manufacture of machined castings weighing nearly 1.5 tonnes. Both the projects have now been kept in abeyance till a fresh site is chosen.
The railways had earlier invited global bids from interested firms for setting up the facilities and the last date for receiving the completed application was fixed for September 28 last year. But it was postponed following pollution-related objections.

SamitB

February 15th, 2010, 06:42 AM

NATURE POWER
State push for solar energy devt
ET KOLKATA

WITH greenfield thermal capacity addition getting stalled in West Bengal due to land acquisition problems, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has asked Green Energy Development Corporation (GEDC) to ensure the state becomes a major contributor to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).
In response, GEDC has just recommended solar projects being set up by Videocon, DPSC Ltd and Astonfield Renewable Resources to the JNNSM, which aims to create 20,000 mw of solar power by 2022.
This will enable these companies to make their solar power projects economically viable as the mission will consider offering various sops, such as concession in import duty on equipment and providing subsidy on power generated from solar sources.
A senior Videocon executive told ET: West Bengal Green Energy Development Corp has informed us that our project has been referred to JNNSM. We are setting up a 10 mw solar power plant in the state at a capital outlay of Rs 200 crore. Videocons solar power plant is spread over some 100 acres at Raghunathpur in Purulia. Land acquisition for the project has already been completed.
NTPC subsidiary NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. (NVVN) has been designated as the nodal agency by the power ministry for entering into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with solar power developers. The PPAs will be signed with developers who will be setting up solar projects within the next three years and connected to the grid at 33 KV level and above. The PPAs will be valid for 25 years. For every megawatt of solar power installed capacity, for which PPA is inked by NVVN, the power ministry will allocate to NVVN an equivalent capacity from the unallocated quota of NTPC stations.
The Solar Mission involves setting up 1300 mw of solar generation capacity during the 11th Plan. Of this, about 1000 mw will be grid connected, another 200 mw in rural areas and 100 mw of roof-top generation . As part of this, we have already included commercial solar power generation capacities of 17 mw from companies including DPSC Ltd (2 mw), Videocon Industries (10 mw) and Astonfield Renewable Resources (5 mw), said SP Gon Choudhury , MD of the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation.
Mr Gon Choudhury added that the corporation is in the process of facilitating an additional 50 mw of solar generating capacity from companies like Moser Baer (10 mw), Webel Solar (10 mw) and Reliance Power (5 mw) in the state. We are promoting investment by facilitating investors to prepare detailed project reports, providing technical know how and are guiding them, in various areas of investment in the state, Mr Gon Choudhury said.

SamitB

February 18th, 2010, 06:56 AM

Shyam Steel urges WBIDC to allot land
Saturday, 13 Feb, 2010

Shyam Steel Industries has requested the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) to speed up the process of handing over the land identified for its projects proposed at Raghunathpur in Purulia district.

In Phase I, the company proposes to invest around Rs 1,200 crore to set up several facilities for beneficiation, pelletisation, DRI, billet-making and power generation (35 MW).

Later on, the company is expected to set up a 1.1 million tpa finished steel plant along with the power plant of 250 MW capacity and for this another 600 acre will be needed.
http://projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?smid=24&nid=29802

SamitB

February 19th, 2010, 06:14 AM

Kanchrapara rail coach project gets Cabinet nod

ET KOLKATA

LESS than a week to go before Mamata Banerjee presents her next railway budget, the Union Cabinet on Thursday is learnt to have cleared the high-stakes Rs 500-crore coach manufacturing project at Kanchrapara, near Kolkata.
The move will pave the way for manufacture of EMU coaches at Eastern Railways Kanchrapara-Halisahar complex near the city through the JV route, a senior government official told ET.
Established in 1863, the Kanchrapara workshop was set up by the then Assam Bengal Railway. It is one of the oldest such facilities in existence under Indian Railways and has the distinction of serving the defence department in aircraft maintenance and manufacture of armoured cars and grenade shells during the Second World War.
While Ms Banerjee, who is in Delhi, could not be reached for an official comment, Cabinet nod for the Kanchrapara project is slated to deliver a major boost to the railway ministers Bengal agenda.
The Kanchrapara project was on the agenda of todays Cabinet meeting and it is learnt that the Cabinet has given the go ahead to set up the project through a JV, a top source told ET on Thursday.
Under the proposed plans, the railways will hold 26% while 74% will be held by a potential partner, which could be a private player. Railways will shortly invite global bids to zero in on its potential JV partner.
Significantly, railways has already invited bids and shortlisted consultants to prepare the tender documents. The Kanchrapara project will come up on land belonging to the railways adjacent to Eastern Railways workshop in the area.
The original venture had been announced by Ms Banerjee as part of the railway budget proposals in 2009-10 .
We have decided to invite global bids from possible joint venture partners for the project. The Planning Commission had recently cleared the proposal.
Following which it was sent for Cabinet approval. The whole process is likely to take place through a transparent process in a time-bound manner. We hope to attract the best bids from both domestic and foreign companies technology, Amit Mitra, head of railways Committee on Public Private Partnership, said.
To start with the proposed factory will manufacture state-of-the-art EMU coaches . We are looking for cutting edge technology , the kind used in running engine-less trains abroad, Mr Mitra added.
The railways had announced plans to manufacture some 500 EMU/MEMU coaches in the factory.

SamitB

February 24th, 2010, 05:50 AM

FieldFresh starts pineapple R&D in West Bengal

ET KOLKATA

FIELDFRESH Foods,a 50:50 JV between Sunil Mittals Bharti Enterprises and Philippines Del Monte Pacific,has initiated R&D and trial cultivation of pineapples in Siliguri.The company is also open to the idea of sourcing pineapples from the state for the globally famous Del Monte range of processed pineapple products.
The Del Monte brand globally controls around 25% of the processed pineapple market.R&D work linked to pineapple cultivation has just been initiated in Siliguri.Scientists at Del Monte are working with local farmers to increase yield and ensure roundthe-year harvesting of pineapples.As the first lot of fruits gets ready in some 18 months,we will look at sourcing opportunities as well, says FieldFresh Foods CEO Sanjay Nandrajog.
Mr Nandrajog was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Del Monte range in eastern India here on Tuesday.
As per FieldFreshs business model,it will initially undertake sourcing and eventually scale it up to contract farming.Mr Nandrajog said though the company was open to the idea of contract farming in West Bengal for pineapples,such plans were yet to be finalised.The company already undertakes contract farming over 4,000 acres in Punjab and Maharashtra where sweet corn and baby corn are grown.
In 2010-11,we plan to sell some 15,000 tonnes of apples,bananas,corn and onions under the FieldFresh brand in the domestic market as compared to some 9,000 tonnes sold this fiscal.Such products are sold through more than 200 stores of retailers like Spencers and Reliance Retail.Next year,we plan to add pineapples to the portfolio, said Mr Nandrajog.

rupakd

February 26th, 2010, 05:27 AM

The Orissa tourism department may team up with two neighbouring states- West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh for jointly running its proposed luxury train for tourists to be modeled on the Palace on Wheels.

“We had given a proposal to the Union tourism ministry for starting a luxury train for the tourists. Of late, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have evinced interest in partnering us for this venture. We have asked these state governments to come out with the details of the partnership like sharing of revenue and operational costs”, an official source told Business Standard.

The proposed luxury train project for tourists involving an investment of Rs 37 crore is to be taken up on the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Earlier, the state tourism department had negotiated with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for working out the modalities of the proposed luxury train.

Apart from providing catering services, IRCTC will also be responsible for designing the interiors of the train.

The luxury train will provide the tourists with a flavour of the state's wildlife, beaches, Buddhist sites, exquisite temples, arts and crafts, dance forms, Chilika lake and the tribal culture. Unlike other luxury tourist trains operating in the country like Palace on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey and The Golden Chariot which cater to high end tourists, the luxury train planned by the state tourism department would also be affordable for the middle income groups.

It may be noted that Orissa, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh are also set to come together for the country's first inter-state cruise tourism project. The proposed project involves cruise connectivity from Visakhapatnam to Kolkata via Orissa.

The project was to be implemented on the PPP mode and a private operator was to operate the cruise. The state tourism department has completed the first round of negotiations with a private player for this project. The cruise tourism project has been mooted by Debi Prasad Mishra, the Orissa tourism minister who has earlier negotiated with his counterparts in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh on the project.

Source: Business Standard

SamitB

March 2nd, 2010, 08:46 AM

CONCOR to commission facilities in Orissa, West Bengal soon
Projectstoday

Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) is likely to commission two additional handling facilities at Rourkela in Orissa and at Majherhat West Bengal by June 2010. Work at both the places is on track.

CONCOR's domestic terminal at Majherhat near Kolkata Dock System is being upgraded into a fully-fledged container freight station (CFS) with additional warehousing facility of 2,000 sq mtrs. On completion, the CFS will be able to handle the export-import traffic also.

On the other hand, the company's Rourkela domestic terminal is to be spread over 18,000 sq mtrs. Presently, the company handles containerised traffic at Rourkela but from a railway goods shed which is also used by others, particularly private container train operators. This generally causes delay. Once operational, the terminal will substantially enhance CONCOR's throughput at Rourkela from the present 400 TEUs per month on an average, more so because there will be no waiting period. Also, it will be able to handle even factory stuffed boxes.
http://www.projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?nid=30000

SamitB

March 3rd, 2010, 06:21 AM

Srei club to invest Rs 250 cr in thermal power plants

Co Asks TCS To Carry Out Techno-Economic Feasibility Of Proposed Projects
ET

THE Srei-led consortium,which recently shelled out Rs 172 crore for a 57.17% stake in DPSC Ltd,has just decided to invest Rs 250 crore for setting up two mini-thermal plants at Chinakuri and Dishergarh and also to bolster DPSCs electricity distribution network.
Srei has asked TCS to carry out the technoeconomic feasibility for the proposed thermal power plants at Chinakuri and Dishergarh.It proposes to set up a 30 mw plant at Chinakuri and an 8 mw plant at Dishergarh.Total investments in the two power stations will be nearly Rs 250 crore,which will be met through a mix of debt and equity.
At present,DPSC has two power plants in the same area.The one at Chinakuri has a generation capacity of 30 mw while the one at Dishergarh can generate 15 mw.
A senior Srei executive said plans are also afoot to beef up the distribution network of DPSC Ltd.At present,DPSCs clients include the collieries of the Eastern Coalfields,Railways,distributing licensees,refractory works,glass works,hospitals,industries in the area and townships.DPSC supplies power to 618 sq.km spread over Andal to Barakar in the states Asansol-Raniganj coal belt.The companys overhead circuits are roughly 800 km and underground cable system,roughly 200 km long.
Srei is also aggressively pursuing a 500 mw power plant project at Dishergarh that was okayed by the DPSC board before Srei acquired majority ownership.The (2 x 250 mw) project will entail a capital outlay of Rs 2,500 crore.The project will require some 260 acres.
Of this,40 acres is already in possession with DPSC while there is an existing commitment for another 50 acres.There is also some land vested with the state government while some land will be bought from private parties through a consent-based approach, the Srei official added.
Power generation and distribution is emerging as a major business area for Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd.Along with its plans to pursue the DPSC projects,it proposes to set up a 400 mw plant in Haldia at an estimated cost of Rs 1,800-2,000 crore.
This will be set up by India Power Corporation Ltd (IPCL),which is a 50:50 consortium of Srei and Bhaskar Silicon Pvt Ltd and is operational since 2006.
Out of the 400 mw,200 mw will be supplied to the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd (WBSEDCL) while the balance will be used by Bhaskar Silicon Ltd.Around 70% of the project cost would be funded through debt.The remaining portion will be equity,which is likely to be equally shared by both consortium partners.

debayanlahiri

March 4th, 2010, 01:29 AM

It is time that the Government thinks about development of the Kolkata suburban area following what Mumbai has successfully done. If you are aware of the KMDA map, it starts from Kalyani in north and ends at Sonarpur in south. Not only Kolkata and its suburbs, the KMDA map includes Howrah and parts of Howrah suburb as well. However, opportunity and growth in the suburbs are practically nil. After so many years of Kolkata being the standalone destination for job, business and opportunities for the suburban people, it is time that the government should think about developing the entire KMDA region. People need to travel from areas like Krishnagar, Ranaghat, Kalyani, Barrackpore, Chandannagar, Naihati, Bandel, etc to different parts of Kolkata town for work! If the entire KMDA region is developed like that Mumbai has done (places like Andheri, Bandra, Dadar, Kurla, Powai, Thane, Malad, Vashi, etc are all suburbs of Mumbai and it is these areas that has helped in the development of Mumbai through IT, ITES and other knowledge based industries), then traveling time to work gets saved, we see more and more new projects and beautiful structures around Kolkata city, and we can then boast of a better Kolkata. Places like Borivali and Thane in Mumbai are equidistant compared to places like Naihati, Bandel in Kolkata! Just imagine the difference in development. To develop Kolkata as a whole, the entire KMDA region needs to be developed.

rupakd

March 4th, 2010, 05:37 AM

Four years after it mooted the idea of setting up an integrated food factory in the state and three years after it started serious talks on the subject, diversified conglomerate ITC has finally managed to secure the land allotment letter from the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC).
Apart from laying down broad details of the 18 acre plot off Uluberia that would be provided to ITC, the WBIDC communication also lays down details of the price payable for the site. ITC officials are expected to visit the spot soon to work out the extent of alteration that would be necessary in the firm’s original plan with authorities providing less than half of the land that had been sought initially.
ITC had asked for 40 acres in the beginning. An ITC spokesman confirmed receiving the letter from WBIDC, but did not provide more details. “The letter was sent on Tuesday. The lease agreement will be signed once ITC takes possession,” WBIDC managing director Subrata Gupta said.
However, Gupta did not specify the amount that ITC would be asked to pay. It is possible, though, that ITC may have to fork out less than Rs 4 crore for the land. While the investment on the food factory in Bengal — that would most probably be used to make snacks — was expected to go up to nearly Rs 400 crore over a period of time when first proposed, actual outlay could be lower because of the reduced land area.
At ITC’s last AGM, the company’s chairman Y C Deveshwar had expressed anguish at the delay in handing over land for the food unit despite the firm’s keenness to step up its presence in Bengal. Before Tuesday’s letter, the state government had, at one point, agreed to provide land at Sankrail (Howrah), but could not because of a legal dispute about the plot in question.
As and when the food factory comes up, it would be ITC’s fourth manufacturing unit in the state. ITC also operates a hotel in Kolkata that it is now expanding. Interestingly, ITC Infotech’s intent to set up a presence in the city was also hit by the government’s inability to provide space.

Source: TNN

rupakd

March 5th, 2010, 06:18 AM

An industry delegation led by state IT secretary Siddharth is likely to visit Taiwan next week to attract investments in the highly promising LED arena for the proposed solar valley adjoining the aerotropolis project at Andal near Asansol.
The contingent — which is slated to have representation from Webel and Bengal Aerotropolis Projects (BAPL), promoters of the airport city in Burdwan — would mainly seek to build its case around the state’s commitment to the cause of environmentfriendly technologies and the financial benefits that could accrue to companies by setting up a presence here. Taiwan is one of the world’s major players in the LED segment.
Speaking to TOI, Siddharth said the Bengal mission — which would be participating in an international lighting show at Taiwan from March 12 to 15 — would try to take advantage of the presence of the who’s who of the lighting segment to reach out to as many people as possible for maximising the possibilities of garnering investments. Focused meetings with several companies are also on the agenda.
“We have 100 acres near the aerotropolis project where these companies can set up a presence. The BAPL people will also be accompanying us,” he pointed out. However, he did not divulge details of the companies that the delegation would try to tap. Siddharth said the thrust accorded on the LED segment and alternative energy by Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in his latest Budget would help the Bengal contingent articulate its points even more strongly. In his Budget speech, Mukherjee had halved the central excise duty on LED lights to 4%, at par with compact fluorescent lamps.
Moreover, the Union FM had mentioned a concessional customs duty of 5% on machinery, instruments, equipment and appliances required for the initial setting up of photovoltaic and solar thermal power generating units and also proposed to exempt them from central excise duty. The solar valley would be set up by West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation.

Source: TNN

rupakd

March 5th, 2010, 06:21 AM

Bharti Airtel will start construction of its proposed campus at Rajarhat once it secures the last remaining clearances from the authorities, its CEO (Kolkata, West Bengal and Orissa telecom circles) Deepak Srivastava said.

Source: TNN

rupakd

March 5th, 2010, 12:10 PM

Mamata had said a rail factory could be erected there, if the land is available.
The land taken by Tata Motors at Singur for the erstwhile Nano car factory, and by the many companies who invested there to be vendors to the project, isn’t set to change hands anytime soon.

Tata and the vendors both say they plan to hold on to the lease titles, even as Trinamool Congress chief and Union railway minister Mamata Banerjee and the West Bengal government continue with their political posturing over a plan for a rail coach factory at the location.

This is the case even with Caparo Engineering, where sources said the vendors had come to an understanding that they would hold on to the land at Singur. “We will be paying the lease fees,” said the source. Caparo was one of the few vendors to have written to the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) that it wanted to return the land and had sought compensation, with interest. Caparo is a supplier of sheet metal and body frames for the Nano.

In October 2008, Tata Motors pulled out the Nano project from Singur, following an agitation led by Banerjee, then not holding any ministerial position, demanding return of 400 acres to the unwilling farmers......

Source: Business Standard

rupakd

March 5th, 2010, 12:14 PM

Power utility Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) seems to have decided to shift its Koderma Phase II, super thermal 660X2 megawatt power project from Jharkhand to Raghunathpur in West Bengal’s Purulia district.

A DVC source confirmed to DNA: “Yes, we are shifting the project out of Koderma but it is due to the lack of availability of water and has nothing to do with the Jharkhand government.”

The source said that DVC was open to setting up more power plants in the mineral-rich state and that talks with the Jharkhand government were already on for implementing a new project in a location other than Koderma.

“We are keen to set up another project in Jharkhand under the 12th Plan though we have not zeroed in on the site. We will firm up the plans only after our 11th Plan projects are completed,” the source said, adding that the prospective project will be a supercritical power plant with capacity above 660 mw.

The second phase of the Koderma plant was to have come up on the existing site of the first phase plant where two units of 500 mw are coming up and are slated to be commissioned in September, 2010, and March, 2011, respectively.

The second phase, which was to be set up through collaboration with Bhel, had been sanctioned by the Union power ministry under DVC’s 12th Plan.

DVC had asked National Thermal Power Corporation to prepare a detailed project report for shifting the project from Koderma to Raghunathpur. The reportwill decide the next course of action.

For prospective power plants, things have not been too easy in Jharkhand. Apart from water scarcity, other players, speaking on condition of anonymity, feared that the Maoist threat could also prove to be a roadblock for the future as well.

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_dvc-to-shift-jharkhand-project-to-west-bengal_1355340

SamitB

March 8th, 2010, 06:26 AM

Plan for Rs 1500-cr solar hub in Falta
CM To Inaugurate First Of Five Solar Module Manufacturing Factories On Wednesday
TNN

Kolkata: Falta in South 24-Parganas could well become Bengals solar hub if proposed investments exceeding Rs 1,500 crore in renewable energy projects actually pour into the area.
The first of five solar module manufacturing factories lined up for the area will be inaugurated by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday.Built by Bikram Solar,which invested Rs 50 crore for the project,the unit will manufacture solar modules that will generate 25 MW daily.
Four more companies are in the league to invest in solar module manufacturing factories,said West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC) managing director S P Gon Chaudhuri.Investments in this renewable energy business should cross the Rs 1,500-crore mark in Falta alone.More will follow elsewhere to help the state meet its target contribution to the national solar mission.A key investor in solar energy modules will be a reputed group that has plans to pour in Rs 1,000 crore alone in the business, Gon Chaudhuri said.
Others in the queue are companies like Videocon,Webel,Reliance,Moser Baer,Synergy Solar Private Limited and Astonfield,which will set up such units in other places of the state.We have a target to generate about 300 MW of solar energy from Falta, added Gon Chaudhuri.
Another feather in the states solar energy cap is the solar valley which Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) promoters of the airport city in Burdwan plans to build over a 100-acre area.
The solar hub in Falta apart,WBGEDC and the state IT department jointly plan to develop solar inverters.Right now,only one company in the state manufactures inverters.We and the state IT department can work on developing solar powered inverters, said Gon Chaudhuri,who has discussed the plan with state IT minister Debesh Das.
The national solar mission has set a target of generating 20,000 MW solar power nationwide by the end of 2022 and West Bengal has been asked to meet 10% (2,000 MW) of that goal.
The state government expects to generate 115 MW solar power by March 2013.To coax and cajole realtors to build solar-powered buildings,WBGEDC and the state pollution control board are working on framing mandatory norms for developers of highrise buildings to install solar panels.To increase a solar panels power generating capacity by 5%,WBGEDC is trying to introduce a special coating on them with foreign expertise.

rupakd

March 9th, 2010, 05:34 AM

The state government has decided to push for industrial development in Maoist-affected West Midnapore to win over locals.
It started with the proposed mega steel plant of Sajjan Jindal’s JSW group in 2006. Now, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) is planning to set up an industrial park at Godapiasal near Salboni in the Maoist heartland at a time when Naxalite insurgency is at its peak. Sources in the industries department said that WBIDC has identified 165 acres at Godapiasal for the park. It has also roped in OCL India Ltd (formerly Orissa Cements) for setting up a cement plant in the industrial park.
WBIDC is also in touch with 3 to 4 companies for setting up plants in the Godapiasal park. OCL is the associate company of Dalmiya Cement Bharat, one of the leading cement companies in the country. OCL markets cement under the Konark Cement brand, and is one of the biggest cement companies in the eastern region.
According to sources, WBIDC officials — including managing director Subrata Gupta — had a series of meetings with the district administration in the first week of March to chalk out the details of the proposed industrial park. It is learnt that the nodal agency for industry has already identified 160 acres in Godapiasal.
“We are in the process of acquiring land in Godapiasal. There are 300 land owners and they have all agreed to give land,” said a source. It is learnt that OCL has proposed to set up a 2-million-tonne cement grinding unit at the industrial park.

Source: TNN

SamitB

March 10th, 2010, 06:41 AM

UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Adra power plan hits land hurdle

TNN

Kolkata: The ministry of railways has come out with a Request for Proposal (RFP) to appoint a consultant for setting up a 1,320 MW coal-based thermal power plant at Adra in Purulia,even as confusion prevails over the land required for the project.
Sources said the railways has not succeeded in getting back unutilised land that the West Bengal forest department had used for forestation.An online campaign has also started to prevent deforestation.The campaign has already picked up steam with people from across the globe including Argentina,Finland,Australia,Germany,Italy,Holland,UK and the USA signing up against deforestation.
Talks are still on with the state forest department to return the land to the railways.The forest department was allowed to use the land on condition that it would be returned when the railways required it.The power plant is essential not only for the railways but also for development of the region.If this attitude prevails,no development activity will be possible, a senior official from the Railway Board said.
In its RFP document,the ministry has made its point of view clear on the setting up of a power plant at Adra.According to the document,the railways require 12.2 billion units of power annually to keep moving.The ministry purchases this from power utilities at an average rate of 440 paise per unit.The purpose of setting up the power plant at Adra is to reduce the costs.
The agency or consortium the railways later amended the RFP to allow consortiums to participate that will be selected finally will have its work cut out.The consultant team will be headed by a thermal power plant expert.The others in the team will be a thermal power project development expert,a commercial expert and those who will look into the financial,environmental and legal aspects.
The agency/consortium selected will have to start by visiting the site.It will have to assist the railways in getting statutory clearances both environmental and legal.
Officials hope that they will be able to complete the selection formalities soon.We are keeping our fingers crossed.The country requires energy security and we believe that people will realise that any additional power generation will only help industry and commerce.It wont help to politicise the issue.The railways has also planned a 1,000 MW power plant at Nabinagar in Bihar with NTPC, the official said.

SamitB

March 11th, 2010, 06:30 AM

Vikram Solar plans wafer unit at Falta SEZ
TNN KOLKATA

LITTLE-KNOWN Vikram Solar Ltd,which is part of the city-based Rs 250-crore Vikram Group,plans to set up a Rs 500 crore wafer and photovoltaic cell manufacturing facility at the Falta SEZ in West Bengal.
The company,which has just commissioned a Rs 100-crore solar panel assembling unit in Falta,will have an annual capacity to produce panels capable of generating 25 mw of solar power.This capacity will be enhanced in the next three to four months by another 25 mw at an additional investment of Rs 50 crore.
Vikram Solar expects a Rs 150 crore turnover in the first year of operation from the Falta unit.
West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya,while inaugurating the plant,said: As much as 95% of the states power requirements are met through thermal generation modes.Only about 5% is met through green modes,including hydel,wind and solar.With pressure on environment rising and India promising to reduce pollution levels by 25%,West Bengals dependence on renewable power generation sources need to rise.
Interestingly,Vikam Solar has also set up a 100% subsidiary in Germany Vikram Solar GmbH which has just set up a 1.5 mw solar generating plant at an investment of Rs 18 crore.
We intend to sell this plant off to investors in Germany,since we are not experts at running such plants.The government there has also shown us land where we can set up additional generating capacities and sell them off to prospective investors there.Additionally,we are also in talks with a few parties in France and Bulgaria and the US for setting up similar solar power plants, said Vikram Group of Industries chairman HK Chaudhary.

SamitB

March 12th, 2010, 08:33 AM

NPCIL fattens rehab kitty for Haripur landlosers

ET KOLKATA

AMID land acquisition hurdles,Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) remains dead-serious about setting up the 6,000-mw civilian nuclear power plant in Haripur,West Bengal.So much so,it has internally lined up a more generous rehab-cum-resettlement plan for potential landlosers likely to be displaced by the mega project.Details of the proposed compensation package will soon be communicated to the state government.
NPCIL is also open to financing alternate plots and homes for Haripurs landlosers.Its mission is to secure the livelihood of all potential landlosers.We will be acquiring about 10 sq km land,parallel to the nearby coastline.Most of the area is marshy saltwater,which the locals use for aquaculture.Cultivation takes place on a tiny portion of this land.We will do our best to ensure the financial condition of every project-affected family improves, said a senior NPCIL official who did not wish to be named.
But,despite NPCILs assurances to secure the interests of Haripurs potential landlosers,the company hasnt been able to start work there as it continues to face intense resistance from the locals.Despite clearances to start the environment impact assessment process,we cannot initiate work,nor can we do a fresh land survey,which is mandatory.This has also acted against making any assessment of the number of families that may get affected, the official said.
Environment impact assessment simply entails mapping the flora and fauna around the area,including fish,plankton,other water creatures,and plants and trees in the project area.This is tracked on a regular basis to make sure the nature is not adversely affected while plant construction gets underway and after the plant kicks off generation.
According to a source familiar with the matter,the West Bengal government will start land acquisition only after the Centre gives it the go-ahead.
It is a regular practice for NPCIL to construct hospitals and schools in areas where such nuclear plants are built.Additionally,we also collaborate with the state governments to set up technical schools so that project-affected people can be trained and jobs offered to them.People trained from these institutes can very well work under contractors for the proposed project since this 6,000-mw plant will come up in phases of about 20 years, he said.

arijeetb

March 12th, 2010, 07:38 PM

Vikram Solar Plant - which was inaugurated by the CM earlier this week
Source: website (http://www.vikramsolar.com)

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1726/popup.gif

SarafIndian

March 12th, 2010, 08:00 PM

Man this is a nice building. Is it in Falta?

Vikram Solar Plant - which was inaugurated by the CM earlier this week
Source: website (http://www.vikramsolar.com)

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/1726/popup.gif

arijeetb

March 12th, 2010, 10:55 PM

Man this is a nice building. Is it in Falta?

yes

SarafIndian

March 13th, 2010, 01:34 PM

yes

Good development. Must be inside Falta SEZ... :cheers:

SarafIndian

March 15th, 2010, 10:32 PM

Photo cc amarbhutoria

This should be the massive bus stand u/c at Burdwan. Hmm.. but I see no construction activity :nuts:
http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6896/mega20bus20stand.jpg

SamitB

March 18th, 2010, 08:55 AM

Shree Ganesh to set up 2 gold refineries
2010-03-18 01:50:00

Kolkata-based gold jewellery maker, Shree Ganesh Jewellery House, plans to set up two scrap gold refineries at its proposed jewellery making facilities in Mandalpada and Donjur near Kolkata. The combined investment in the two projects, each of which will have a small capacity of one-two tonnes, is estimated at Rs 90 crore.

Primarily, these refineries will process scrap gold jewellery collected from all the company’s 10 retail shops to produce pure gold. The capacities will be expanded later to process the additional scrap gold expected from a proposed 40 additional shops to be set up in two years. The company also plans to expand its retail presence across all Tier-I and -II cities and has earmarked Rs 50 crore for the exercise.

Additionally, the company, which is entering the capital market on Friday to raise Rs 360 crore, proposes to expand its manufacturing base in Manikanchan Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with an investment of Rs 56 crore.

When pointed out that other refineries are operating at 35-40 per cent of their capacities, Managing Director Umesh Parekh said the company would process scrap sourced from its own retail shops and serve them. The process would add at least three-five per cent to the company’s bottom line in two years, he said.

Shree Ganesh Jewellery exports to three major gold jewellery consuming markets – Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai – that account for 90 per cent of the company’s turnover. Retail operations contribute five per cent of the Rs 2,150-crore annual turnover and, hence, has a lot of room for expansion. Retail shops will facilitate as scrap collection centres, buying the yellow metal at the prevailing market price. The company is currently focusing on the setting up of purity checking machines at each of its sales points so that sellers will get the correct value of their gold.
http://sify.com/finance/shree-ganesh-to-set-up-2-gold-refineries-news-news-kdsbO5gfgcd.html

SamitB

March 18th, 2010, 08:57 AM

CIL objects to Vedanta's plant site in Bengal
Press Trust Of India / March 16, 2010, 1:00 IST

State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) has raised objections to the choice of site for Vedanta Aluminium Ltd’s proposed plant at Bidhanbag near Asansol in West Bengal, saying that it was a coal-bearing region. "The project needs detailed discussion because of the location," CIL Chairman Partho Bhattacharya said. An official of Vedanta said the company needed 1,000 acres in the area for its alumina smelter and power plant.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/cil-objects-to-vedantas-plant-site-in-bengal/388767/

sidney_jec

March 18th, 2010, 11:01 AM

CIL goes again :bash:

SarafIndian

March 20th, 2010, 04:53 PM

West Bengal received Rs 7,000 crore investment in 2009 (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/West-Bengal-received-Rs-7000-crore-investment-in-2009/articleshow/5706580.cms)

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SarafIndian

March 21st, 2010, 09:46 AM

Bengal high on investors' list of destinations:Sen (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Bengal-high-on-investors-list-of-destinationsSen/articleshow/5707238.cms)

--

SarafIndian

March 21st, 2010, 10:01 AM

WB creates land bank of 4,000 acres for industry

Link (http://www.ptinews.com/news/574447_WB-creates-land-bank-of-4-000-acres-for-industry)

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Suncity

March 21st, 2010, 05:19 PM

West Bengal received Rs 7,000 crore investment in 2009 (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/West-Bengal-received-Rs-7000-crore-investment-in-2009/articleshow/5706580.cms)
---

Interesting. The media is probably not very happy with the increase in investment compared to 2008.

Suncity

March 21st, 2010, 05:40 PM

CIL goes again :bash:

CIL seems to have joined the elite group of Arundhati Roys, Medha Patkars, Mahasweta Devis who are hell bent on opposing industrial development of West Bengal. That's kind of funny because the "intellectuals" are opposed to mining.

SamitB

March 22nd, 2010, 07:21 AM

Mamata announces hospital near Kanchrapara unit
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kanchrapara: If Railway minister Mamata Banerjee has her way,this nondescript town in Nadia will turn into an industrial as well as a medical hub.The minister on Sunday not only laid the foundation stone for a factory that will build up to 500 coaches per year,she also announced her plan to set up a hospital on the lines of AIIMS at Kanchrapara.
Addressing a huge gathering,Mamata said nearly 153 acres of railway land has been identified for the factory.The ministry has already made a RFQ from private parties to set up this factory on PPP model.I have got the plan sanctioned by the Union cabinet, she said.
According to sources,the railways plan to invest 26% in the project while the rest will be chipped in by the private partners.Work on the factory is expected to start in a year.
According to railway board member Sudesh Kumar,once completed the Kanchrapara factory will manufacture more EMU/MEMU coaches in five years than was built in the whole of the country in the last 50 years.This will double our capacity to carry passengers.The new coaches will be much more advanced and we shall achieve indigenisation by using new technology, Kumar said.
The Kanchrapara workshop started in 1863 and also helped in the repair of aircraft during World War II.Mamata has recently sanctioned Rs 60 crore for modernisation of steel coaches with advanced propulsion that will give it better carrying capacity,speed potential,energy efficiency and comfort.
Railway will also give 20 acres of land for a hospital to be set up on the lines if AIIMS.This will be jointly built by railway and the union health ministry, Mamata said before being forced to conclude her speech due to a stampede like situation at the venue.this workshop.This plan has nothing to do though with the new factory.The new factory would manufacture light weight stainless

SarafIndian

March 22nd, 2010, 08:52 AM

Kulti in Bengal on Posco radar too

LINK (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Kulti-in-Bengal-on-Posco-radar-too/593785/)

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rupakd

March 24th, 2010, 06:36 AM

Privatise farmland for agriculture development??

Pepsico records 100% growth in crop output in Bengal
PepsiCo India contract farmers in West Bengal has recorded a growth of 50 per cent in its potato crop this year in acreage and 100 per cent in crop output, leading to record farm income.

This growth has also resulted in the farmers receiving a profit between Rs 20,000 and Rs 40,000 per acre compared to Rs 10,000 – Rs 20,000 per acre last year.

PepsiCo India runs works with nearly 12,000 farmers and procure 70,000 to 75,000 tonnes of potatoes.

According to a release by Pepsico, the record growth in West Bengal could be attributed to the prompt intervention by the PepsiCo agri team which offered its 6,500 contract farmers the knowledge of the correct geometry and chemical kit required for optimal harvesting.

The PepsiCo team also provided better quality seeds and ensured timely agricultural inputs by maintaining day to day follow-ups on all relevant agricultural practices.

Nishchint Bhatia, executive vice-president agro, PepsiCo India, said that a unique feature introduced by Frito-Lay India is the ‘crop insurance’ offered to the farmers.

Source: Business Standard

SarafIndian

March 24th, 2010, 06:49 AM

Times of India

Army to boost North Bengal infrastructure

Pinak Priya Bhattacharya, TNN, Mar 24, 2010

JALPAIGURI: In a bid to increase its presence along the Sino-Indian border in the northeast, the Indian Army is looking for land in the area to match the infrastructure developed by the Chinese in their territory. Accordingly, Army officers held a series of meetings with district officials in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri on key issues, beginning with an airbase at Bagrakote.

District officials have been asked to acquire land to strengthen the road network to the border in the entire east and the northeast. The plan will be taken up in a phased manner for the next 20 years.

First comes the widening of NH-31A connecting Sikkim with the rest of the country. The Army had decided to lay the road afresh for better mobility and also to prevent damage by recurrent landslides during rains. There is yet another proposal to construct a new road via Odlabari in the Dooars bypassing NH-31A. The proposed road will touch Gorubathan, Lava, Algara, Pedong, Rishi and Ranipur before it reaches Gangtok. This route is not prone to landslides and is also a shorter one to Sikkim. Besides, another road to Sikkim through Bhutan is under consideration.

"Look at the other side of the Sino-Indian border. China has built four-lane roads along the border on the other side of Nathu La. They have total road connectivity along the Sino-Indian border and this has been a cause of concern for the Indian Army. The Army has thus decided to overhaul the road link. Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling districts are strategically very important for the Army," said a senior state government official.

Apart from developing the road links, the Army is also planning an air base at Bagrakote in Odlabari, spread over 400 acres. The new air base has been named Shaugaon Air Base. The Army has urged the Jalpaiguri administration to acquire about 300 acres. The remaining 100 acres is lying with the Army.

rupakd

March 30th, 2010, 06:34 AM

The proposed chemical hub at Nayachar has received a thumbs up from US and European investors.
Around four US and European conglomerates have shown interest in investing in the proposed PCPIR. Representatives of New Kolkata International Development (NKID) along with Nandini Chakraborty, PCPIR’s nodal officer in Bengal, are now in the US to market the project.
They are members of a national delegation headed by Bijay Chatterjee, secretary in the Union petroleum ministry. The delegation comprises representatives of four states that have plans to build a PCPIR each. These are, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Besides, top officials of ONGC, IOC and BPCL are also visiting the US to market PCPIRs in these states.
Chakraborty, who is also CEO of WBIIDC, told TOI from San Antonio, Texas, that Titan Chemical Corporation (TCC), the US chemical giant with a major presence in the Far East, has shown an interest in Nayachar.
“We met the top management of TCC in Houston. They are keen to enter India. The fact that Jurong is associated with us has also given Nayachar a huge mileage. We are hopeful that a delegation of top TCC executives will soon visit Nayachar. Some other Houston-based companies, too, have shown an interest,” she said. Incidentally, TCC is one of the largest chemical companies in Indonesia, Singapore etc.
Houston is the chemical hub of the US. Chakraborty said the Bengal team made a presentation about Nayachar at NPRA, 2010, in Texas on Monday. It is one of the biggest conferences on chemicals and petrochemicals. More than 100 top chemicals and petrochemicals companies across the world are participating.
According to her, Air Liquide, a French industrial gas giant, may also come to Nayachar. “It is a US $ 20 billion gas company. We met the VP and he is convinced by our presentation. They are likely to sign MOU with us,” she added. Besides, a German firm Lamxess too can come to Nayachar. The company manufactures inner lining of tyres. WBIIDC CEO said warehousing firms along with chemical outfits, have also shown interest.
“We have spoken to 3-4 warehousing companies in Chicago for Nayachar which will handle the warehouses in PCPIR. They are interested and want to be a part of this,” Chakraborty said. It may be noted that Universal Success of Singapore based industrialist Prasoon Mukherjee will set up a 2,500 MW power plant at Nayachar for captive requirement of the processing area of Nayachar. Universal Success is a key partner of NKID.
Incidentally, the PCPIR will include existing units like HPL, Mitsubishi Chemicals, South Asia Petrochem, Haldia refinery of IOC and Tata Chemicals as well. Haldia dock complex too will be a part of the region. “We have an advantage. The existing processing area for PCPIR is 9551 acre. It constitute almost 40% of the area required for processing. The rest will come from Nayachar,” she said.

Source: TNN

sidney_jec

March 30th, 2010, 09:27 AM

and so with this Didi gets a new tool to run riot in Bengal.

rupakd

March 31st, 2010, 06:49 AM

At a time when most industries in Haldia are suffering from frequent strikes and militant trade unionism backed by the CPI-M and Trinamul Congress, South Asia Petrochem Limited (SAPL), a Dhunseri Group-owned firm, has started offering jobs to family members of those who have given up their lands for the company's Haldia unit.
In a newfangled move, SAPL has already offered jobs to 10 people who had given up their land for the project. These people are scheduled to start work next month.
Earlier, 634 landowners who had given their farmlands to the Apeejay Surrendra Group in setting up a large integrated logistic park at Haldia, had received identity cards from the Haldia Development Authority (HDA).
Mr Subhendu Adhikari, Trinamul MP from Tamluk, who had once opposed Apeejay's joint venture shipyard project with Bharti Shipyard Limited at Geonkhali, handed over the identity cards to landowners. Mr Adhikari said that all those with identity cards would get preference over others for company benefits.
Also, each cardholder would get priority for employment in the industrial units that come up on their lands.
SAPL manager (personnel), Mr D Sen, said the company would offer vocational training to the new recruits soon. The working president of the ruling Indian National Trinamul Trade Union Congress (Inttuc) union of SAPL, Mr Narayan Bhakta, has welcomed the move and said it should be adopted as a model in Haldia.
According to a company spokesperson, SAPL got a 35-acre land from Haldia Development Authority in 2003 to set up a pet resin plant with foreign collaboration. It is now one of the leading pet resin manufacturers in the country.
"The decision to give jobs to those who have given up their lands was taken after company officials realised that rehabilitation of these land losers had emerged as a burning problem in Haldia. Though the company has stringent norms for employment, we are eager to ease the sufferings of land losers," the spokesperson said.
Mr Tarakeswar Bera, who will join the company on 9 April said, "My father had given a few cuttah land to the HDA for Rs 72,000. But, this money was spent a few years ago. After that, we are struggling hard for maintaining our livelihoods. We never expected that we would be offered employment after so many years."
Welcoming the move, Mr Adhikari said, "The CPI-M always tries to defame the Trinamul Congress saying that the party is against industrialisation. But, SAPL's initiative only proves that we are only against forcible acquisition of farmlands for industrialisation," Mr Adhikari said.

Source: The Statesman

rupakd

March 31st, 2010, 07:34 AM

Construction work at the Rs10,000-crore Andal Aerotropolis project site has started again. Work had stalled at the site since March 27, when sharecroppers and agricultural labourers ran amok at the site.
The mob had uprooted boundary poles, beaten up an employee of a contractor employed by Bengal Aerotropolis Private Limited (BAPL) and set fire to two camps at Amlauka mouza, around 10 km from Durgapur. Sixteen villagers from Amlauka had been arrested in this connection.
A spokesperson of BAPL, however, said that work had not been stalled. “Work has remained uninterrupted at the BAPL project site. Five dozers have been ceaselessly functioning for surface levelling and site-enabling. The installed machine has been made operational for construction of an internal access road. Work related to survey of airport boundary, landmapping, measurement of acquired area etc continues unabated,” the spokerperson said.
It was learnt from company sources that three companies — of the six that had participated in the global tender for the Rs 650-crore airport — have been shortlisted. The airport will be set up in 27 months, sources said.

Source: TNN

SarafIndian

March 31st, 2010, 08:55 PM

Centre welcome to acquire land for pending NH projects in Bengal: Govt (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/centrewelcometoacquirelandforpendingnhprojectsinbengalgovt/598000/)

The West Bengal government has announced that it would not be hostile to the Centre if it decides to step in and acquire land for the long-pending national highway projects in the state.

“They have more stringent laws for acquisition of land; their compensation package is also more lucrative. I think this will help the projects to take off,” state PWD Minister Kshiti Goswami told The Indian Express.

sanjusky

April 2nd, 2010, 08:39 PM

Pranab Mukherjee to inaugurate digital planetarium tomorrow

Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to inaugurate a digital planetarium at the North Bengal Science Centre at Matigara in this town's outskirts on Friday.

Mukherjee would arrive at Bagdogra airport at 2:45 pm by a special flight to inaugurate the digital planetarium, the first of its kind in the eastern region, and return to Delhi, Science Centre sources said today.

The Director General of the National Science Museum, G S Routea, would be present on the occasion, they said.

The finance minister does not have any political engagement, president of Darjeeling Congress (Plains), Shankar Malakar said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/northeastindia/Pranab-Mukherjee-to-inaugurate-digital-planetarium-tomorrow/Article1-526405.aspx

SarafIndian

April 5th, 2010, 07:17 AM

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100405/jsp/business/story_12303035.jsp

October start for Salboni steel

SAMBIT SAHA

Calcutta, April 4: The Jindals want to start erecting their steel plant at Salboni in west Midnapore by October.

JSW Bengal has set an October 1 deadline to begin work on the Rs 20,000-crore steel and power projects.

The deadline has been pushed back several times in the past three years. It is also not in line with what Sajjan Jindal had said earlier this year. After meeting Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Jindal had said he would start work over the next six months, which is by June-July.

Biswadip Gupta, CEO and joint MD of JSW Bengal Steel, said such delays were natural in large projects. “We will start digging from October. But a lot of preparatory work is currently on before construction begins,” he said.

JSW Bengal is a special purpose vehicle set up by the JSW group for the steel project. The Bengal government has a 5 per cent stake in the company.

JSW signed a memorandum of agreement with Bengal in January 2007. It laid the foundation stone on November 2, 2008, an event overshadowed by a Maoist landmine attack on the convoy carrying Bhattacharjee, the then Union steel minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Jindal. They were returning from the ceremony.

The company had been changing strategies for the project. Initially, it was a 3-million-tonne (mt) unit that was scaled up to 6mt and brought down to 3mt.

Gupta said JSW was now looking at a 4mt capacity to begin with. “We will put up India’s largest blast furnace of 5,500 cubic meters.”

The Jindals plan to bring in Japanese steel maker JFE which is likely to pick up a strategic stake in JSW Bengal. JFE operates such large furnaces, with one in Japan capable of producing 4.2mt hot metal. The team that is carrying out expansion work at JSW’s Bellary plant in Karnataka is visiting Salboni.

China coal deal

The Jindals have inked a deal with China Coal Energy to develop the semi coking coal blocks of Kulti and Sitarampur and the thermal coal block of Ichhapur.

The Chinese company has already begun exploration work. China Coal will bring in technology, mine the coal and supply to the Jindals.

Coal appears at an average depth of 800-850 meters in these mines. China Coal has the required technology to mine at such depths, generally unusual in India.

Jindal’s Bengal project is one of the very few in India to have land in possession, environment clearance, SEZ status, coal mines and assured water supply. It is well connected to the national highway and a broad gauge rail line, as well.

Power plant shift

JSW Energy, which proposes to build an 800x2 megawatt plant in Bengal, has decided against putting up the unit at Burdwan in compliance with the new government norms for airports.

The plant was coming up within 20 km of the proposed airport city at Andal. Gupta said the unit would be at Salboni, as planned before. The steel plant is likely to be commissioned in 2013 and the power unit in 2014.

India2010

April 5th, 2010, 08:54 PM

west bengal needs old time leaders like ashoke sen and b.c.ray ...not the jokers there are today !

SarafIndian

April 5th, 2010, 11:15 PM

west bengal needs old time leaders like ashoke sen and b.c.ray ...not the jokers there are today !

Don't blame West Bengal alone. Most of the ministers(the "leaders") of India are jockers. And personally I am happy with the current bengal CM.

highrise-kolkata

April 6th, 2010, 03:55 PM

Shriram EPC bags order from SAIL
Shriram EPC has bagged an order worth Rs 107 crore from SAIL for its Durgapur steel plant in West Bengal.

The scope of work includes engineering, procurement, supply and installation of one million tpa capacity medium structural mill as part of Durgapur steel plant's three million tpa expansion programme. The proposed mill is likely to be set up on a consortium basis by Shriram EPC along with its partners Siemens VAI, Italy and Siemens VAI Metal Technologies.

rupakd

April 7th, 2010, 06:43 AM

Essar Oil plans to lay a 160-km pipeline from Durgapur to Kolkata to transport gas from its CBM blocks to consumers in West Bengal.

Essar Oil has applied to the sectoral regulator, Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) for permission to lay a 24-inch pipeline from Durgapur, according to the company's January 13 application to the regulator.

The company is likely to start producing gas found below coal seams, called Coal Bed Methane (CBM), from its Raniganj block in West Bengal this quarter.

The initial output is likely to be 9,000-10,000 cubic meters per day with peak production of 3.5 million standard cubic meters envisaged in mid-2013. Peak output will last for 20 years.

"In order to sell the entire production potential of the block we propose to supply CBM in Kolkata region," Shishir Agrawal, Head Essar Exploration Production Division, said in the application to PNGRB.

A special purpose vehicle would be set up for executing the project, Essar said.

Source: Business Standard

SamitB

April 8th, 2010, 12:48 PM

Gee Pee to set up a handset assembling unit in Purulia,West Bengal,spread over 150 acres
ET KOLKATA

THE promoters of Gee Pee Infotech,which assembles low-cost cell phones,will offload up to 20% to a private equity firm to raise Rs 100 crore.This is likely to happen in the second half of FY11.At present,the company is 100% owned by Bijay Agarwal,who is founder and company managing director.
The funds will be used by Gee Pee to set up a handset assembling unit in Purulia,West Bengal.Spread over 150 acres,the unit will entail a Rs 300-crore investment.Along with its plans to set up an assembling unit,Gee Pee Infotech has also decided to enter into telecom retailing in a big way.
Managing director of the company Mr Agarwal told reporters on Thursday: My family owns 100% of Gee Pee Infotech.Since we are now expanding our business,we plan to offload up to 20% to a PE firm to raise funds.We also have plans for an IPO which may happen in calendar 2012.The IPO proceeds will be used to set up a 1,000-acre telecom park in Purulia.
The proposed telecom park will not only house handset manufacturing units,it will also have units associated with the mobile industry.
We are in talks with the West Bengal government on the telecom park.Our upcoming assembling plant in Purulia will be an integral part of the park.We will import SKD (semi-knocked down) units from China and assemble at the Raghunathpur plant.We hope to commence production here in 2010-11, Mr Agarwal said.
Incidentally,Gee Pee had sold 2.3 million handsets in 09-10 and has clocked a turnover of Rs 300 crore.
Gee Pee has already entered telecom retailing under the brand name Mobile Bazaar.In 2007,it had set up two shops to test whether there is an appetite for such shops in Kolkata.
We found that Mobile Bazaar has tremendous growth potential and we have just added another two.Our plan is to set up 250 retail outlets measuring 300-500 square feet across the country.Of this,50 will be in West Bengal.
These multibrand stores will not only offer mobiles,but will also sell mobile accessories.They will largely come up in urban and semi-urban areas.The total investment in these stores will be nearly Rs 65 crore and will generate 1,200 jobs, said Mr Agarwal.
The company is aiming a Rs 1,000 crore turnover in FY11.It has started exporting handsets to Nepal and Bangladesh.Plans are also afoot to export handsets to Middle East as well.
Our focus is entirely on the rural market.We will be launching 25 models in FY11 across different price category.The Rs 500 mobile phone,which we plan to launch next month,will help us to penetrate further in the price sensitive rural market.We are offering a one year guarantee on this model.

If anyone with proper intension wants to set up industry in WB,there are abundant lands available in districts like Purulia,Bankura,Birbhum.Only concern is basic infrastructure provided by govt.

rupakd

April 9th, 2010, 06:33 AM

The Planning Commission today approved Rs 17,985-crore Plan outlay, including an allocation of Rs 100 crore for the development of Naxal-affected areas, for West Bengal for 2010-11.

"We have agreed on a Plan size of Rs 17,985 crore. We have had a full discussion on the different priorities of the state government, they have responded on a number of issues and we are satisfied with the efforts being made with impetus on development in all the critical areas," Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said here.

Ahluwalia also complemented the state government for measures taken for improving fiscal health of West Bengal and pointed out that fiscal deficit, revenue deficit and the ratio of interest payment to revenue receipt as percentage of GSDP are showing signs of improvement.

On the priority areas for the allocation, state Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya said, "Our agriculture activities, our emphasis on small-scale industries, cluster of industries, education, health, these are the priority areas."

The annual Plan size of Rs 17,985 crore is 28 per cent higher than that in the previous fiscal's.

To a query on how much would be earmarked for Naxal-affected areas, West Bengal Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said, "Rs 100 crore to be allocated for the western part of the state, Naxal-affected areas and the Sundarban region and departments have been asked to focus in these areas."

Further, Dasgupta said that the state targets creation of additional employment for 9 lakh people, with the total production jacked up to at least 9 per cent.

Source: Business Standard

SarafIndian

April 10th, 2010, 02:08 AM

Best national park tag on Gorumara

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Jalpaiguri: A committee appointed by the central government has selected Gorumara National Park in Jalpaiguri district as the bestconserved forest in the country. The committee — Management Effectiveness Evolution (MEE) — after surveying all the 180 national parks and 55 wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests in the country, has marked Gorumara as the best of the lot.
In the MEE survey result, Gorumara topped the list with 84 points. The Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal Pradesh followed next with 83 points. Experts said the involvement of forest villagers in conservation and sustainable ecotourism projects around Gorumara was what gave the national park the edge over other forests.
“This forest has done extraordinarily well in recent years and the involvement of forest villagers is commendable. Ecotourism is a major success, which has helped conservation,” said D S Srivastava, a member of MEE who had come to Gorumara.
The rise of Gorumara as the best conserved forest in the country is directly related to the people living in the forest villages and fringes. The biggest success story has been that of the Eco-Development Committees (EDC). Foresters believe that without the active support of the forest villagers, felling of trees and killing of wild animals could not have been stopped.
In 2005, the Jalpaiguri forest division started promoting tourism spots on the fringes of Gorumara and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary. These were to be run by the EDCs. The idea was to uplift the forest villagers economically and turn them into forest protectors.
In October 2005, the first resort came up at Dhupjhora. It turned out to be a huge success. The Dhupjhora Elephant Camp provided job opportunities for cooks, housekeepers, washermen, private security guards and guides.
Three more resorts — Kalipur, Murti and Panjhora — were built on the fringes of Gorurama and Chapramari followed by two more in Ramsai and Bichabhanga.

rupakd

April 12th, 2010, 08:54 AM

Delhi-based Bhushan Steel’s cold rolling project at Sankrail in West Bengal appears to have hit a roadblock as land prices have hit the roof.

Of a total requirement of 100 acres, the company has purchased 90 acres along the National Highway-6 directly from land owners at a cost of Rs 1-1.5 crore an acre. Bhushan sources said, the land owners were asking for 10 times the price for the balance land.

Bhushan Steel wants to put up a 0.5 million tonne cold rolling (CR) and galvanizing plant at Sankrail. The investment in the project would be Rs 400-500 crore, about half the original investment.

Bhushan sources said, “We had earlier thought of producing auto grade steel, but with the Nano pullout we have decided to stick to steel for roofing. Initially we thought of manufacturing auto grade steel, as we felt other auto players would follow Nano and there would be a demand for the product.” The company is hoping that the land pricing issue would be sorted over the next two months. Right now, the boundary wall is being constructed for the land that has been acquired for the project.

It’s not just Sankrail, Bhushan Steel is also facing a stumbling block in its six million tonne steel plant project in the Asansol-Durgapur belt area of Bardhaman. Coal India raised objections to having industrial projects in the area as it was said to be coal bearing. Sources said, a meeting was scheduled for April 16, where the issue would be thrashed out.

Bhushan’s investment in the project would be around Rs 20,000 crore. The delay in the project had held up talks with Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Industries. The agreement with the West Bengal for the two projects was signed in 2007.

Source: Business Standard

rupakd

April 12th, 2010, 08:57 AM

Symbolic start for AMU Murshidabad campus by August

The Aligarh Muslim University will open its Murshidabad campus in West Bengal from the next session in a symbolic way.

"We will symbolically start the campus from July- August and move to our own when it is ready," AMU Vice Chancellor P K Abdul Azis told newspersons here.

The construction of the new campus could cost around Rs 1,000 crore, Azis said, adding while the university expects Rs 400 crore from the government, the remaining funds could be had from donations.

"We will raise donations from industrialists and philanthropists to run an excellent campus here," he said.

While the university will start with courses for management, law and B.Ed, it will add several other courses including medical sciences when it moves to its own campus, he said.

Azis was conferred this year's Mother Teresa Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of education in Kolkata yesterday.

Source: PTI News

SarafIndian

April 13th, 2010, 08:12 PM

Israel agrees to extend cooperation to West Bengal (http://www.ptinews.com/news/607985_Israel-agrees-to-extend-cooperation-to-West-Bengal)

Kolkata, Apr 13 (PTI) Israel today agreed to extend cooperation to West Bengal in varied areas such as IT, solar power, agriculture, medical equipment and water management as part of its efforts to further strengthen trade ties between the two countries.

After nearly an hour-long meeting with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee here, Ambassador of Israel, Mark Sofer, said his country was ready for cooperation in areas like agriculture, IT, solar power, drip irrigation, food processing, medical equipment and water management.

Describing his meeting with Bhattacharjee as 'cordial', Sofer said, "We discussed how public sector and private sector companies of the two countries can work together and how it can be done through Public-Private-Partnership."

He pointed out that he also discussed the subject elaborately with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and various chambers of commerce in India.

SarafIndian

April 16th, 2010, 08:59 PM

Santiniketan is India's choice for world heritage site (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_santiniketan-is-india-s-choice-for-world-heritage-site_1372319)

Friday, April 16, 2010 23:57 IST

Mumbai: ‘Yatra Visawam Bhavati Ekanidam’ – where the whole world meets in one nest. Rabindranath Tagore, India’s first Nobel laureate, wanted Santiniketan to be that spot, where the whole world would settle, forgetting illusory geographical boundaries.

Little wonder then that India’s nodal authority Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) submitted Santiniketan as its official entry this year for Unesco’s list on World Heritage Sites.

ASI has submitted the dossier on Santiniketan to Unesco’s world heritage centre in Paris, and has received a letter from the body, saying the dossier received is as per operational guidelines.

“There are two reasons Santiniketan was sent as a nomination. Next year marks the 150th birth anniversary of Gurudeo Tagore. It is also a location where you come across elements of outstanding universal value in terms of landscape, education, landmark sculptures and murals and innovative architecture. In many ways, it was revolutionary by 20th century standards,” said Gautam Sengupta, director general, ASI.

The government of India had appointed Mumbai-based conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah and Kolkata-based architect Manish Chakraborty to prepare the dossier.

“Throughout the world there is a need to focus on 20th century heritage, as Unescohas realised that the heritage was being under-represented. Santiniketan has a great cultural significance. It still wields influence, right from intellectuals to farmers,” Lambah said.

April 18 is celebrated as World Heritage Day.

highrise-kolkata

April 18th, 2010, 04:41 AM

CESC revives Balagarh power project

CESC has revived the shelved 1,300 MW Balagrah thermal power plant in Hooghly district of West Bengal.

As per sources, Babcock conducted a study to look into the feasibility of the project with bank protection to prevent water entering the area which has been approved.

CESC has 800 acre of land in its possession for the project. Currently, the terms of reference for environmental clearance are being worked on.

Source:www.Projectstoday.com

SamitB

April 19th, 2010, 07:26 AM

Tie-up with green power firm for windmill project
TNN

Suzlon Energy,one of the leading non conventional energy players in India,will tie up with Green Energy Development Corporation,to set up a wind mill firm in East Midnapur,the first of its kind in Bengal.The state government is hoping that the firm will give a big push to its non conventional energy dream.
GEDCL managing director S P Gonchowdhury said that it has already identified land for the project.It is hoping to start work in August 2010.We have identified a place called Badar Patra Bar near Mandarmani.GEDCL has already assessed the potential of the area and the result is encouraging, he added.Gonchowdhury said that initially the wind mill firm will have a generation capacity of 50 MW and the investment would be Rs 250 crore.According to him,the state government has 1,000 acre land in the area which was handed over to GEDCL.
Now GEDCL is developing the land.After land development Suzlon will set up the wind firm.They will bring in investment and we are providing the land.The wind speed in this area is 19 km.Minimum wind speed required is 18 km.This is good enough though in some places in Tamil Nadu the wind speed is even 21 km, he said.
Gonchowdhury pointed out that the states total green energy production by the end of 12th five year plan would be over 550-600 MW from the current level of 100 MW.GEDCL has set a target of producing 20% of the pick energy demand in the day time in the state through green routes in next five years.It is quiet achievable.Now we have 100 MW.The wind firm will produce 50 MW.Besides,we have pending proposal of 200 MW in solar and 250 MW in biomass and other sources, he added.

SamitB

April 19th, 2010, 07:33 AM

Govt plans super-critical power plant
TNN

Kolkata: With the state plunging into a power crisis,the state and private utility CESC are hastening to increase generation capacity.
State power minister Nirupam Sen announced on Friday that the West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) will set up a super-critical 800 MW thermal power plant at Katwa the first of its kind in the eastern region.Plants that use one boiler to generate above 600 MW are termed super critical.
The ministers announcement sounds like a shift from the state power departments earlier stand that such a plant was not feasible at the moment since the technology is new,though Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has already acquired the new technology.
We have acquired 350 acres in Katwa,which is nearly half of the total requirement of 750 acres, Sen said.
Bugged by the power crisis,Sen also has no problems with more private players coming into the power scene.You must be knowing that there is a proposal from Universal Success to set up a merchant power plant.We are ready to give it a goahead provided that it arranges for coal from outside, the minister said.
CESC,on the other hand,is forging ahead with its Haldia plant that has been held up for over two years with Haldia Development Authority displaying no urgency in pushing the price negotiation to acquire land.Sources said HDA has been extremely reluctant to revise the price upwards to ensure that acquisition price remained low.
We have been waiting for the land for two years.We had planned to start the project in 2009 and complete it by 2011 for generation to begin full steam the following year.Apart from an increase in the project cost,it also means the generation being delayed,and hence,an opportunity lost in plugging the deficit at the earliest, a senior CESC official explained.
Of the 300-odd acre required to set up the two units of 300 MW each in the first phase with provision for adding two more units of similar capacity later,the company is yet to be handed over 80 acres.The coal supply agreements are in place.The environment clearance has been granted.We are just waiting for the land to go ahead with the financial closure of the Rs 3,000-crore project, the official said.
Ironically,it is not political differences but lack of political will and administrative bungling that has led to the delay in land acquisition that began in May 2008.While neither the CPM nor the Trinamool Congress is opposed to the project,the acquisition process was stalled when CPMs Lakshman Seth lost the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat to Trinamools Subhendu Adhikari.With Seth having to relinquish the post of Haldia Development Authority chairman and the government refusing to hand it over to Adhikari,the process was held up till chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee asked chief secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti to go ahead with it.
Though all but 79 of the 300 acres of contiguous plot and 3.5 acres along the river bank for a pump house have been acquired,the project cannot go ahead till the remaining land is handed over to CESC as they include crucial sections through which the 3.5-km railway corridor from the siding to the plant has to be laid.
An HDA official said the acquisition process is still on with the compensation revised upwards.Till Wednesday,people had handed over around 40 acre additional land,he said.
Acquisition apart,the slow pace of rehabilitating the landlosers is also a problem.Of the 100 families who have lost their homes in the acquired area,only 30 have been rehabilitated.The remaining 70 families,along with another 200-odd who have houses in the plots that are yet to be acquired,have to be rehabilitated as well before the land is free for construction to begin.
Once the entire land is handed over,CESC expects to complete the financial closure in 45 days,followed by 30 months for the project completion.

SarafIndian

April 21st, 2010, 12:29 AM

Bengal to set up biotech incubation centre

Kolkata: The West Bengal government has allocated 1.5 lakh sq ft at Sector V in Salt Lake to set up a biotech incubation centre, state IT minister Debesh Das said.

“We have floated tender for the purpose. Construction work for that is likely to be complete within two years,” he said. The facility will be complimentary to a proposed health city in nearby Rajarhat area.

Read more (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Bengal-to-set-up-biotech-incubation-centre/609058/)

SamitB

April 21st, 2010, 11:13 AM

Videocon to set up 5,000 MW power projects
Monday, 19 Apr, 2010

Videocon Industries reportedly plans to generate 5,000 MW power through projects in Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The company is setting up a 1,200 MW coal based power plant at Pipavav in Gujarat. The equipment order has been placed with BHEL and financial requirement of Rs 6,000 crore has also been tied up with banks. Construction for the project is likely to begin soon.

The company has also acquired land and tied up for fuel for establishing a 1,200 MW power plant in Janjgir-Champa district of Chhattisgarh.

Besides, it proposes to set up 1,200 MW power plants in Maharashtra and West Bengal each and has acquired land for the same.
http://projectstoday.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?smid=24&nid=30697

sanjusky

April 21st, 2010, 07:49 PM

Garden Reach launches Rs 530 Cr modernisation plan

Kolkata: India's Defence PSU shipyard —Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) —has embarked upon modernisation of its shipbuilding facilities at an estimated cost of about Rs 530 crore, Minister of State for Defence Pallam Raju said.

This will also enable the shipyard to construct larger warships within shorter span of time, he said. The project is expected to be completed by 2011, reports IANS.

Once completed, the shipyard will be able to construct warships under the modular construction technology in a much shorter time frame.

The PSU, which has produced 70 warships and 69 commercial vehicles in last 50 years, is targeting a turnover of Rs 1,000 crore by next fiscal

http://www.igovernment.in/site/garden-reach-launches-rs-530-cr-modernisation-plan-37392

SamitB

April 22nd, 2010, 07:49 AM

Rs 20-cr N Bengal airport waits for flights
Cooch Behar Airport Ready For Commercial Operations,But Airlines Back Out Citing Lack Of Passengers
TNN

Kolkata: The Cooch Behar Airport in North Bengal,on which the Airports Authority of India (AAI) spent more than Rs 20 crore,has no takers now.Even though the airport is ready for commercial flight operations,no airline is willing to operate flights to and from it,citing lack of passengers.
The first phase of the upgrade project was completed in January and the airport is ready for operation.The state transport department is in constant touch with different airlines and we are keeping our finger crossed and expect commercial operations to start from the airport soon, said regional (East) executive director of AAI,P K Singhal,trying to put up a brave face.
A Tripura-based private airline and the erstwhile Air Deccan were scheduled to start operations from the airport in November 2009 and 2007 respectively.But AAI sources said the airlines lacked interest,perhaps owing to shortage of aircraft and apprehending poor commercial viability.
As of now,we are in talks with different airlines,which have small aircraft like the 18-seater Dornier-228.We are even ready to pay 50% for bookings,which means the government will keep nine of the seats in these aircraft for itself, said state transport minister Ranjit Kundu.
AAI sources said a private carrier based in South India is likely to be the best choice for the state government.If everything works fine,the airline can connect Jamshedpur and Kolkata via Cooch Behar.With both Kingfisher and MDLR withdrawing operations,there is no air link with Jamshedpur.The civil aviation ministry is keen on an air link for the steel city with Delhi or Kolkata, an official added.
The airport presently has a 1,129-metre runway,which will be increased by more than 900 metres in the second phase.Mechanical engineering students of a reputable university will design a box bridge across the river Moratorsha,which will be part of the extended runway.
The Cooch Behar Airport was first put to use in 1945 by Raja Nripendra Narayan,a local king,who operated flights for his personal use.In 1948,the airport was open to commercial carriers.Till 1962,several small private carriers like Himalayan Aviation,Darbhanga Airways,Kalinga Airways,Airways India,Bharat Airways and Jamir Airways operated from the airport.
From 1972,the erstwhile Indian Airlines operated from here for three years.The airstrip was operational till 1994 with Vayudoot connecting the city with Kolkata.Since then,the people of the district had been clamouring for resumption of the service.The movement prompted chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee to take up the issue with the Union civil aviation ministry and the AAI in 2007 and the later allotted Rs 20 crore for the airport revamp.
The airport is located around 2 km from the city of the city that has already been declared as a heritagecity by the Centre.It is around 180 km from Bagdogra.Bhutan and other important tourist spots of North Bengal are also connected with the airport by road.If the airport is properly marketed,it can be a good alternative for Bagdogra airport that has several time restrictions owing to an army base, Singhal added.

SarafIndian

April 22nd, 2010, 08:35 AM

SamitB

April 22nd, 2010, 10:49 AM

^^ :ohno: Sad.. Hopefully some airlines company may discover the potential of the route very soon.

Btw, below is the Cooch Behar airport photo published on the news. It looks cute. It is very nice airport for a small town like Cooch Behar :)

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2179/coochbeher.jpg

Looks good.only needs some good mind to attract some investment there

Saraf have u read the news in anadabazar
http://www.anandabazar.com/22raj2.htm
that WB govt. is only responsible for this current electricity situation.
DVC is having 3500 MW power but WB is not getting anything out of that.
Coz in 2006 WB was not interested for taking power from DVC.
Now delhi is getting 2500 MW and MP and others are getting rest 1000 MW.

But interestingly WB will not get anything as per contract b/w DVC and other states.

So saaaaaaaaaaaddddddd.

SamitB

April 23rd, 2010, 09:05 AM

State to get its first film city in Dooars

KOLKATA: The state is all set to get its very own film city. Slated to be as plush and picturesque as the sprawling Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, the Rs 400-crore project will come up in the Dooars in next 18 months. Quite expectedly, it has been christened Dollywood!

Located 17 kilometres from the New Mal station, Dollywood will come up in Chalsa, close to the Gorumara forest, on 270 bighas of sylvan land surrounded by rivers Jaldhaka and Diana. The location has a full view of the Bhutan hills. The project is being developed by city-based Vibgyor Group.

"We toured the length and breadth of North Bengal before selecting this spot. While Tollywood shoots in North Bengal rampantly, both directors and the cast face tremendous problems of accommodation, food, etc. Hence, we thought of this project," said Raja Bhadra, managing director of Vibgyor.

Just like Ramoji Film City, Dollywood will also boast of separate indoor and outdoor zones. For outdoor shootings, a European zone will imitate the settings of a bustling European city, a village zone will provide a typical rustic set-up of Indian country life. There will also be another zone to showcase modern Indian urban lifestyle.

For indoor shoots, about 45,000 square feet space is being developed. Here, the ceilings will be as high as 80 feet to facilitate aerial shooting. There will also be a star resort to accommodate shooting teams.

While Bollywood biggies like Om Puri and Rekha have been roped in as advisors to the project, from Tollywood, director Raja Sen and actors Saumitro, Tapas Pal and Satabdi Roy are amongst those chosen to guide the film city team. "We are negotiating with a top Bollywood star to become our brand ambassador," Bhadra said, not willing to divulge the name yet.

"We wanted expert advise so that we could provide all top-notch facilities that a modern film city must have. It is for their long-standing experience in the film industry that we approached Rekha and Om Puri to be a part of our project. We want to be second to none," Bhadra said.

The film city has created quite a stir in Tollywood. "You cannot imagine the kind of problems we face when we go for outdoor shoots. Due to lack of proper infrastructure, we sometimes spend hours travelling to the shooting location and all the way back to the hotel. Dollywood will come as a huge relief," said Satabdi Roy.

"We were waiting for something like this since long. We had even requested the state government to develop something like this in Salt Lake, but that didn't materialise. With Dollywood around, we can go in as a unit and come out only after completing a film something that Tollywood couldn't think of doing before," said actor Tapas Pal.

"Since a large number of film shootings happen in North Bengal, we were planning a film city near Siliguri but it petered out because of the ongoing trouble in Darjeeling," said Asok Bhattacharya, state minister for urban development and municipal affairs. As CPM's MLA from Siliguri, he is the key man for all matters related to North Bengal and heartily welcomed the news.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/State-to-get-its-first-film-city-in-Dooars/articleshow/4382670.cms

SamitB

April 26th, 2010, 08:22 AM

Green research centre to come up on Besu campus
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata: The Delhi-based Consulting Engineering Services (CES),in collaboration with Bengal Engineering and Science University,will set up a research centre on the Besu premises to conduct research on how to develop green technologies to build eco-friendly buildings and highways and generate renewable energy.
CES managing director S S Chakraborty,a Besu alumnus,said keeping in mind the growing concerns over global warming and climate change,they were on the way to launching a green movement across the country.The concept of developing renewable energy,green buildings and green highways is relatively new.We are working throughout the country and more emphasis should be laid on these concepts.We are constructing a number of buildings using the green building concept for institutions such as IIM Shillong,Indian Institute of Scientific and others.Our own CES building in Sector-V is a green building, said Chakraborty.
The CES official will soon hold a meeting with Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh to discuss the issue.
The centre,said Chakraborty,will primarily conduct research on green technologies such as photovoltaic cells and solar energy and find ways for further development of the same.
A green building does not only mean installing a solar panel on it or a green highway does not only mean having lots of trees on its two sides.There are a number of aspects that are directly related to climate change.There will be research on how to tap the potential of generating green power and directly feeding the power into the grid, said Chakraborty.
The Griha green building rating system was launched a few years ago in a bid to determine which structures had followed the norms to become eco-friendly and energy efficient.

SarafIndian

April 27th, 2010, 03:08 AM

Videocon beats land blues for Purulia unit

Sumali Moitra | TNN

Kolkata: Videocon has achieved a critical breakthrough in its plan to set up a solar power plant in Bengal with the diversified group overcoming the land acquisition challenge that has laid low several companies in the past.
“We have recently completed the acquisition of 52 acres for the proposed 10 MW solar power plant in Purulia....the land was bought directly from the owners,” Videocon’s top-most official in Bengal Goutam Sengupta told TOI on Monday.
Sengupta said the Venugopal Dhoot-led group had faced no opposition to the land-buy since the site was not used for agriculture. A further promise of a first preference being given to the local population for “direct and indirect jobs” at the facility also played its part in easing the task of convincing the erstwhile owners to part with their plots, he added.
“Since a solar power plant does not require too many direct employees, we did not commit to any number in this regard,” Sengupta said. In the past, many firms have resorted to making promises of offering one job per family that gives up land to fast-track their ventures.
Sengupta said the Rs 200 crore unit would come up within 18-20 months from the zero date, with construction starting soon. The power generated would be sold to NTPC with the project being “migrated” to the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The power purchase agreement with NTPC would be signed shortly, he added.
The Videocon official said the solar plant in Bengal was one of several that the group proposed to establish nationwide to make a mark for itself in this arena. “We will also set up solar power plants in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, for example, as part of the National Solar Mission, but the one in Bengal will be one of the biggest in terms of capacity,” he added.
Sengupta said the group has almost sorted out the “minor” problem that had cropped up about acquisition of less than an acre for its proposed IT SEZ in north Bengal coming up on a 25-acre plot. Videocon is also setting up an IT park in Kolkata’s tech hub, Salt Lake.

rupakd

April 29th, 2010, 10:51 AM

NSG hub to come up over 600 acres of land near Dankuni

The much-awaited National Security Guards (NSG) hub in eastern India would come up over 600 acres of land near Dankuni in West Bengal's Hooghly district, state's Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen said here today.

The decision was taken in a meeting between state's Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakraborty and NSG Director General N P S Aulakh at the state secretariat, Sen said.

The NSG officials earlier visited some places like Rajarhat in North 24 Parganas district and Kanchrapara in Nadia district.

As the land in Rajarhat was very expensive and the Army refused to leave its possession over land at Kanchrapara, the NSG has finally decided to set up its hub near Dankuni.

Sen said the Hooghly District Magistrate has already been asked to finalise the price of land, most of which are wetland.

Source: PTI

sourav2010

April 30th, 2010, 02:48 PM

Darjeeling best cuppa at EU

Sutanuka Ghosal KOLKATA

IT SEEMS to be good times for Darjeeling tea. With the European Union (EU) gradually beating the economic downturn, buyers from there are picking up Darjeeling teas at a significantly high price. At the recently held Tea & Coffee World Cup 2010 in Vienna, premium Darjeeling teas have fetched a price of € 150 per kg (Rs 8,860 per kilo).
Some of the biggest Darjeeling tea producers in the country like Chamong Tee, Goodricke Group, Teesta Valley Tea and Bagaria group had participated in this Vienna meet.
Talking to ET, Tea Board chairman Basudeb Banerjee said: “The signals from the European markets are very strong. Countries from central and eastern Europe like Poland, Belarus, Croatia, Estonia, Czech Republic, Yugoslavia and Austria had shown interest in buying Darjeeling tea. Europe is the biggest buyer of premium first and second flush Darjeeling tea. This ceremonial auction of Darjeeling tea at Vienna is an indication that producers can expect better price this year from European buyers for all kinds of teas.”
The Tea Board chairman had attended the Vienna meet which took place between April 25 and 27.
Mr Ashok Lohia, chairman of Chamong Tee, the largest Darjeeling tea producer, said: “The highest price offered was Euro 150 per kg, while most of the teas were sold at Euro 70-80 per kg. It gives an indication that in coming months, tea producers can expect better prices in the European markets.” Incidentally, 23 tea estates from Darjeeling had sent teas to the Vienna meet.
The Tea & Coffee World Cup 2010 is an international event where leading representatives from the tea and coffee trade from more than 100 countries have participated.
Even people from restaurants, hotels and coffee bar chains, retail outlets and department stores, too, were present at the meet.
The Tea Board chairman also said that India made a strong case to prevent sale of Darjeeling teas in Germany which do not contain 100% teas that originate in Darjeeling. “In Germany, we have seen that tea packets are being sold as Darjeeling teas, which contain 51% Darjeeling tea and 49% other teas. We cannot allow this as it harms the image of Darjeeling tea in the world market.”
In fact, the process of granting exclusivity status to Darjeeling tea has already gained momentum. The European Commission has invited public opinion and comments on a proposal from India seeking patent protection for Darjeeling tea. It has given six months’ time for any objections to Darjeeling tea being notified as a PGI (protected geographical indication) product in EU countries.
“They have sought some clarifications from the Tea Board on Darjeeling Tea following the application for geographical indication (GI) made in November 2007.
“The entire process takes some time as the European Commission seeks several clarifications before giving the final GI nod. We are hopeful that by June this year, we will be able to get GI status for Darjeeling tea in the European Union. This will prevent any country in the EU to sell Darjeeling tea, which does not contain teas that do not originate from Darjeeling,” Mr Banerjee said.
Geographical Indication (GI) is a type of intellectual property mark that protects against unlawful usage of a name for a regional product. It relates primarily to goods, although some services are also included.
The goods should be from a defined geographical area and have qualities linked to the place of origin.