Rs 24-cr plan to revamp the ghats of Ganga, promote river tourism (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Rs-24cr-plan-to-revamp-the-ghats-of-Ganga-promote-river-tourism/347790/)

Kolkata, August 11 The West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation (WBTDC) has sought the Centre’s help to develop the required infrastructure for the promotion of river tourism in the state.

A proposal of Rs 24 crore has been submitted to the Centre this July for the renovation of 12 ghats along the 260 km stretch of the Ganga from Kolkata to Azimgunj in Murshidabad.

“In order to attract private players, we need the right infrastructure first... jetties, food parks, public toilets, shopping malls and fencing on the ghats,” said TVN Rao, the managing director of WBTDC .

Currently, private players who want to start barge and ferry services at the ghats are discouraged by the lack of infrastructure facilities.

According to the proposal, Dakshineswar, Belur, Chandernagore, Mayapore and Plassey are among the 12 ghats identified for the renovation project.

“Of the 12 ghats, Serampore and Chandernagore are in deplorable conditions,” Rao added.

According to WBTDC, around 39 lakh domestic and international tourists visit these ghats every year, of whom 25 lakh visit Belur and Dhakhineswar.

As the Centre has shown significant interest in it, the corporation expects to receive development funds within a month.

“Once that is done, we will hold a meeting with all stake holders like Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, Kolkata Port Trust and Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The development work will be executed by other departments of the state government, while WBTDC will monitor it,” Rao said.

Money has already been allotted for the renovation, depending on the condition of various ghats.

According to the proposal, Rs 191 lakh will be spent on Serampore ghat, Rs 320 lakh on Plassey, Rs 437 lakh on Azimgunj and Rs 112 lakh on Mayapur. Meanwhile, an infrastructure development firm has already started work on a luxury cruise project (three nights and four days) from Kolkata to Azimgunj.

Greenwood Sonata (http://www.shrachi.com/bengalshrachi/residential/greenwood_sonata/index.htm)

photo copyright Akashpratim

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/376/kolkataakashpratimbengajp8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Greenwood Sonata (http://www.shrachi.com/bengalshrachi/residential/greenwood_sonata/index.htm)

photo copyright Akashpratim

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/376/kolkataakashpratimbengajp8.jpg

Wow. The colors coming fantastic. It is going to be one of the best looking .. :nuts:

Shoppers Stop opens MAC store in Kolkata

Shoppers Stop has opened a MAC store at Elgin Road, Kolkata from Aug. 08, 2008. With the opening of this store, the company now has 5 MAC stores.

The company operates a chain of department stores across various formats retailing apparel, accessories, perfumes, books, music, home products, and other products with over 260,000 stock-keeping units.


http://www.myiris.com/newsCentre/newsPopup.php?fileR=20080813134020203&dir=2008/08/13&secID=livenews

Wow. The colors coming fantastic. It is going to be one of the best looking .. :nuts:

^^A mix of orange and/or light pink is something I have seen in others such as Merlin group projects, diamond city west etc. Vibrant colors are always good especially when most of Kolkata is covered in smog for a large part of the year.

^^A mix of orange and/or light pink is something I have seen in others such as Merlin group projects, diamond city west etc. Vibrant colors are always good especially when most of Kolkata is covered in smog for a large part of the year.

This is a Shrachi project. I guess they have a "city centre" type touch to those buildings/colors. It is nice and very unique.. I feel very "calcutta" type. :lol:

By Morphogenesis Architects
(http://www.morphogenesis.org/)
Taksashila Hotel and Cultural Centre

A 350 room 7 star luxury hotel cum retail development in Calcutta.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3022/swabhoomihotelcomplex1bo8.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5809/swabhoomihotelcomplex2rq8.jpg

By Morphogenesis Architects
(http://www.morphogenesis.org/)
Taksashila Hotel and Cultural Centre

A 350 room 7 star luxury hotel cum retail development in Calcutta.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3022/swabhoomihotelcomplex1bo8.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5809/swabhoomihotelcomplex2rq8.jpg

had seen the renders before..
any news about when is the construction going to start?

This is a Shrachi project. I guess they have a "city centre" type touch to those buildings/colors. It is nice and very unique.. I feel very "calcutta" type. :lol:

^^True, reason notwithstanding, I also feel the architects have found the right color combo for most of the structures which are suited for Kolkata.

By Morphogenesis Architects

Taksashila Hotel and Cultural Centre

A 350 room 7 star luxury hotel cum retail development in Calcutta.


Any details where it is coming up and when?:tyty:

Any details where it is coming up and when?:tyty:

Bengal Ambuja seems to be going through design iterations of hotel and retail plans within Swabhumi. But this design looks awesome.

Bengal Ambuja seems to be going through design iterations of hotel and retail plans within Swabhumi. But this design looks awesome

dover16 thank you very much for the information. Is there any news of LIC's 50f building on the EMBP?

Yes, Unitech is coming up with the largest IT park of Kolkata called Infospace in New Town about 1 km from the residential cluster. It is spread over 50 acres and a part of it is already operational.:)

The first DLF IT park is already operational. The second one is coming up next to Infospace and should be operational by end of next year.

SP Infocity would be spread over 50 acres as well. Construction is yet to start.

Do you know if SP Infocity got the land or not?

HCE opens office in Kolkata (http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=12&theme=&usrsess=1&id=218294)

KOLKATA, Aug. 13: Hyundai Construction Equipment Ltd (HCE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), is consolidating its foray into the Indian market with its Eastern region headquarters in Kolkata opening today.
In addition, its Pune based plant will start to roll out products from the end of the month. Mr Suvendu Moitra, head of marketing for HCE said: “The greenfield construction equipment plant is nearly ready at Pune, at a cost of Rs 300 crore, on 50 acres of land. The plant will begin production by the end of August”.
The Pune plant currently has a capacity of 2,500 units which will be scaled up to around 10,000 units over the next 3-4 years. It will produce excavators up to 20 ton capacity. The products will be marketed to the construction and mining industries.
Mr Moitra said that the company was interested in the eastern region because of the presence of coal mining in several states here. Mr Moitra said that "while there had been some 'ifs and buts', the climate is healthy for our mining orientated products".

Do you know if SP Infocity got the land or not?

I believe they have the land. I had posted this image a few months back. The barricade has been erected by SP Infocity along a 1km stretch.

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3263/p4100011zt1.jpg

Floatel to undergo revamp (http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/detailNews.aspx?aid=1893&sid=1)

The Floatel Hotel, Kolkata, the first floating hotel in South Asia, plans to add more rooms to its inventory along with attaching more outlets and making changes in its interiors, services and F&B. The hotel started its operations in November 2006 with only F&B and banqueting options. The hotel plans to add six more rooms, introduce a yacht club, a specialised bar, a spa with a gymnasium, a lounge-cum-discotheque and gaming areas with certain changes in the interiors within a year’s time.

Rajib Roychowdhury, General Manager, Floatel, says, “Although we started with only F&B options, we had plans to gear up as fast as possible. We started our multi cuisine restaurant within one month of starting, while we started the operations of the rooms within four months. We started with only eight rooms and today we have a total of 46 rooms. Now, our demand has increased and we want to keep ourselves abreast with the current hospitality trends.” The new rooms will be operational by the end of this year. There will be changes in the interiors of the existing rooms.

I believe they have the land. I had posted this image a few months back. The barricade has been erected by SP Infocity along a 1km stretch.

http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/3263/p4100011zt1.jpg

Thanks for the info Arijeet. Its cool. Now a days, I fear only about the land in WB. There are always some damm issues. Btw, there is a good news that govt made the final approval for the airport modernization. Hope we can see the development from the next month(as per the news). Once the construction starts, I am expecting a lot of new activities throughout new-town area. Though it is just my feeling. :)

Thanks for the info Arijeet. Its cool. Now a days, I fear only about the land in WB. There are always some damm issues. Btw, there is a good news that govt made the final approval for the airport modernization. Hope we can see the development from the next month(as per the news). Once the construction starts, I am expecting a lot of new activities throughout new-town area. Though it is just my feeling. :)

You are right, Saraf. Once the construction activities are off the ground, I am hoping that the existing projects such as the intl convention center, tech parks etc move at a faster pace and hopefully the ones in the pipeline get approved.

Wonder what is the status of the flyover interchange planned at the junction of airport access road and VIP road.

You are right, Saraf. Once the construction activities are off the ground, I am hoping that the existing projects such as the intl convention center, tech parks etc move at a faster pace and hopefully the ones in the pipeline get approved.

Wonder what is the status of the flyover interchange planned at the junction of airport access road and VIP road.

Once modernization starts there will be pressure on state govt to complete those flyovers related to airport links. Hope to see some more works on VIP road/bypass/rajarhat ex'way as well.

Bengal Peerless Alaktika, New Town

photo copyright Anamitra


http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/7031/bengalpeerlessalaktikaape4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

NBCC Vibgyor ? , New Town

photo copyright Bibekpaudel

http://img355.imageshack.us/img355/6452/whatsthisnewtownbibekpafs9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

google earth

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=23213350&postcount=1131

NBCC Vibgyor ? , New Town

google earth

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=23213350&postcount=1131

There is a curvy structure at extreme right on that google earth image. Is that a shopping mall or some business/IT park?

There is a curvy structure at extreme right on that google earth image. Is that a shopping mall or some business/IT park?

Not sure.

PS Srijon Heights

Render
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1784/heighthf9.jpg

Status as on 15/08/2008

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7840/srijanheightsoy1.jpg

Rainbow Mall - This is coming up alongside Sherwood Estates (http://www.sherwoodestate.com) at Narendrapur

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1696/elesherwoodnb9.jpg

Rainbow Mall - This is coming up alongside Sherwood Estates (http://www.sherwoodestate.com) at Narendrapur


From some pictures in their site it seems Baruipur bypass 4 lane work is going on. Not sure though. May be they are some old maintenance work photos.

High rise apartments in vogue among high net worth investors

The Financial Express : 16.08.2008



Post inflation, the investor community, including high net worth individuals (HNWIs), have started concentrating on markets such as Kolkata, Burdwan, Durgapur, Siliguri and Haldia in order to buy high rise apartments. As a result, real estate majors are looking at converting factories and bungalows into high-rise apartments based in Kolkata, Haldia and other parts of West Bengal. Besides this, Gurgaon, NCR Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Goa, Chandigarh are considered growing markets for investors in high-rise apartments.

According to Avrajit Kar, vice-president - marketing, South City Projects, “The investor community in Kolkata and its peripherals is expected to increase from 20% to 30% within a year as the realty prices in Kolkata are more economical as compared to that of the metros, including Mumbai. For instance, an apartment in Baliganj area in Kolkata is priced at Rs 4,000 to Rs 6,000 per sq ft as compared to Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per sq ft in the posh Bandra in Mumbai.”

With the increase in the number of investors in Kolkata, Kona Expressway area, Bantala area and Rajarhat are going to be its new satellite cities, Kar added.

The southern market too is seeing much activity. Says Ravi Ramu, director, Puravankara Projects, “Due to inflationary trends, we are now looking at speeding up development of high rise apartments in the South. We have already been redeveloping bunglows into high rise apartments which will now be done at a faster pace. With a land bank of over 125 million sq ft, the group has over 20 mn sq ft residential and commercial space currently under construction. Included in this are on-going residential projects amounting to 18.30 mn sq ft comprising 11,010 homes.”

Mumbai-based K Raheja Property is planning to enter the East, especially, Kolkata to set up high rise apartments apart from other Tier II and III cities. DLF and Unitech are planning to set up high rise apartments near Kona Expressway, Bantala area and Rajarhat. Meanwhile, Merlin Group in Kolkata is planning joint ventures and tie-ups for developing properties in Chennai. Besides, Diamond Group, Fort Group in Kolkata too are planning high rise apartments in Kolkata and Chennai. Not only that, Emami Realty is also planning to develop properties down South.

According to industry experts, developers across the country are selling apartments with a ‘by invitation’ tag, offering super-premium

Etihad Airways direct flight to Kolkata & Jaipur

Rediff News 14.08.2008


The United Arab Emirates national airliner Etihad airways would start operating direct flights to Abu Dhabi from Jaipur and Kolkata, from next year.

The Indian government had given permission for the airlines to operate flights from these destinations, its CEO James Hogan told a press conference in Chennai on Thursday.

"After working out the logistics we will announce the exact dates of the launch," he said.

The airlines had also sought the permission of the Centre to operate flights from Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bangalore and Hyderabad to Abu Dhabi as part of its expansion plan, he said.

Once connected to Kolkata and Jaipur, Etihad would have doubled its Indian destinations to eight, ever since it commenced services to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi last year, before adding New Delhi and the commercial capital of Mumbai.

"We have started operating flights from Chennai and Kozhikode from August one this year and the inbound passenger load factor was about 80 to 85 per cent", Hogan said.

On India's contribution to its total revenue, Hogan parried the question and said "it's an important and significant contribution. We are not big players in India.

Once we establish our presence, we will able to put some numbers, perhaps after 24 months".

An interesting, proposed project designed by Architect Dulal Mukherjee (http://www.dmaindia.org/projects.html)

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/8729/shakarnetralayadmakolkabt2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

An interesting, proposed project designed by Architect Dulal Mukherjee (http://www.dmaindia.org/projects.html)



In the architectural scheme of things -- this is just freaking brilliant Sun! 'Netraloy' it is :)

Looks like a PVC soft-cover inflatable tent-type structure?

SOURCE: TOI EPaper


GREEN MISSION
Destination Rajarhat for Maidan II
At 200 hectares, it will be half the size of the Kolkata Maidan. But Maidan II is being planned to strike a balance with the concrete jungle coming up in New Town
Ajanta Chakraborty | TNN

Kolkata: It’s going to be clean, green and expansive. And though half the size of its predecessor, it will be twice as well-planned. That, for you, is Maidan II, a 200-hectare idyllic meadow in the heart of New Town.
West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) has just reserved the prime Rajarhat land for the Maidan II project. The grounds will be developed gradually and be ready around the time the Central Business District (CBD) — another landmark of New Town — is fit for use. The CBD will be New Town’s business hub and the Maidan opposite it will strike the muchneeded green balance.
Considering the mad race for space in Rajarhat, the government’s move to earmark the prime land — which also contains a huge waterbody — should come as welcome relief to both residents and environmentalists.
The green balance will be vast and have a far-reaching effect. As housing minister and Hidco chairman Gautam Deb put it, “It’s no use planning or developing a township unless one can strike a balance between green areas and concrete structures. The second Maidan will create this equilibrium. Like the original Maidan, it will be an asset for generations to come.”
While the Kolkata Maidan belongs to the Army, the sprawling grounds will belong to Hidco. Private partners will be roped in for its development. Since Hidco has already started allocating land for CBD, it is only logical that those holding land in the business district will lend a helping
hand to create and maintain Rajarhat’s pair of lungs.
A senior Hidco official said, “It’s not possible to say by when the business district will start functioning. But we have decided to get the Maidan ready. The idea is to let the shopper or the businessman visiting CBD access the Maidan easily.”
A flyover is supposed to come up at this juncture. Its arms will be built in such a way that one can cross over from CBD to the Maidan and vice versa. The chairman said, “We want to integrate commercial activity with the green zone.”
While the landscaping of the Maidan will begin soon, the lake will also be cleansed, enclosed and beautified. The area around the waterbody will eventually be developed into an open-air entertainment zone with water sports designed for the lake. An open-air theatre and art gallery are on the cards.
The authorities will coordinate with the forest department for proper landscaping of the grounds. The next step will be sapling plantation. Like the original Maidan, this area, too, will be dotted with statues and architectural pieces.
Environmentalist Subhas Dutta, a known Maidan crusader, was cautious about the plan. “It’s a beginning, but the government must immediately create another open space in New Town for political rallies.”
Dutta, who was instrumental in the formation of Calcutta High Court’s Green Bench in 1996, has already filed a petition on these lines. “Like London, we need to have a Hyde Park so that political rallies can be completely banished from the city proper.”
MAIDAN I AREA: Around 400 hectares
LOCATION: Stretches 3 km from north to south of Kolkata, bound by Strand Road to the west and Chowringhee to the east
GENESIS: The grounds came into existence when the jungle was cleared around 1746. Since then, there has been a concerted effort to maintain the “city’s lungs”
COURT CONFLICT: Several PILs have been filed to save the Maidan from fairs and rallies. The most talked-about one was banishing the Kolkata Book Fair from the Maidan
OTHER FEATURES: The Maidan is dotted with tiny bungalow-like structures belonging to various sports clubs. There are a number of playgrounds run by the clubs. Several statues also dot the Maidan
WATERBODIES:
Manohardas Tarag, another inside Eliot Park
KEEPERS: Army MAIDAN II AREA: Around 200 hectares
LOCATION: On the side of New Town’s Main Arterial Road beyond Bagjola Canal, opposite Central Business District (CBD) at New Town
GENESIS: Land reserved inside the Rajarhat township
COURT CONFLICT: None so far — except that green activists have sought an area reserved for rallies at New Town. Only time will tell whether rallies will be held at Maidan II
OTHER FEATURES: Will be dotted by statues as well. Open-air theatres and open-air art exhibition centres are also planned. On the cards are water sports activities
WATERBODY: One
KEEPERS: Hidco

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/1873/getimagehk9.jpg

An interesting, proposed project designed by Architect Dulal Mukherjee (http://www.dmaindia.org/projects.html)

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/8729/shakarnetralayadmakolkabt2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I heard ‘shankar’ has a big plan here. This seems damm good. Good for the large number of eye patient from east. :cheers:

Btw, Mr Mukherjee is a genius. Just look at his other works too. :nuts:

I heard ‘shankar’ has a big plan here. This seems damm good. Good for the large number of eye patient from east. :cheers:

Btw, Mr Mukherjee is a genius. Just look at his other works too. :nuts:

^^You bet. Now they will find the required care closer to home and will not flock to Chennai for eye related treatements.

Talking of Shankar netralaya I already saw one under construction somewhere in the southern part of the bypass ( between Ruby and Bagha Jatin). Let me see if I can get some photos

SOURCE: TOI EPaper

It is good they are utilizing the waterbody as one of the main sources for the planning of Maidan 2.:banana: Hope they start protecting the waterbody right away to prevent any advances from land sharks

An interesting, proposed project designed by Architect Dulal Mukherjee (http://www.dmaindia.org/projects.html)

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/8729/shakarnetralayadmakolkabt2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Brilliant no doubt:cheers:. But perhaps the 'eyes' could be better positioned ( say in the front) for everyone's view.

Business district with a green theme (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIKM/2008/08/18&PageLabel=2&EntityId=Ar00201&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)


http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/6917/getimagedlllp8.jpg

Kolkata: If Maidan II is an environmentalist’s dream, the Central Business District (CBD) opposite it will be a town planner’s rhapsody.
Hidco, the custodian of New Town land, is planning it as Dalhousie Square meets Esplanade — in short, a thriving destination seamlessly combining the pleasures of business and shopping.
But the experience will still be a green one, stresses a Hidco official. For, it will have two focal points at its two ends and these will be connected by a green pathway. “The CBD will have the ethos of Dalhousie Square and Esplanade. But unlike these two zones, it will have lots and lots of foliage and leafy trees.” He claimed that the CBD would be Kolkata’s first proper business district.
Planners and architects at Hidco have put a lot of thought into planning the pathway, which will add a green touch to the area and set it apart from concrete jungles elsewhere in the city.
Automobile movement will have to be restricted. “Cars would not be allowed to enter the green corridor. The plan is such that the roads will be overhead. Visitors can get off their cars on these roads and walk down to the green corridor,” the Hidco official said.
A playground will be constructed around the green pathway for shoppers to laze around with their children. The green area will be isolated from the commercial zone (including retailing, business and IT).
Care will be taken to highlight the unique features of the two zones yet
make them seem part of a larger whole.
The greenery will be maintained by those being allotted land in CBD. The official said, “The CBD project will generate a lot of revenue for Hidco. The development around it will also come free as the entrepreneurs involved will take it upon themselves to maintain the beauty of the surroundings.”
Finally, the CBD will not slip into darkness after dusk. Hidco intends setting up government quarters within the business district so that light and life keep CBD alive even at night.
NEW TOWN’S CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
* Will combine ethos of Dalhousie and Esplanade
* Will sport lots of trees and foliage and green pathways at either end
* Will have a playground for the leisure of shoppers and their children
* Will provide a unique shopping and business experience

Brilliant no doubt:cheers:. But perhaps the 'eyes' could be better positioned ( say in the front) for everyone's view.

True. Even if they remove the eye balls it would be nice. Though they are eye structures and it should be there I think.

Photo cc Chaitali on Picasaweb

Axis mall nearing completion
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/4468/august20002mc4.jpg

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/3527/august20003fb8.jpg

Akhankha
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/4169/august20009my9.jpg

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/2965/august20011vs7.jpg

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/1125/august20012wn8.jpg

http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/6105/august20020gw8.jpg

^^Nice updates, Saraf. Please post the Akankha images in its own thread as well.

Business district with a green theme (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIKM/2008/08/18&PageLabel=2&EntityId=Ar00201&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

I hope they come up with more details of this CBD. I wonder if the highrise CBD render from TOI is for the proposed CBD.

I hope they come up with more details of this CBD. I wonder if the highrise CBD render from TOI is for the proposed CBD.

It may end up being quite similar to the one in the render. I like the green patch in between the high-rises and a plan to create a pedestrian zone.

Hello, high street! (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080819/jsp/calcutta/story_9712401.jsp)
http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/9683/19south3nw5.jpg

Gurusaday Road is set to turn into a high street retail destination with superbrands setting up shop at the newly constructed Atria complex due to open doors before the Pujas.

A G+1 concrete and glass structure, Atria, if its promoters are to be believed, will be home to super luxury brands in apparel and lifestyle. There were talks with Gucci and Versace but “nothing has been finalised yet” was all that promoter Harsh Patodia, the managing director of Heritage Group, would offer.

While high street retail is not unknown to the city with Marks and Spencer and Bodyshop outlets on Chowringhee, it will be a first in this part of the city, which saw the first multi-storeyed apartment, the Tivoli Court, come up 50 years ago.

On a one-acre campus at 23, Gurusaday Road, the Rs 15-crore cream-and-blue structure designed by J.P. Agarwal was commissioned as a joint venture between The Heritage and the P.S. Group.

A condo of luxury apartments called Astral has come up in the backyard of Atria.

The residential enclosure with a total of 35 flats has a separate entrance on Ballygunge Circular Road with separate lifts and escalators, while Atria, opposite Mainland China, will stand as a flagship of the residential complex.

Gurusaday Road was a predominantly residential area till Mainland China and Barista happened. Keeping in mind the ambience and the potential purchasing power of residents here, the builders of Atria have opted for a two-storey super brand market plaza that will have only eight outlets with floor space not less than 700 sq ft each.

“We will only have brands with basic signages. The idea is not to encourage window shoppers but serious buyers who will drop in for the specific brands,” said Ravi Kumar Dugar, the director of the PS Group.

The residential block Astral is G+14 catering to the high income group, each with super-built up area varying between 2,500 and 3,300 sq ft.

“There is a rush for apartments in the higher storeys as people prefer to avoid pollution and filth,” said Dugar. “This is because of the levels of pollution, both air and sound, in Calcutta. The closer one lives to the ground, the more one is exposed to it,” he added.

The entertainment quotient is upped by an air-conditioned community hall on the double-height ground floor with an open-air swimming pool, rest room and table tennis corner on the floor above. While construction is almost complete, work is on in full gear so that Atria and Astral meet the Puja deadline, said Dugar.

Salim projects on track, says Group’s pointsman (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Salim-projects-on-track-says-Groups-pointsman/350570/)

Days after Chief Minister Buddadeb Bhattacharjee declared that Indonesia-based Salim group’s Expressway was put on hold due to the land acquisition problem, Prasoon Mukherjee, Salim Group’s pointsman and chairman of NKID (New Kolkata Infrastructure Development) expressed confidence that the other mega projects of the Group, including the PCPIR, are on track.

“We have several projects in Bengal and the Expressway is a small part of it. The temporary hold on the Raichowk-Kukrahati project will no way affect our other projects, which are bigger in proportion. I have full confidence on the state government and the chief minister regarding the industrial development in the state,” Mukherjee told The Indian Express.

In the telecon, Mukherjee, who is now abroad, said he is yet to get an official order from the state government indicating that the Expressway project is on hold.

“But I have heard of it,” he said. “Regarding the Expressway, we are ready to wait. Our initial work and land survey is over. Whenever a consensus for land is achieved, we will go ahead with it.”

Regarding the land acquisition problem in Bengal, Mukherjee said: “People’s consensus is necessary for land acquisition. The people must be made aware of the positive side of development, before one asks for their land. I trust the government is doing just that.”

Regarding Opposition’s role in anti-land acquisition protests, he sounded optimistic. “I believe the Opposition is not against development or industrialisation of the state,” he said. “A broader consensus is necessary for land acquisition and industrialisation, taking the Opposition in confidence. A right political environment is necessary. But I know the industrialisation process in Bengal is irreversible.”

Mukherjee stressed that all major projects in Bengal, including the PCPIR and township developments projects, are on track and moving on smoothly.

“We already have 13,000 acres and are in a position to claim another 12,000 acres.”

A non-resident Indian, Mukherjee had mediated the deal between the Salim Group and the state government in July 31, 2006, two months after Bhattacharjee took began his second term as the chief minister.

From mid-2006, the megacorp announced three separate projects. The largest, involving an investment of Rs 40,000 crore, was to be implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle, the New Kolkata Infrastructure Development.

The NKID was to set up two Special Economic Zones, a cluster or industrial estates, a 100-km Expressway and a clutch of townships, involving the acquisition of nearly 37,300 acres.

The NKID project received a setback in 2007, when people of Nandigram violently resisted the government’s attempts to acquire farmland for a chemical industrial estate and an SEZ without consulting them.

The result showed up this year: the CPM was routed in the elections to the three-tier panchayat setup in East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas.

Another project, a motorcycle manufacturing company — Mahabharat Motors — was to build low-cost bikes with Chinese technology and branded Arjun by Bhattacharjee himself.

The third project, also in Howrah, was an ambitious township billed as the largest Foreign Direct Investment in real estate at the time.

^^Is he referring to the land at Nayachar?

I never knew the project was shelved..:ohno:

Source: TOI EPaper


Rs 100K-cr projects in limbo?
Suman Chakraborti & Swati Sengupta | TNN

Kolkata: The shelving the much-hyped 100-km Barasat-Raichak expressway project has put a question mark on the fate of several high-profile industrial and infrastructure projects lined up for the state entailing a proposed investment of almost Rs 100,000 crore.
With land continuing to prove a thorny issue and general elections round the bend, experts feel the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government is unlikely to go the whole hog over the next few months in meeting its original target of acquiring 40,000 acres for the benefit of industry. As a result, projects like the proposed townships in North and South 24 Parganas may find themselves facing uncertain futures. The proposed chemical hub in Nayachar, Raichal-Kukrahati bridge, townships in Baruipur, Kalyani and Haringhata, and IT hubs in Kalyani, Durgapur and Haldia too may now be looking at doubtful times.
The government was supposed to give Indonesia’s Salim group 5,000 acres for a township in Baruipur and land for developing knowledge and health cities in North 24-Parganas and 10 commercial complexes along the expressway. These are also likely to take a beating.
Incidentally, after the Nandigram and Singur fiascos, the state government had already been going slow on projects where land acquisition was proving a ticklish issue. “But after what the chief minister said on Sunday, not just the Salim projects, but several other ventures, too, would have to be kept on hold where land acquisition is turning out to be a problem,” a senior official said on Monday.
It was earlier decided that about 22,500 acres would be acquired in the Haldia-Nandigram belt for two SEZs of a consortium led by Salim group. These included a proposed multi-product SEZ on 12,500 acres in Haldia and a chemical SEZ on 10,000 acres in Nandigram.
However, the chemical SEZ has since been cancelled following the March 14 incident last year.
About 2,000 acres had to be acquired in Uluberia for a planned integrated industrial development project and 1,325 acres at Sankrail for an industrial park. Rest of the land had to be acquired for other projects in Kulpi, Baruipur, Kharagpur, Rajarhat, Dankuni and Murshidabad. KMDA had set up a monitoring cell to oversee land acquisition for 5,000-acre township in Dankuni.
Nothing much has proceeded so far and trouble has started brewing over the land acquisition already. For the West Howrah township, another 4,000 acres would have to be acquired.

Source: TOI EPaper


Infy chants green mantra for city campus
Sumali Moitra | TNN

Kolkata: Infosys has decided to do its bit to boost the growing green building movement in the city.
India’s No. 2 software exporter intends to make its proposed Kolkata facility, which is slated to come up on a 90-acre plot, conform to internationally accepted norms for green buildings in order to promote sustainable development.
“Infosys is planning to construct environmentfriendly, green buildings in all current and future projects,” Infosys CEO & managing director S Gopalakrishnan told TOI, while responding to a query on whether the Kolkata campus would be a green building.
However, Gopalakrishnan said the company is yet to make up its mind on whether it would get this facility rated by specialised agencies dealing with this subject. “Whether we will get them certified is not sure. We may do so if it is not too cumbersome to do so and not too expensive,” he said.
Green buildings typically cost 8% more than non-green ones. However, the former’s economic payback is generally much higher over a period of time, which explains the fascination for establishment of such facilities among real estate developers. Rahul Saraf ’s Technopolis IT park at Sector V was Kolkata’s first green building. Ratings of green buildings in India mostly follow the LEED certification norms put in place by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
“Infosys is committed to reducing global carbon emissions. Hence, we do not intend to earn carbon credits,” Gopalakrishnan said.

I never knew the project was shelved..:ohno:

Source: TOI EPaper

^^Bit confused. From this piece and the one above, not really sure what has been acquired and what is pending.

^^Bit confused. From this piece and the one above, not really sure what has been acquired and what is pending.

TOI thinks its has the right to publish any thing..
there's no credibility whatsoever..
i think its a lapse on the newspapers part..

Salim projects on track, says Group’s pointsman (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Salim-projects-on-track-says-Groups-pointsman/350570/)



^^Is he referring to the land at Nayachar?

Hmmm.. I think they are talking about the Motorcycle factory, Kolkata west etc all togather. Nayachar is pending for center's approval. Till now they didn't get it. But 13000 sounds too big.

I never knew the project was shelved..:ohno:

Source: TOI EPaper

I don't think the project has been shelved. CM just made one statement in North Bengal, what I know. Though I told before in one discussion, this road is not going to happen any time soon.

^^Bit confused. From this piece and the one above, not really sure what has been acquired and what is pending.

TOI thinks its has the right to publish any thing..
there's no credibility whatsoever..
i think its a lapse on the newspapers part..

There is a Anandabazar (http://www.anandabazar.com/19raj4.htm) report too. You may have a look.

TOI thinks its has the right to publish any thing..
there's no credibility whatsoever..
i think its a lapse on the newspapers part..


For the West Howrah township, another 4,000 acres would have to be acquired.

^^Yes, some of the figures did not make sense. As far as we know Kolkata west is coming up on 390 acres.

There is a Anandabazar (http://www.anandabazar.com/19raj4.htm) report too. You may have a look.

will have to translate it for me dude..
no bengali..

will have to translate it for me dude..
no bengali..

same here...:shifty:

will have to translate it for me dude..
no bengali..

Ok Ok.. :lol: The summary is - Some other ministers and party members are not happy about CM’s statement. They are telling that a project cannot be shelved without discussing inside govt and party. This road actually planned on 1996 and one Company named "Jaica" already did the feasibility study at that time. Later it has been given to Salim. Some lands have already been acquired.

same here...:shifty:

What?? I can't believe. You can't read bengali???... :laugh:

What?? I can't beleive. You can't read bengali???... :laugh:

and understand too..

and understand too..

No worries. I am here. :banana:

What?? I can't believe. You can't read bengali???... :laugh:

Bangla porte likhte janina, but can fully speak and understand.:)

In fact you may be further surprised to know that the last 6 months is the longest I have spent in Kolkata ( and West Bengal). I am of the opinion that being a probashi has its own advantages and some disadvantages, but that is another discussion altogether...:)

Bangla porte likhte janina, but can fully speak and understand.:)

In fact you may be further surprised to know that the last 6 months is the longest I have spent in Kolkata ( and West Bengal). I am of the opinion that being a probashi has its own advantages and some disadvantages, but that is another discussion altogether...:)

You are more bengali than lot of others my friend. :cheers:

Many of my cousins who live outside West Bengal, don't know how to read or write Bengali. But they do know the local language of the state and Hindi/English. I am sure there will be millions like them in the same situation. I know in Kolkata, people raise eyebrows and say - Bangalir chele hoye Bangla janona? But it is not really anyone's fault here.

The situation gets more complex for example when parents have different mother tongues and live in a state with a different official language. For example say the mother is Bengali, the father is Malayalee and they live in Mumbai. What does the child learn? English, Hindi, Marathi, some broken Bengali and Malayalam.

Many of my cousins who live outside West Bengal, don't know how to read or write Bengali. But they do know the local language of the state and Hindi/English. I am sure there will be millions like them in the same situation. I know in Kolkata, people raise eyebrows and say - Bangalir chele hoye Bangla janona? But it is not really anyone's fault here.

The situation gets more complex for example when parents have different mother tongues and live in a state with a different official language. For example say the mother is Bengali, the father is Malayalee and they live in Mumbai. What does the child learn? English, Hindi, Marathi, some broken Bengali and Malayalam.



^^Yes, the second situation can be challenging but if one is able to adapt to the situation then he comes out wiser and more successful in life with the knowledge of many languages and cultures.

One advantage by spending the formative years away from my roots, is that I can appreciate ( weigh pros and cons) my roots better than many others who did not have this opportunity.

One advantage by spending the formative years away from my roots, is that I can appreciate ( weigh pros and cons) my roots better than many others who did not have this opportunity.

A probashi Bengali probably sees the pros and cons of Bengal in a different perspective than one who has never been outside Bengal. You can really see how Bengal has fallen behind many of the progressive states in terms of economy and work culture thanks to frog in the well, disruptive politicians like the Mamatas and the Bimans. On the other hand you can also see that Bengal is not as backwards as many 'experts' in the Delhi and Bombay make it out to be.

What?? I can't believe. You can't read bengali???... :laugh:

I am also a bit surprised!! Somewhere I used some Bengali words. In any case, knowing a particular
language gives an extra mileage. I had just learnt Urdu reading only(print form just kamchalau) while in Islamabad which gave me some advantage in one way or the other. similarly, I learnt reading Punjabi(Gurumukhi) while in Delhi which helped me while visiting Chandigarh. I am not beating my own drum. This is just to tell the truth.:cheers:

^^Yes, the second situation can be challenging but if one is able to adapt to the situation then he comes out wiser and more successful in life with the knowledge of many languages and cultures.

One advantage by spending the formative years away from my roots, is that I can appreciate ( weigh pros and cons) my roots better than many others who did not have this opportunity.

It will not be out of place to mention here that Abhishek Bachchan can speak only a few Bengali words although his mother tongue is Bengali:nuts:

When will the Mamtas and the Buddhas and the Gurudases and the Shyamals understand that bandhs are bad for the state?

This culture of bandhs has to be banished from Bengal. It does more harm than any good to the state.

Industrialists slam Mamata, ruling party for bandh culture

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Industrialists-slam-Mamata-ruling-party-for-bandh-culture/351078/

The controversy over land acquisition for Tata Motors’ small-car project at Singur was to be the theme of Tuesday’s interactive session between industry leaders and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee. But with a 24-hour bandh called by the Left trade unions on Wednesday, leading industrialists took the opportunity to criticise the ruling CPM and Banerjee for the bandh culture.

SP Mukherjee, managing director of an IT company Databazaar, said IT companies have to waste an enormous amount of time and energy to convince foreign clients that they can undertake business despite a strike. “Will the political parties get together to curb bandhs?” Mukherjee asked.

The Trinamool leader, however, asserted that the Opposition in West Bengal had to resort to bandhs because the Left Front government neglected the concerns of the people and unleashed the state-sponsored terrorism. She also blasted the state government for calling bandhs over vague issues and making them an annual ritual. “An Opposition bandh is understandable. But have you ever seen any government sponsoring a strike?” she said.

The Trinamool chief further said, “Moreover, unlike the ruling CPM, we never call for 24-hour bandhs. In a 12-hour bandh, industry can work for at least one shift.”

When asked to provide a solution to the bandh culture, Mamata’s parting shot was: “You give me a solution to Singur, and I will solve your problem of bandhs.”

For the industrial chambers, Singur is just one issue and bandhs are a much wider nuisance. The chambers had issued a joint statement on August 6 indirectly criticising the ruling party for the bandh culture. “Such retrograde activities can wipe out the positive image, which West Bengal has earned during its industrial regeneration,” said officials of the chambers of commerce and industry.

Govt may hand over 32 cinemas to private player

Kolkata: The state government plans to hand over 32 cinemas owned by it to a private company to develop these as state-of-the-art entertainment centres. For this, it initiated talks with the Zee Group of companies on Tuesday.
Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee discussed the plan — to develop through joint venture these properties worth hundreds of crores — with Zee Group chairman Subhas Chandra Goel.
The possibility of the company opening several multiplexes in and around Kolkata was also discussed. In one of the major tie-ups with the state, Zee Telefilms is also to upgrade and modernise Technician Studio as a state-of-theart mega film studio for which the state land and land reforms department has already started preparing documents to hand over land.
According to a senior official, the government wants multiplexes not just in Kolkata, but also in the adjoining districts. “Multiplexes can be set up on vacant land in satellite townships like Salt Lake, Rajarhat and elsewhere in the state, too, as the idea is not just to cater to Kolkata.”
As per another plan, the state government wants to develop the 32 cinemas by handing those over to a private company. And, it’s trying to rope in Zee for this. These would not just remain halls where plays and seminars would be held, but developed into full-fledged entertainment centres.
But some in the government were apprehensive about the smooth execution of the plans. Just like there was opposition to privatizing Technician Studio, handing over of 32 halls is also likely to be met with stiff resistance, an official said.
But Zee has the required expertise, according to Writers’ officials. “Goel told the chief minister that his company has made six Bengali films and the government is quite convinced that the remake of Technician Studio should be entrusted with Zee,” he added.
Bhattacharjee is learnt to have told Goel that Technician Studio I and II and the renovation of Sangeet kala Academy should “give much better service at a lower cost”. The state Cabinet has cleared this proposal two weeks ago.
The studios will have airconditioned shooting floors, rest rooms, banquet hall, film preview theatre, directors’ rooms, post-production facilities, colour film processing labs, food courts and family entertainment centre, a 1,000-seat multiplex theatre and so on.

Times of India

It will not be out of place to mention here that Abhishek Bachchan can speak only a few Bengali words although his mother tongue is Bengali:nuts:

It all depends upon the environment they born and brought and lot of other factors. Same goes to film stars like Saif Ali Khan and Kajol. Saif's mother is bengali too. Kajol's father is bengali and mother knows bengali very well. But I don't think they know bengali except few words. But on the other hand Rani Mukherjee and Soha Ali Khan speak bengali very well. :nuts: I watched their interviews and movies.

Many of my cousins who live outside West Bengal, don't know how to read or write Bengali. But they do know the local language of the state and Hindi/English. I am sure there will be millions like them in the same situation. I know in Kolkata, people raise eyebrows and say - Bangalir chele hoye Bangla janona? But it is not really anyone's fault here.


True, I also got some "Probasi bangali" friends. Most of them hardly read/write Bengali. Though all of them speak normal Bengali and love to eat "dal, bhaat ar maach" . :lol:

Now a new drama begins :banana:
_____________________________________________________

Raichak road plan not shelved: CM

Kolkata: Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has told PWD minister Kshiti Goswami that he did not mean that the 100-km Barasat-Raichak expressway project had been cancelled. What he meant was that it had been kept on hold.
The CM’s reference to the project’s bleak future in Phansidewa on Sunday had triggered widespread reaction. This resulted in Goswami asking Bhattacharjee as to how he could have announced the cancellation of the project, when “development work has to go on”.
“I had asked the CM how he could announce the cancellation of the project. He told me that the project has not been cancelled. What he meant was that it has been kept on hold and discussions have to be held with farmers before land can be acquired. He told me that it has been misinterpreted as cancellation of the project,” said Goswami on Tuesday.
Bhattacharjee’s statement on Sunday on “cancellation” of the much-hyped 100-km Barasat-Raichak expressway project had put a question mark on the fate of several high-profile industrial and infrastructure projects lined up for the state and entailing a proposed investment of nearly Rs 100,000 crore.
Goswami had met Bhattacharjee at a bipartite meeting on Monday, when the former brought up the issue, because it was giving an impression that the state government was backtracking on developmental projects in areas where land acquisition has become a thorny issue and there was opposition to it.

Times of India

It all depends upon the environment they born and brought and lot of other factors. Same goes to film stars like Saif Ali Khan and Kajol. Saif's mother is bengali too. Kajol's father is bengali and mother knows bengali very well. But I don't think they know bengali except few words. But on the other hand Rani Mukherjee and Soha Ali Khan speak bengali very well. :nuts: I watched their interviews and movies.



True, I also got some "Probasi bangali" friends. Most of them hardly read/write Bengali. Though all of them speak normal Bengali and love to eat "dal, bhaat ar maach" . :lol:

Dada I shall make you one better. :)

How about the 'Shorshay Ilish' and 'Thankunir Bhorta' I have on the weekends? Exotic enough sitting in Los Angeles of all places....

Now a new drama begins :banana:
_____________________________________________________

Raichak road plan not shelved: CM

Kolkata: Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has told PWD minister Kshiti Goswami that he did not mean that the 100-km Barasat-Raichak expressway project had been cancelled. What he meant was that it had been kept on hold.
The CM’s reference to the project’s bleak future in Phansidewa on Sunday had triggered widespread reaction. This resulted in Goswami asking Bhattacharjee as to how he could have announced the cancellation of the project, when “development work has to go on”.
“I had asked the CM how he could announce the cancellation of the project. He told me that the project has not been cancelled. What he meant was that it has been kept on hold and discussions have to be held with farmers before land can be acquired. He told me that it has been misinterpreted as cancellation of the project,” said Goswami on Tuesday.
Bhattacharjee’s statement on Sunday on “cancellation” of the much-hyped 100-km Barasat-Raichak expressway project had put a question mark on the fate of several high-profile industrial and infrastructure projects lined up for the state and entailing a proposed investment of nearly Rs 100,000 crore.
Goswami had met Bhattacharjee at a bipartite meeting on Monday, when the former brought up the issue, because it was giving an impression that the state government was backtracking on developmental projects in areas where land acquisition has become a thorny issue and there was opposition to it.

Times of India

^^Very true! Why does it look like Buddha babu is justifying to a PWD minister? Is it the right protocol? :nuts:There is perhaps more to this than meets the eye

Dada I shall make you one better. :)

How about the 'Shorshay Ilish' and 'Thankunir Bhorta' I have on the weekends? Exotic enough sitting in Los Angeles of all places....

:D I assume they are made at home ? Or are they on a restaurant menu?

True, I also got some "Probasi bangali" friends. Most of them hardly read/write Bengali. Though all of them speak normal Bengali and love to eat "dal, bhaat ar maach" . :lol:

^^Bongs are the perfect foodies whereever they are and whereever they go.:)

A probashi Bengali probably sees the pros and cons of Bengal in a different perspective than one who has never been outside Bengal. You can really see how Bengal has fallen behind many of the progressive states in terms of economy and work culture thanks to frog in the well, disruptive politicians like the Mamatas and the Bimans. On the other hand you can also see that Bengal is not as backwards as many 'experts' in the Delhi and Bombay make it out to be.

Yes, three decades of disruption and lockouts have resulted in much loss that will take years to restore. The work culture needs to be restored to some level; only then can Kolkata be competitive in comparison to NCR/Mumbai and try to regain the glory of the colonial days.

Did the communist ideology in the 70s/80s/90s result in ban in English in schools? Many of the youth of the 70s ( who are now in their 50s) have grown up without proper knowledge of English but I have observed that the generation before them can converse well in English and these are people in their twilight years!! :shocked:

As Sun always points out, the centre of it all is lack of political will and only when one goes beyond the shoddy politics of the Mamtas or the CPM can this state prosper.

Dada I shall make you one better. :)

How about the 'Shorshay Ilish' and 'Thankunir Bhorta' I have on the weekends? Exotic enough sitting in Los Angeles of all places....

Damm.. Here I get only pre-historic ilish. My friends from US/UK/Canada told that they get good quality fresh ilish there. Though prawns are good here. One day I prepared 'Dab-Chingri'. :baeh3:

^^Bongs are the perfect foodies whereever they are and whereever they go.:)

True. There are few things Bengalis don't eat. :nuts:

^^Very true! Why does it look like Buddha babu is justifying to a PWD minister? Is it the right protocol? :nuts:There is perhaps more to this than meets the eye

Land acquisitions for some important road projects like NH-34 widening are our pwd minister's responsibility. He has excellent relation with local people. He did a pretty good job for Belgharia ex'way project. Those may be the reason CM doesn't want to quarrel with him.

Land acquisitions for some important road projects like NH-34 widening are our pwd minister's responsibility. He has excellent relation with local people. He did a pretty good job for Belgharia ex'way project. Those may be the reason CM doesn't want to quarrel with him.

Good to know that there are commies who realize their responsibilities and are doing a good job. I also like the efforts being made by Debesh Das on the tech front in trying to attract hardware/semi conductor companies both in manufacturing & services to the state. WB needs more people like them.

Good to know that there are commies who realize their responsibilities and are doing a good job. I also like the efforts being made by Debesh Das on the tech front in trying to attract hardware/semi conductor companies both in manufacturing & services to the state. WB needs more people like them.

Yes Mr. Dabesh Das is an excellent guy. WB needs dynamic people like him. :cheers:

A newly constructed flyover at Howrah Domgur area. Though the report says the bridge is yet to get light :nuts:
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/1258/20south01ha3.jpg

Photo and Information source: Anandabazar

A newly constructed flyover at Howrah Domgur area. Though the report says the bridge is yet to get light :nuts:
http://img501.imageshack.us/img501/1258/20south01ha3.jpg

Photo and Information source: Anandabazar

Good. But is the curve necessary?

Talking of shapes the Lake Garden flyover is another that could have been better designed, I mean less complicated.

Good. But is the curve necessary?

Talking of shapes the Lake Garden flyover is another that could have been better designed, I mean less complicated.

It is only two lanes. Don't know why they put the curve. Surely because of land problem. But it looks well constructed. :cheers:

Yes, three decades of disruption and lockouts have resulted in much loss that will take years to restore. The work culture needs to be restored to some level; only then can Kolkata be competitive in comparison to NCR/Mumbai and try to regain the glory of the colonial days.

Looks like there is another state (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Keralas_80th_shutdown_in_6_months/articleshow/3385246.cms)(which also has on and off communist rule) that is in competition with West Bengal. It had a record breaking 80 shutdowns in past six months! The culture of bandhs, strikes and violence has permeated so deep in the three states under commie influence, that even the non commies indulge in them.

Did the communist ideology in the 70s/80s/90s result in ban in English in schools? Many of the youth of the 70s ( who are now in their 50s) have grown up without proper knowledge of English but I have observed that the generation before them can converse well in English and these are people in their twilight years!! :shocked:

The communist parties (and their intellectuals) decided that English was harmful for the children of Bengal. So they removed it till class V. Their justifcation was not totally wrong, but like all communist parties, they decided to impose something without discussion or debates with the people. It was after a long struggle between the common people and the dictatorial communist intellectuals, that English was finally reintroduced in primary schools. These intellectuals (Communists seem to be full of them) have harmed West Bengal's education system in many other ways too. But reintroducing English was just a small win for the common people. If the government doesn't recruit and train teachers in huge numbers, doesn't build proper schools with proper facilities, then what is the point? The whole education system is politicised so deeply by the communist cadres and intellectuals, that it has become rotten to the core.

So although West Bengal's communists claim to have a lot of interest in social welfare, their track record is extremely poor. For three decades they have been blaming the Central Government, the communal forces and the imperial forces for their own failures. Only if they spent their energies for the people instead of blaming everyone else, West Bengal would have been a much better state.

It is only two lanes. Don't know why they put the curve. Surely because of land problem. But it looks well constructed. :cheers:

true, the curve is not a problem if it is a 2*2 or 3*3 flyover

Looks like there is another state (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Keralas_80th_shutdown_in_6_months/articleshow/3385246.cms)(which also has on and off communist rule) that is in competition with West Bengal. It had a record breaking 80 shutdowns in past six months! The culture of bandhs, strikes and violence has permeated so deep in the three states under commie influence, that even the non commies indulge in them.



The communist parties (and their intellectuals) decided that English was harmful for the children of Bengal. So they removed it till class V. Their justifcation was not totally wrong, but like all communist parties, they decided to impose something without discussion or debates with the people. It was after a long struggle between the common people and the dictatorial communist intellectuals, that English was finally reintroduced in primary schools. These intellectuals (Communists seem to be full of them) have harmed West Bengal's education system in many other ways too. But reintroducing English was just a small win for the common people. If the government doesn't recruit and train teachers in huge numbers, doesn't build proper schools with proper facilities, then what is the point? The whole education system is politicised so deeply by the communist cadres and intellectuals, that it has become rotten to the core.

So although West Bengal's communists claim to have a lot of interest in social welfare, their track record is extremely poor. For three decades they have been blaming the Central Government, the communal forces and the imperial forces for their own failures. Only if they spent their energies for the people instead of blaming everyone else, West Bengal would have been a much better state.

I know this is not a place to discuss politics but I just had to say this after reading a few posts above mine.

Why does CPI rule in Kolkata for so long now , from being the imperial capital of India , the center of everything good - it has now been left behind by metros such as B'lore and Hyd. . Are the people oblivious to the fact that India is moving forward and intellectuals of backward mindset are setting the state backwards too.

Or do the "garib Manush" seem to think that any other Govt. apart from CPI will discard them and not consider them while letting other things take priority.

I know this is not a place to discuss politics but I just had to say this after reading a few posts above mine.

Why does CPI rule in Kolkata for so long now , from being the imperial capital of India , the center of everything good - it has now been left behind by metros such as B'lore and Hyd. . Are the people oblivious to the fact that India is moving forward and intellectuals of backward mindset are setting the state backwards too.

Or do the "garib Manush" seem to think that any other Govt. apart from CPI will discard them and not consider them while letting other things take priority.

In the past 3 decades or so till late 90s, the communist ideology was one that opposed industrialization. This proved very costly with routine bandhs, lockouts, strikes and many industries eventually logging out of Bengal. It also affected the overall work culture. This has changed over the last 8 years or so with the same CPM govt managing to create a investment friendly climate in the state.

But there is opposition in the form of Trinamul congress party which has been opposing any initiative taken by the govt towards industrialization and especially those requiring farmland. I would say that the intent is there , but the challenges before the govt are numerous.

It is immaterial what the garib manush think. They are bound to be misled by disruptive politics.

It is very difficult for me to digest how these intellectuals and aam janta of Bengal tolerate these bandhs and hartals, rasta roko etc. although they claim themselves very much political aware and progressive than other states of India. I wonder why they don't oppose the bandhs and make the bandh "unsuccessful". One should take this poor man's "didi" not to the first world but to China, Argentina, Brazil, Turkey even Syria or Vietnam and show how the world evolved in the past 50 years or so. The irony is that these men still think Kolkata is among the four metros in every respect whereas the truth is, it stands nowhere in the league of 10 big cities of India except population. Even Cochin airport is busier than Kolkata in terms of international flights. Even Luftahansa flies more flights from Pune than from Kolkata. Malayasian Airlines stopped flying from Kolkata whereas it operates from Bangalore. Average Kolkata household has less income than the national average. In Literacy, it is nowhere in the top 8 or so. Even Nagpur has more road length than Kolkata. The examples are many. This Netri of TC is taking the state backwards and has already made irrecoverable harm for the state. Mr.Bhattacharjee's(CM) wings are being clipped not only by TMC but by some of his own colleagues. What Jyotibabu could not make in 24 years, Shri Bhattacharjee has done more than that in just 4 years. Bengal is improving just because of M/s Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Debesh Das, Asim Dasgupta, Nirupam Sen(the Minister) et all. This didi is totally anti-development and good for nothing:bash:

President to unveil civic charter (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080820/jsp/calcutta/story_9713329.jsp)

The Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) is all set to launch citizens’ charters to underline its commitment to providing timely services. The charters will be released by President Pratibha Patil at Raj Bhavan on Saturday.

This is the first time that citizens’ charters will be released by the President.

The CMC prepared the charters under the guidance of the department for international development of the British government. The UK government has also given the civic body a grant of Rs 212 crore for the programme.

A citizens’ charter is a commitment of a civic department to deliver civic services within a stipulated time to a citizen, failing which the officials concerned will be liable to pay a token penalty, mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya said on Tuesday.

“It does not by itself create new rights, but the charter certainly helps in enforcing the existing ones and in focusing on the commitment of a civic body towards the citizens,” said municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

According to the municipal commissioner, each civic department — like building, assessment, roads, parks & gardens and sewerage & drainage — will have a separate charter.

For instance, the civic assessment department has prepared a 32-point charter. The minimum and maximum time the assessment department will take in dealing with a case are one week and six months.

Similarly, the building department has promised in its charter to clear the construction proposal of a residential building within a month.

Fifteen civic officials from the rank of director-general (building) down to borough executive engineer have been designated as citizens’ charter officers. They will oversee implementation of the charter and will be easily accessible.

In the original concept of citizens’ charter, there was no provision for a token penalty. It was inserted as the mayor felt that a commitment without provision for penalty won’t benefit people.

I know this is not a place to discuss politics but I just had to say this after reading a few posts above mine.

Why does CPI rule in Kolkata for so long now , from being the imperial capital of India , the center of everything good - it has now been left behind by metros such as B'lore and Hyd. . Are the people oblivious to the fact that India is moving forward and intellectuals of backward mindset are setting the state backwards too.

Or do the "garib Manush" seem to think that any other Govt. apart from CPI will discard them and not consider them while letting other things take priority.

The CPI is an also ran party. It is inconsequential. It is CPM which runs the show in West Bengal. The Left Front came to power for a variety of reasons. The main being people's anger with the Congress Party and the alleged brutality under Congress Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray against left activists. Plus Indira Gandhi's emergency, refugee crisis etc.

The Left Front did some good work initially - like land reforms. It also ensured sticking to secularism in a state with a mixed population. There is almost no caestism in the state. Plus they have never indulged in any sons of the soil type agitation.

The question is why people keep voting for the left? Maybe the first 10 years it was the improvement in the volatile atmosphere.

But later on, it has been mostly ruthless cadre power (as seen in Nandigram) and a completely useless opposition.

There is now a strong opposition leader like Mamata Bannerjee and she is really going at the CPM and even winning seats in elections.

Unfortunately Mamata Bannerjee has no track record apart from violence, bandhs, processions.

And she is growing popular, when some leaders in CPM in West Bengal are willing to change the moribund scenario into a brighter one. A sad situation indeed.

Dalmiya IT SEZ proves big hit

Sumali Moitra

Kolkata: Jagmohan Dalmiya’s stars, shining bright after his recapture of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) hotseat, seem to have added more glitter following the enthusiastic response of the tech community to his IT SEZ in Bantala.
The former ICC and BCCI chief ’s infotech SEZ — carved out of the Calcutta Leather Complex (also set up by him) on the city’s southern fringes — has already managed to hand over 100% of the allocable area within the duty-free enclave to a clutch of tech majors and IT park developers.
Sources said M L Dalmiya & Company has allocated 102.87 acres — the total area available for giving out to customers after deducting space reserved for support infrastructure — to 17 companies, which includes IT giants like Cognizant (20 acres), Patni
(14 acres), Tech Mahindra (12.12 acres) and developers of builtup space like Forum Projects (10.56 acres) and Kolkata IT SEZ Pvt Ltd (11.6 acres). “Going by projections submitted by these companies to the authorities, Dalmiya’s IT SEZ would create employment for 58,550 people, the bulk of them by IT park developers which have booked space within this facility,” sources said. “Provided this happens, the IT SEZ in Bantala would very soon give the city’s traditional IT hub, Sector V, a close run for its money in terms of potential job opportunities,” they added.
There is reason for this bullishness about Bantala. With Sector V practically exhausted, there isn’t too much space available for companies to expand there. Firms desirous of expanding in Bengal, therefore, have to look either at Rajarhat and Bantala.
With land acquisition at Rajarhat being far from smooth (despite the possibility of being able to get large tracts of land), companies wanting space quickly can always do so at Bantala by booking themselves into one of the many intelligent buildings that would come up within Dalmiya’s complex. A recent study by noted real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield supports this view. In “Indian real estate investment dynamics”, C&W states that although Bantala falls in the “moderate scale” in the emerging corridor matrix, “this would not restrain investments in this region.”

Company---------------Area(in acres)-----Declared Employment
Cognizant-----------------20.05-------------4000
Tech Mahindra-------------12.12-------------5000
Patni----------------------14----------------8000
Forum Projects-------------10.56-------------14490
Kolkata IT SEZ-------------11.6--------------13900

Times of India

Some projects in Bantala from Agrawal and Agrawal Architects (http://agrawalarchitects.com/projects/index.html)

1
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/7793/bantalaagrawalfn2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

2
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6950/dhunseriagrawalkn5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

3
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1708/ruchisoyabantalaagrawalyp7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Technopolis 2 @ Bantala (http://www.forumprojects.in/)

render from DP Architects (http://www.dparchitects.com/main.html)

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/8428/technopolis2bantalaqs4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Some Bantala construction photos taken by ArijeetB

1
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4451/bantalaconstructionarijib2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

2
http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8541/bantalaconstruction2aripq5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


And a google earth image of Bantala

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1589/bantalasezsao0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Technopolis 2 @ Bantala (http://www.forumprojects.in/)

render from DP Architects (http://www.dparchitects.com/main.html)

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/8428/technopolis2bantalaqs4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Some Bantala construction photos taken by ArijeetB

1
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/4451/bantalaconstructionarijib2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



Nice images Sun. The U/C building (On right-hand part of pic2) looks similar to the above Tchnopolis2 model. Though, it is too early to say. :)

Traffic plan for Bypass hub (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080821/jsp/calcutta/story_9719813.jsp)

The civic authorities have decided to draw up a traffic plan for the EM Bypass-Park Circus intersection well before a proposed hospitality hub comes up in the area.

This is the first time the civic managers have come forward with a traffic scheme before the implementation of private sector projects.

The traffic plan will be prepared in consultation with the city and district police, civic sources said.

Municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhayay is scheduled to inspect the area on Thursday along with the additional commissioner of police, K. Harirajan, and the inspector-general of police (South Bengal), Surajeet Karpurakayastha.

The traffic plan will include construction of an underpass, graded separators and flyovers as joint venture projects with the private sector.

“The CMDA is constructing a flyover connecting bridge No. 4 with Dhapa. It will be a great advantage if a flank is added to it from the proposed hospitality hub,” said the civic deputy chief engineer (civil), Soumitra Bhattacharya.

The area will have a fair ground (Milon Mela), five hotels of international standard and six multi-speciality healthcare facilities by 2011. The civic authorities predict that the volume of traffic in the area will increase 10-fold once the hub comes up.

“Over Rs 5,000 crore will be pumped into the hospitality sector in the area in the next three years and it will increase the total hotel accommodation available in the city by 2,000,” said Bandopadhyay.

“If we do not draw up a traffic management plan now, there will be a tremendous traffic chaos in the area from 2011,” he added.

“Two private groups have already contributed Rs 3.5 crore for the purpose. Others are also expected to pump in money,” the municipal commissioner said.

ITC is building a 30-storeyed extension of their existing multi-star hotel, The Sonar. DLF has bought several acres of land for Rs 155 crore to build a hotel with 500 rooms and 84 suites. The APJ and MRMG groups are also planning hotels in the area, civic sources said.


^^Looks like the Parama island- Park circus flyover is still on and also a new skyline is in the making in the coming years.

Dalmiya IT SEZ proves big hit

Sumali Moitra

Kolkata: Jagmohan Dalmiya’s stars, shining bright after his recapture of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) hotseat, seem to have added more glitter following the enthusiastic response of the tech community to his IT SEZ in Bantala.
The former ICC and BCCI chief ’s infotech SEZ — carved out of the Calcutta Leather Complex (also set up by him) on the city’s southern fringes — has already managed to hand over 100% of the allocable area within the duty-free enclave to a clutch of tech majors and IT park developers.
Sources said M L Dalmiya & Company has allocated 102.87 acres — the total area available for giving out to customers after deducting space reserved for support infrastructure — to 17 companies, which includes IT giants like Cognizant (20 acres), Patni
(14 acres), Tech Mahindra (12.12 acres) and developers of builtup space like Forum Projects (10.56 acres) and Kolkata IT SEZ Pvt Ltd (11.6 acres). “Going by projections submitted by these companies to the authorities, Dalmiya’s IT SEZ would create employment for 58,550 people, the bulk of them by IT park developers which have booked space within this facility,” sources said. “Provided this happens, the IT SEZ in Bantala would very soon give the city’s traditional IT hub, Sector V, a close run for its money in terms of potential job opportunities,” they added.
There is reason for this bullishness about Bantala. With Sector V practically exhausted, there isn’t too much space available for companies to expand there. Firms desirous of expanding in Bengal, therefore, have to look either at Rajarhat and Bantala.
With land acquisition at Rajarhat being far from smooth (despite the possibility of being able to get large tracts of land), companies wanting space quickly can always do so at Bantala by booking themselves into one of the many intelligent buildings that would come up within Dalmiya’s complex. A recent study by noted real estate consultant Cushman & Wakefield supports this view. In “Indian real estate investment dynamics”, C&W states that although Bantala falls in the “moderate scale” in the emerging corridor matrix, “this would not restrain investments in this region.”

Company---------------Area(in acres)-----Declared Employment
Cognizant-----------------20.05-------------4000
Tech Mahindra-------------12.12-------------5000
Patni----------------------14----------------8000
Forum Projects-------------10.56-------------14490
Kolkata IT SEZ-------------11.6--------------13900

Times of India

^^Increased land area should be directly proportional to employment generation, but here it seems to be inversely related. Anyway good going for Bantala:)

^^Increased land area should be directly proportional to employment generation, but here it seems to be inversely related. Anyway good going for Bantala:)

Ya, from the figures it seems CTS would spread across and others would make compact. :)

Ya, from the figures it seems CTS would spread across and others would make compact. :)

^^ - Typically, one sees that IT firms tend to have low FARs in their own campuses where a lot of space is left for landscaping, support facilities and so on. Property development is not a key priority for an IT firm, to which the campus is just an enabler. Even in terms of phasing of construction, IT firms are led by the demand from their businesses, which may call for a campus to be developed over 5-10 years in line with overall business growth.

In the case of a property developer, the built-up space is the key revenue earner and they try to maximise the area developed within a plot. These buildings may be less spectacular but in terms of FAR and employment generation, they are far ahead of most IT company campuses. Developers also tend to finish their parks as quickly as possible to rake in maximum revenue at the earliest.

. This Netri of TC is taking the state backwards and has already made irrecoverable harm for the state. This didi is totally anti-development and good for nothing:bash:


Didi had tough competition in the arena of anti development moronic leaders.

Here's one sample (there are hundreds like these in WB):

Shyamal Chakraborty - the CITU leader specially targeted the IT sector in today's Bandh. The CITU is afraid of the IT sector just as most leftist intellectuals like Arundhuti Ray, Praful Bidwai are. Here's what he had to say (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/IT-sector-hit-CITU-least-bothered/351540/) about forcing a bandh on the IT sector.

“The IT sector bigwigs are young and are not that experienced. Let me tell them, they have not yet seen trade unionism. We are growing strong in the sector,” said Chakrabarty.

Isn't that a threat? What will the IT sector do? It will just pack its bags and leave for other states. It is West Bengal which is going to suffer because of the antics of such idiotic anti state CITU leaders. Does the CITU care? No. For all it matters, the CITU wants to drive out the IT sector from West Bengal, just as they have driven out industries before. These leftist trade union leaders are afraid of well paid and well educated people because, well paid and well educated people are considered enemies of the communist ideology.

And here is the cake of dumbness from Mr Shyamal Chakroborty:

“How can a day’s bandh send a wrong signal to industrialists and private investors? We want private investors to come to Bengal.”

Good to know that there are commies who realize their responsibilities and are doing a good job. I also like the efforts being made by Debesh Das on the tech front in trying to attract hardware/semi conductor companies both in manufacturing & services to the state. WB needs more people like them.

Yes, people like Mr Debesh Das are needed. These people have the long tern interests of the state in mind.

Ya, from the figures it seems CTS would spread across and others would make compact. :)

^^With specific reference to CTS, they are a cash rich MNC and have the resources to give more space to their employees when compared to some of their 'Indian' counterparts.

:)Haute Street - India's first Signature Mall coming up on Park Circus Connector near Topsia crossing

Render

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/9689/15mallrw6.jpg

Status as on 21.08.2008

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9114/hautestreet1jj3.jpg
http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9341/hautestreet2zj7.jpg

RMZ Ecospace - IT park coming up at New Town near the second DLF IT Park

Render- from their website (http://www.rmzcorp.com/officeproject.asp?city=Kolkata&project=37)

http://img370.imageshack.us/img370/1198/ecospacekolkata1zk2.jpg

Status as on 21.08.2008

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/8879/ecospaceqv1.jpg

DLF IT Park - status as on 21.08.2008

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/6273/dlfitpark2hk1.jpg

DLF IT Park, Infospace and the bridge over Bagjola canal

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1401/dlfitparkinfospacecu5.jpg

Puspanjali - commercial space in Park Circus Connector near Topsia

Render available in http://agrawalarchitects.com/

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/4315/puspanjalikt1.jpg

Great updates ArijeetB

:cheers:

Cool man. Fantastic updates.. :cheers:

DLF IT Park, Infospace and the bridge over Bagjola canal
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/1401/dlfitparkinfospacecu5.jpg

Thats a nice bridge. Is it inside their park?

Wipro is gearing to double its workforce in Calcutta from 5,000 to over 10,000 in the next three to five years. The IT major is also planning to scale up its investments in the city.

Wipro’s expansion plans in Calcutta, which had run into land trouble, have picked up pace after the state government assured speedy delivery of 90 acres at the proposed IT City behind Vedic Village.

“We expect to take possession of the land behind Vedic Village by the end of 2008 and start construction by early next year,” said Suresh C. Senapaty, the chief financial officer and executive director of Wipro.

Wipro’s expansion plans in the city – initially planned in Rajarhat New Town — had hit a roadblock two years ago over the price of land, which led the chief minister to intervene.

After several rounds of discussions between the IT department and the company, Wipro decided to set up its second campus in the 1,200-acre IT City, 10 km from the airport.

“The growth momentum of Wipro in Calcutta had a setback because of the delay in getting land for our second campus,” said Senapaty, adding that the resolution of the land issue would put back the city office on the growth path.

The company’s Salt Lake centre has a BPO unit and a software development unit, which services telecom, technology and insurance majors. “At present, we have 5,000-plus employees in Salt Lake. If things go according to plans, we will cross the 10,000 mark in the next three to five years,” he added.

The company is also expecting a steady growth in business volume from the Salt Lake centre. “Our target is to grow by at least 30 per cent in terms of business volume,” said Asutosh Vaidya, the head of Wipro BPO.

While the company is drawing up an expansion plan, the state government is working round the clock to meet the year-end delivery deadline.

Besides Wipro, Infosys will also be given 90 acres of land in the IT City. Though acquisition for the entire project is not over yet, government sources said land for the IT majors have already been acquired.

“The land is being developed before handing over to the companies. We are also working with a few other agencies to develop the necessary infrastructure,” said state IT minister Debesh Das.

He, however, refused to divulge details of the price of land. Sources peg the figure at Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore per acre.

The Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080822/jsp/calcutta/story_9725857.jsp)

The Haldia project will involve an investment of Rs. 5,500 crore

KOLKATA: The country’s first polysilicon solar project, which also happens to be the largest integrated solar power complex of the world, was launched here on Thursday.

“The project, located at Haldia, will help in generating 250 MW of solar power annually and will be built at an estimated cost of Rs. 5,500 crore,” said Jyoti Poddar, Managing Director, Bhaskar Silicon Limited, the company that launched the project.

The Haldia Development Authority had already acquired 200 acres for the first phase of the project and as State Industries Minister Nirupam Sen said, “The government will acquire another 600 acres in future for the next phases.”

The project targets to produce 2,500 tonnes of polysilicon annually in the first phase and 5,000 tonnes after two years. Mr. Poddar said that the first phase of the project would be completed by October 2009.

Mr. Sen said, “It is a capital-intensive project involving high technology that will meet the huge demand for solar panels at various small and medium solar power plants across the country.” The plant had been fashioned in such a way that it could also manufacture chips for semiconductors, needed in the information technology sector, in its second phase, he said.

State Power Minister Mrinal Banerjee said that the State government had always encouraged renewable energy development projects and was the first of its kind in the country to declare tax benefits to industrial houses using green energy.

Bhaskar Silicon has tied up with Centrotherm, Germany, a pioneer in the solar power field, for setting up the project. “The project is being launched in line with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s vision of having 5,000 MW of solar power by 2012 which will require 50,000 tonnes of polysilicon,” said Mr. Poddar. :cheers:

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2008/08/22/stories/2008082260861800.htm

Puspanjali - commercial space in Park Circus Connector near Topsia

Render available in http://agrawalarchitects.com/


http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/4315/puspanjalikt1.jpg

is that leaning..
or is it just me??

is that leaning..
or is it just me??

No, they are making it like "Pisa".. :laugh:

No, they are making it like "Pisa".. :laugh:

arijeet how did u manage to take the shot..
kudos to u man :lol:

Is this thing meant to be leaning or are the builders just blind idiots or is it just an optical illusion of sorts ?

Cool man. Fantastic updates.. :cheers:



Thats a nice bridge. Is it inside their park?

Yes, the bridge is 3*3, however no roads on either end:nuts:. The bridge is a vital connector for the developments on the two sides of the canal.

Strange, I did not take it while moving, hence there is no possibility of an illusion. Will notice it again the next time I pass by.

Forum Extension - status as on 22.08.2008

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/8548/forumextensionhl8.jpg

^^ Nice photo again arijeet. So many new shopping malls coming up. Forum Extn 60% is done it seems. :cheers:

Photo cc Frank

Some renovation work. Do u guys know which building?
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/A588.jpg

Photo cc Frank

Some renovation work. Do u guys know which building?
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/A588.jpg

Not sure, but I think I saw this building in BaraBazar area.

Photo cc Frank

Some renovation work. Do u guys know which building?


probably

Bombay Mutual Building, 9 Brabourne Road

is that leaning..
or is it just me??

Is the lamp post leaning too?

Is the lamp post leaning too?

Oh yes!!. Nice observation. It is perhaps an illusion.

After Singur scowl, a smile
Tata draws comfort from cancer hospital (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080823/jsp/calcutta/story_9729821.jsp)

Singur may have left Ratan Tata grim but the look of the Tata Medical Centre coming up in Rajarhat brought a smile to his face on Friday.

Hours after threatening to take the Nano project out of Bengal if the politics surrounding the site in Singur continued and the atmosphere there remained hostile, Tata seemed to draw comfort from the pace at which work on the medical centre has been progressing after some hiccups.

The 120-crore cancer care and research institution was to be operational by the first quarter of this year, but labour problems and cost escalations have delayed the project’s completion by at least a year.

“It was not a symbolic visit only. He enquired how long the project would take to complete. He asked where sections like the research and development wing and the inpatient and outpatient services would be located. He checked samples of the various construction materials that are being used. He left the site satisfied with the work,” said a senior engineer after emerging from a 20-minute discussion with his boss at the site office.

Tata arrived at the 11-acre site in a convoy of 13 cars around 4.15pm, after attending the annual general meeting of Tata Tea and addressing a news conference where he declared that Tata Motors would not hesitate to pull out of the state. He said there was no point in carrying on despite the huge investment made so far if workers were unsure of their security.

Dressed in a crisp white shirt and light brown trousers, topped by a helmet, Tata inspected construction at the site of the medical project for 15 minutes. The survey over, he went inside the site office for a chat with his team.

Engineers said the hospital would probably be ready only after the first quarter of next year. “The project cost has gone up by at least 40 per cent,” one of them said.

The architecture of the hospital, meant to be an intensive care centre for cancer patients, is by the world-renowned American firm Cannon Design. It will be the second Tata cancer-care facility after the Tata Memorial Cancer Research Institute in Mumbai.

The hospital will have 150 beds as well as an outpatient facility.

Before leaving for the airport, the Tata Group chairman had a surprise visitor in Trinamul Congress MLA Sadhan Pande, whose leader Mamata Banerjee is spearheading the Singur resistance. He brought along two packets of sweets, which Tata accepted with a “Oh, thank you.”

“I was here for the foundation-laying ceremony of the hospital. I am glad that such a project is coming up in Bengal. I am glad Tata has kept his commitment,” Pande said.

^^
http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/3425/pc0020800pj2.jpg
TAKING STOCK: Ratan Tata visits the site of the Tata Medical Centre at Rajarhat on Friday. The hospital promises to provide comprehensive cancer research and treatment

Times of India

New Delhi: West Bengal's loss could well be - Maharashtra, Orissa or even Karnataka's.

A day after Ratan Tata - the father of the Rs 1 lakh car,Nano - threatened to move the project lock, stock and barrel out of Singur, other state government's are rolling out the red carpet for the Rs 1,500 crore project.

"I could read from Ratan Tata's statement that he is troubled in West Bengal so I invited him to come here instead and we will give him a red carpet welcome. There are a lot of probable sites for the Nana project in Maharashtra. We have a mega-project policy in Maharashtra and whatever concessions there are in that policy will be given to the TATAs if they decided to come here," Mahrashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh said.

"We will offer a market price to the farmers and give proper compensation for their land. All problems related to land acquisition for industry have become synonymous with the state of West Bengal," he added.

Meanwhile, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik too is echoing the invitation. "Orissa is willing to consider the Nano project if TATA approaches us," he said.

Orissa's Industry Minister, Biswa Bhusan Harichandan has criticised the Left-ruled West Bengal government for being desperate to retain the Nano project in the state, but at the same time, the same Left parties are protesting various other mega projects in Orissa.

"TATA has already acquired a lot of land at Bhopalpur in Orissa. This could be the probable site for Nano if TATA agrees," said Harichandan.

But it's easier said than done. The TATAs already have a mega steel plant project at Kalinganagar which couldn't even start construction work thanks to stiff protests for the last three years. Fourteen tribals have already died in police firing during protests.

Simultaneously, the Punjab government has invited a delegation of the TATA group for a formal meeting with the Chief Minister so that every aspect of the proposed plant could be discussed.

"I will soon write an offer letter to TATA Group to formally invite them to install its Nano plant in Punjab, for which every possible facility will be provided by the state government," says state Industry Minister, Manoranjan Kalia.

"The state would make one of the best available offers to the TATAs. Once the offer is discussed in a threadbare manner, every issue would be sorted out," he added.

But it is Dharwad in Karnataka that sources say the TATA's may chose to move thier nano project to. Dharwad already has a TATA unit.

But with 80 per cent of the project aleady complete, West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhatcharjee, would be hoping against hope that the People's Car rolls out of Singur this October. And for that to happen he will have to ensure that Mamata Bannerjee's indefinite protests begining on Sunday remain peaceful.

Source - IBN live.com

Someone , shoot Mamta Banerjee fast - let the project stay in WB as it needs it most.

The 'invitations' from other states will put pressure on the CPM and Trinamool to act fast on a solution.

However Mamata has never shown any skills of maturity or reasonableness in her entire career. She is not known to listen to anyone (except for the yes madam types) and is a pretty adamant person. Can the saner people of West Bengal expect a change in her attitude this time around? Or will mobocracy win as usual in West Bengal.

Mamata has some glamorous supporters though like Arundhuti Roy (who recently advocated the balkanization of India), Medha Patkar etc.

City to have country’s first feline shelter (http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=22&theme=&usrsess=1&id=219423)

KOLKATA, Aug. 22: Come 24 August and the city will boast of its first-ever cat pound. All set to be inaugurated at Netai Nagar-2 in Kalikapur off Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, it will also be the only one of its kind in the country.
The cat pound will act both as a feline shelter and a sterilisation centre for stray cats, that are rounded up from various government and private hospitals across the city for birth control cum anti-rabies vaccination.
Feline menace has been an immense problem in the state-run hospitals recently. The menace varied from stealing food to attacking patients.
Built by the People For Animals (PFA) with the MPLAD donations of Rajya Sabha MP, Hema Malini, the cat pound will come up inside the main clinic area of the Animal Shelter cum Hospital And Research Institute (ASHARI), located in Dhapa.
A 4.4 acre land, for setting up the animal hospital-cum-shelter complex, ASHARI, had been handed over to PFA in 1996 by former chief minister Mr Jyoti Basu.
The feline shelter will have 100 beds for the treatment of cats and has been built covering an area of 2,000 square feet. The engineering department of Borough XII of Kolkata Municipal Corporation has also helped in designing and constructing the project.
Speaking about the venture, Mr Debasish Chakrabarti, founder of the Compassionate Crusaders Trust (CCT), a strategic partner of the PFA, said: “All major cities in India have dog pounds but there’s no provision for cats. Earlier, cats picked from various hospitals were sterilised and kept in animal shelters. But now they will have a home of their own.”

'Star Hotel', New Town construction site? Or something else?

photo copyright Srinbas (http://picasaweb.google.com/srinibast/BengalDCLAndNewTown)

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/6030/rajarhathotelsrinbassoc7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The return of the "activist".

Medha Patkar backs movement against KMC

Statesman News

Social activist, Ms Medha Patkar, today lent her support to the residents of Hatgachia slum who have been spearheading a movement against Kolkata Municipal Corporation's decision to construct a multi-storeyed building there.

Claiming that plans for the development of the area under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) were a sham, Ms Patkar said: “The civic body is trying to encroach on the private land over which these dwellers have a right. People have been asked to leave the land but have not been given any reasons for doing so. If the land is taken for the benefit of the people why has the civic body not taken into account the interest of the people?”

Around 2,000 odd families are to be rehabilitated in the area. However, work on the project came to a standstill following resistance from local people who alleged that KMC had planned to take over the 12 acre land to use it for commercial purposes. Due to this resistance, KMC was unable to carry out a physical survey of the land and also prepare a beneficiary list.

When asked, mayor Mr Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, refuted Ms Patkar's claim that the land did not belong to the KMC. He said: “The land belonged to KMC since 1932-33. She must have been misled. However, the problem in that area is that some unscrupulous dealers have forged deed papers and sold the land to others. Now the buyers are of the opinion that the land was a private one.”

Medha asks hawkers to fight 'mall menace'

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Medha_asks_hawkers_to_fight_mall_menace/articleshow/3397839.cms

Social activist Medha Patekar is all set to lend support to a section of the city's hawkers, egging them on to continue their tirade against the growing shopping mall culture.

Addressing a hawkers' meet and a seminar at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Saturday, she declared war on the mall culture and appealed to hawkers to fight the "menace" unitedly.

Criticising the government's policy to issue licences to open scores of shopping malls in the city, Medha said this would lead the city nowhere as the livelihood of thousands of hawkers will be at stake.

"Opening of a mall in a city puts an end to the business of thousands of hawkers and small traders. This mall culture will plunge the middle class into a greater financial crisis and turn hawkers into beggars," she said.

Though the middle-income group in India have been swayed by the lure of the mall culture, the worst hit have been hawkers, farmers and a section of small traders, claimed Medha.

Photo cc Sid (http://picasaweb.google.com/ssbera/RajarhutKolkata)

I think some photos posted before by Sun/Arijeet

New town Ex'way
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture003.jpg

City centre II
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture001.jpg

Bengal Ambuja
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture002.jpg

Ulkatica
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture005.jpg

Action area II
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture004.jpg

New town Ex'way
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture013.jpg

New town Ex'way
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture010.jpg

DLF
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture014.jpg

DLF
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture017.jpg

DLF
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Picture016.jpg

Photo cc Sid (http://picasaweb.google.com/ssbera/RajarhutKolkata)

I think some photos posted before by Sun/Arijeet


Newtown already looks like Silicon Valley Saraf :)

Institute of Neurosciences - status as on 24.08.2008

Would be a landmark building at AJC Rd/Park Street crossing in the midst of crumbling lowrises.

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/9008/neurosciencesen5.jpg

Unknown - A few 100m north of AJC/Park street crossing, the commercial structure looks to be around 12 floors with glass exterior. Another landmark bldg of Old Kolkata once complete

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7743/p8240002hr5.jpg

Ideal Center - status as on 24.08.2008

Near AJC Bose Rd/Theatre Rd crossing. More details here (http://www.ideal.in/ongoing-projects.html#ideal-centre)

http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/5781/idealcenterbr7.jpg

New Town Square from PS group ? - Near Attagara crossing. The render in the website is different from the image on the billboard.

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/5033/pstechnewtownmw5.jpg

Globsyn Business School - status as on 24.08.2008

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7531/globsynew6.jpg

Omega (BIP) - status as on 24.08.2008

http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/3853/omegars3.jpg

kolkatausa :cheers:

Since construction is still on, they should take care of it.

Unknown - this is under construction near City Center, Salt Lake

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/1913/p8240021mz5.jpg

Newtown already looks like Silicon Valley Saraf :)

It looks some extend. But long way to go. :)

@Arijeet

Man, nice update again. I was not aware of these project. :nuts:

1. Institute of Neurosciences
2. Ideal Center
3. New Town Square

Globsyn Business School - status as on 24.08.2008

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7531/globsynew6.jpg

Globsyn looks awesome. Unique kind of glass structure. :cheers:

Kidderpore flyover to have a ramp soon

Somdatta Basu

Kolkata: The state transport department has decided to build a ramp for the newly built Kidderpore flyover. This is in line with plans to add ramps to some flyovers in the city.
A left-turn ramp will be added to the flyover, which was completed at a cost of Rs 15 crore in 2007. It is a unidirectional flyover on which cars move from Hastings towards Karl Marx Sarani. The flyover ends 50 metres before Fancy Market.
“Traffic plies in both directions on the old road on the ground, leading to Kidderpore Bridge, which is narrow. Although most bridges and flyovers have four lanes of seven metres each, the Kidderpore bridge has only three lanes. All cars, moving from Hastings towards Diamond Harbour Road, take the bridge since the newly built flyover accommodates vehicles beyond the Karl Marx Sarani-DH Road crossing,” said a senior official of Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC), the agency that built the flyover.
The width of the bridge’s carriageway is less than what is needed to accommodate large vehicles. Once the ramp is constructed, “the two-way vehicular movement will be segregated”, added the official.
HRBC has already undertaken a feasibility study for constructing the ramp. “The arm will be stretched till a little before St Thomas School,” explained the HRBC official.
The state has also sanctioned Rs 28 crore for the construction of a ramp from the AJC Bose Road flyover. The project has been sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission scheme, under which the state will have to foot Rs 6.5 crore — nearly 35% — of the cost. “The ramp will be 450 metres and end 50 metres before the Shakespeare Sarani junction,” said a transport department official. Work on the ramp for the AJC Bose Road flyover will begin before Durga Puja.
“It will be a welcome move. Traffic movement is unidirectional on the new flyover and anyone going from Hastings to DH Road has to opt for the old bridge. This creates a traffic problem, with tram tracks on the old bridge being concretized,” said Punnet Sharma, a Kidderpore trader.

Times of India

Kidderpore flyover to have a ramp soon

Somdatta Basu

Kolkata: The state transport department has decided to build a ramp for the newly built Kidderpore flyover. This is in line with plans to add ramps to some flyovers in the city.
A left-turn ramp will be added to the flyover, which was completed at a cost of Rs 15 crore in 2007. It is a unidirectional flyover on which cars move from Hastings towards Karl Marx Sarani. The flyover ends 50 metres before Fancy Market.
“Traffic plies in both directions on the old road on the ground, leading to Kidderpore Bridge, which is narrow. Although most bridges and flyovers have four lanes of seven metres each, the Kidderpore bridge has only three lanes. All cars, moving from Hastings towards Diamond Harbour Road, take the bridge since the newly built flyover accommodates vehicles beyond the Karl Marx Sarani-DH Road crossing,” said a senior official of Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC), the agency that built the flyover.
The width of the bridge’s carriageway is less than what is needed to accommodate large vehicles. Once the ramp is constructed, “the two-way vehicular movement will be segregated”, added the official.
HRBC has already undertaken a feasibility study for constructing the ramp. “The arm will be stretched till a little before St Thomas School,” explained the HRBC official.
The state has also sanctioned Rs 28 crore for the construction of a ramp from the AJC Bose Road flyover. The project has been sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission scheme, under which the state will have to foot Rs 6.5 crore — nearly 35% — of the cost. “The ramp will be 450 metres and end 50 metres before the Shakespeare Sarani junction,” said a transport department official. Work on the ramp for the AJC Bose Road flyover will begin before Durga Puja.
“It will be a welcome move. Traffic movement is unidirectional on the new flyover and anyone going from Hastings to DH Road has to opt for the old bridge. This creates a traffic problem, with tram tracks on the old bridge being concretized,” said Punnet Sharma, a Kidderpore trader.

Times of India


^^ Lots of sanctioning and added cost escalation is going on, but very little on the ground level. :ohno:
Hate to sound negative, but if it ends 50m before the AJC/Shakespeare Sarani crossing the pile up on the junction will be massive. AJC Bose flyover ends up 50m before Park Circus 5 point crossing and the pile up is more than 100m long during weekdays ( flyover + road below):bash:


What about the ramps from Sarat Bose Rd? And also on Mayo Rd from Park Street flyover?

It looks some extend. But long way to go. :)

@Arijeet

Man, nice update again. I was not aware of these project. :nuts:

1. Institute of Neurosciences
2. Ideal Center
3. New Town Square



Globsyn looks awesome. Unique kind of glass structure. :cheers:

Saraf :cheers:

Unknown - A few 100m north of AJC/Park street crossing, the commercial structure looks to be around 12 floors with glass exterior. Another landmark bldg of Old Kolkata once complete

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/7743/p8240002hr5.jpg

Is this the ex-Jugantar building that is being renovated to house the Bigbazaar/Pantaloon? Or is it a new building?

Is this the ex-Jugantar building that is being renovated to house the Bigbazaar/Pantaloon? Or is it a new building?

Looks new if you ask me.

The following article of interest appeared in today's "The Telegraph"

Online support for Nano plant
- Techies flock to website created by colleagues
A STAFF REPORTER

Workers on their way to the Singur factory site. Picture by Pradip Sanyal
The sunrise sector has started a virtual campaign to save the state’s showcase manufacturing hub.

On Sunday, as the Trinamul Congress chief sat on an indefinite dharna outside the Tata Motors plant in Singur, two senior executives from the IT and life sciences industries created a website to rally support for the project and the process of industrialisation in the state.

While the number of supporters at the Trinamul podium has dwindled since then, http://wesupportindustry.silicogene.com/ISR has seen a steady stream of techies voicing their support for industrialisation.

By Tuesday evening, nearly 300 professionals had written on the message board of the website started by Jhuma Mukherjee and Ranjan Basu.

“The perception about Bengal is changing and it will be a shame if the Tatas' Nano project is moved out because of short-sighted political interests. We must come forward for the bigger cause and dream about a Bengal humming with activity, employment and growth,” wrote Anindya Nag, the head (operations) of Wipro Infotech, on the message board.

“We should have the Tata factory up and running or else it’s a loss of face for all of us and a matter of shame,” wrote Pallab Sen, a senior consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Mukherjee and Basu, who work with The Chatterjee Group, are also emailing everyone they know to garner support for the cause.

“We discuss these issues over a cup of tea but never do anything. My colleague and I decided to create a platform for people like us who want to voice their support for industrialisation,” said Mukherjee.

Managing directors, managers and even trainees of companies like Wipro, HCL Technologies, IBM and Cognizant Technology Solutions are leading the campaign, but there are also academicians, students and bankers on the message board.

Tata should be allowed to work in peace in Singur, wrote Nupur Mukherjee, a lecturer.

Support on the Internet for the Nano plant is not restricted to this website. Orkut, one of the most popular social networking sites, has multiple communities supporting the project.

“Tata & Singur Project”, created on Orkut in December 2006, invites members to debate “the project, the chief minister’s resolve and its effect on West Bengal”.

The “We want Tata Motors in Singur” community brooks no argument about the need for the project in Bengal. “I am expecting a second Jamshedpur in Singur,” reads one post.

Another community, “Asun Bangali der bachai” (Come Let’s Save the Bengalis), urges members to “wake up and save themselves by supporting industrialisation”.

“Our image has already suffered. I am afraid that if this happens (if Tatas leave) the one or two companies that have been coming to the state will also stop,” wrote a member. :)

RBU plans Tagore house revamp (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080827/jsp/calcutta/story_9737923.jsp)


http://img155.imageshack.us/img155/5449/27jorafo2.jpg
Jorasanko Thakurbari is set to be renovated and decked up befitting its heritage status.

Work on the project, to be handled by Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) which is housed in the heritage structure, is likely to start after monsoon and is scheduled to be over in 2011, the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore.

“Parts of the house are in need of urgent repairs,” said RBU vice-chancellor Karuna Sindhu Das. “The authorities have been working on the revamp plan for the past 10 years. Shifting the fine arts and visual arts departments to the Emerald Bower campus on BT Road is part of the project.”

The Rs 15-crore revamp will be supervised by the 11-member Jorasanko Thakurbari Punarbinyas Committee, which includes consultant architect Arunendu Banerjee.

Built around 1785 by Nilmoni Thakur, the floors and walls of the Thakurbari, now spread across 35,000 sq m, have cracked in several places. Some of the railings and arches are in a dilapidated state and parts of the structure are covered with fungus.

“The focus in the first phase will be on conservation of the architecture to arrest further deterioration, to be followed by preservation. As decided by the university, work will start from the rear side of Maharshi Bhavan,” said Banerjee.

The buildings that will be renovated include Maharshi Bhavan, Vichitra Bhavan and a part of Baithakkhanabari (5 Dwarkanath Tagore Lane). There is a proposal to add a façade to more recent buildings, including Prashasan Bhavan, Sangeet Bhavan and Kala Bhavan, so they blend well architecturally with the other buildings on campus.

The complex will house an art gallery, academy of dance, drama and music, and research centres. Also on the anvil are a food pavilion, sales counter and a water body. “We will plant trees that were there during the days of Tagore,” Banerjee said.

Suranjana Bhattacharya, the member-secretary of the Thakurbari Punarbinyas Committee and the public relations officer of RBU, said the revamp would be themed on the Bengali Renaissance of 19th Century.

“Tagore had talked about terraces that used to hold majlish and get-together of the women of the family. We want to mark the spots and preserve them for public viewing,” Bhattacharya said. “Some of the terraces are inaccessible as they are in a poor shape and also because of security.”

Work will start with an initial UGC allotment of Rs 50 lakh. “We will approach the Union culture ministry, state government, Calcutta Municipal Corporation and private companies for funds. We also had a talk with foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is president of Rabindra Bharati Society. He has promised to visit the campus and do the needful,” said vice-chancellor Das. “Once work starts, funds will hopefully pour in,” he added.

The vice-chancellor called for Jorasanko Thakurbari to be declared a national monument.

KFC plans 10 more outlets in city (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080828/jsp/calcutta/story_9750503.jsp):banana:

At least 10 KFC outlets will open in the city over the next three years.

“Calcuttans have shattered the myth that western-style fast food doesn’t do well here. In fact, the city contributes more than one-third of our national revenue. Hence the bullish rollout roster with over Rs 150 crore riding on it,” says a spokesperson for Devyani International, the franchisee for KFC.

Devyani, also franchisee for Pizza Hut and UK-based coffee shop chain Costa Coffee in the east, has an “aggressive city roadmap” for these two brands as well. The group is trying to bring Disney Stores, another brand under its fold, to the city.

KFC, the world’s largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain with over 12,300 outlets in more than 80 countries, has three outlets in the city — in City Centre, Park Street and New Empire cinema.

The next two KFCs are expected to be ready early next year, at the City Centre II and Terminus malls in New Town. These shop-stops will also house new Pizza Hut restaurants, from the same Yum! Brands Inc. To complement the big 100-seater places, the group is planning a string of KFC Express outlets, smaller formats to achieve better penetration across the city.

While the City Centre outlet, the first KFC in Calcutta that opened in June 2005, remains a top-performing store with weekend footfall consistently touching 3,000, the 140-seater Park Street restaurant, the city flagship of the chain, has registered a 20 per cent growth over last year, according to the spokesperson.

The third city outlet of KFC, which opened in New Empire cinema this January, is operated by a predominantly hearing-impaired staff. This is only the “third KFC store globally to be manned thus, after Karachi and Malaysia”.

For Pizza Hut, the focus will be on the delivery format. The first Pizza Hut Delivery outlet is coming up in Sector V, to be followed by Gariahat and VIP Road. Costa Coffee, has opened its first Calcutta outlet in Mani Square, and deals are being finalised for the next stops in the coffee shop chain. Suitable mall and high-street space is also being scouted for Disney Stores.

Goods carriers to bypass Shyambazar (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080828/jsp/calcutta/story_9740637.jsp)


Goods vehicles will not be allowed to clog the Shyambazar five-point crossing from June next year.

The traffic police hope that congestion on APC Road during peak hours will lessen once the stretch between Maniktala and Galiff Street becomes off-limits for goods carriers.

As part of the project, Canal West Road is being developed as the second Shyambazar bypass after the Lockgate Road flyover.

From June 2009, Sealdah-bound goods carriers on BT Road will have to take a left turn after crossing Barrackpore bridge and move along Canal West Road.

The Hooghly River Bridge Commissioners (HRBC) has started augmenting the road’s load-bearing capacity, which will cost over Rs 7 crore.

Work on the stretch between Maniktala police station and Aurobindo Setu will start before the Puja.

“It will be a model road. About Rs 6 crore will be spent on reconditioning and widening it. The width will be increased from six metres to 10.5 metres. There will also be pavements with fencing on both sides,” said the vice-chairman of HRBC, Sadhan Banerjee.

Accepting a proposal from local MLA Sadhan Pande to housing minister Gautam Deb, the transport department took up the project in consultation with the department of architecture of Jadavpur University.

While the state government and the HRBC are spending Rs 3 crore each on the reconstruction of road, CMDA has earmarked Rs 1 crore for setting up roadside toilets, parks and kiosks. Pande has given Rs 10 lakh from his local area development fund.

“The project includes setting up of parking facilities for trucks and cars, bus bay, parks, gardens and toilets. Once completed, motorists will enjoy driving along this stretch,” said Madhumita Roy, an urban design expert of Jadavpur University.

There will be 26 kiosks along the road, to be used for eateries, telephone booths, and auto parts shops, she added.



Hoping some of the nightmarish traffic on AJC Bose Rd may reduce...

KFC plans 10 more outlets in city (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080828/jsp/calcutta/story_9750503.jsp):banana:

KFC should come up with more & more stores. I like kolkata kfc test. :banana:

KFC should come up with more & more stores. I like kolkata kfc test. :banana:

Yeah, I do too and frequently take away from the outlet at Middleton Row:)

However the more surprising news in that piece was the launch of Costa Coffee. With Starbacks also in the pipeline for an India launch, Barista and Cafe Coffee Day better watch out:)

Yeah, I do too and frequently take away from the outlet at Middleton Row:)

However the more surprising news in that piece was the launch of Costa Coffee. With Starbacks also in the pipeline for an India launch, Barista and Cafe Coffee Day better watch out:)

I didn't have chance to go to their park st store. I used to go citycentre. Their rappa roll is just fantastic. :tongue2: But I didn't like kfc here in australia. I hardly go there.

Nice. I would love to see some Starbuks throughout the city. I am not that big fan of it. But really like the stores appearance.

I didn't have chance to go to their park st store. I used to go citycentre. Their rappa roll is just fantastic. :tongue2: But I didn't like kfc here in australia. I hardly go there.

Nice. I would love to see some Starbuks throughout the city. I am not that big fan of it. But really like the stores appearance.

Starbucks throughout the city may be unviable at this point in time .They would definitely be pricey ( when compared with Barista/Cafe Coffee) and would initially start off with a flagship store or two perhaps at the malls coming up in the next 2-3 years. I used to frequent Starbucks while in the UK and man..they sure know their coffee :cheers:

Cognizant to invest Rs 200 cr in Kolkata push (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?tp=on&autono=45507)

Bracing up to counter the deleterious effects of the slowdown in the US, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation is further expanding its presence in India. The company, which is targeting 10-15 per cent of its revenue share from outside the US and European markets in the next two to three years, will invest approximately $46 million (Rs 201 crore) to further expand its infrastructure in Kolkata.

A company source told Business Standard the company would add about 500,000 square feet of office space in the first phase of its new fully-owned techno-complex presently coming up on 20 acres of land in Bantala, a Special Economic Zone designated area. "Once completed, this new facility will be able to accommodate approximately 4,000 new employees," the company said. Cognizant currently employs around 5,000 personnel out of Kolkata in six development centres -- one fully-owned and the rest leased facilities.

The company is following in the footsteps of compatriots like Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys Technologies by diversifying and expanding rapidly into emerging markets like China and India where it has made sizeable investments. It is also looking at expanding its presence in the Middle East and Latin American markets.

A good number of companies who outsource financial and healthcare services to India have been affected by the credit crunch in the wake of the market downturn in the US. Some have scaled back significantly on their IT spends this year. Hence, Cognizant is targeting new growth areas like infrastructure services, business process outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) in Asia.

Cognizant, whose clients include AstraZeneca and Molina Healthcare, cut its 2008 outlook last week to $2.81 billion from $2.95 billion, despite meeting analyst expectations on bottomline. The management is also said to be expecting the company's top five clients in the healthcare segment to cut back spending into the third quarter of 2008.

Only 1.5 per cent of Cognizant's second quarter revenues (ending June 30, 2008) of $685.4 million came from Asian markets, with the majority from the US market and 20 per cent coming in from Europe. The company presently has over 59,000 employees on its rolls, of which almost two-third are placed offshore, providing low-cost software development services and support primarily to US and European companies.

Looks new if you ask me.

I was referring to this building

http://www.diamondgroupweb.com/Images/Amrita-Bazar-Patrika190806.jpg

http://wikimapia.org/3073439/Jugantar-Amrit-Bazar-Patrika-Office

Have you noticed any renovation work going on?

I used to frequent Starbucks while in the UK and man..they sure know their coffee :cheers:

A bit expensive though. Ever since recession hit, no more starbucks coffee for me.

:lol:

I was referring to this building

http://www.diamondgroupweb.com/Images/Amrita-Bazar-Patrika190806.jpg

http://wikimapia.org/3073439/Jugantar-Amrit-Bazar-Patrika-Office

Have you noticed any renovation work going on?

You are right, Sun. It is the same building. Looks like they have done a complete makeover job through reconstruction. Perhaps only the foundation is the same, rest everything including the floor plates are different.

Who is going to all these new western coffee shops in Kolkata, when Kolkata already got 100s of brand name local coffee houses?

There are people in the high income bracket who would only go here maybe see it as a upscale fad/lifestyle statement, but the middle/upper middle/working class has options of these outlets and also bharer cha from the shacks.

A bit expensive though. Ever since recession hit, no more starbucks coffee for me.

:lol:

:lol: Yes, but good to have while traveling such as driving in the interstates or moving between subway stations in London. In India ofcourse it will be initially seen as a lifestyle statement.

Bypass campus for B-school (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080829/jsp/calcutta/story_9756457.jsp)

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), which started in a rented building in Sector V in 2006, plans to move to a new campus near Ruby General Hospital in two years.

“The state government has given us land. We hope to start construction after monsoon,” said Ravi Shanker, the chairperson (international cooperation and off-campus programmes) of the institute. “We hope the campus will be ready by the 2010 academic year.”

Shanker was speaking on the sidelines of a national information technology symposium organised by IIFT and Nasscom.

The Bypass campus, which will be the institute’s second hub in the country after Delhi, will spread across 10 acres, opposite The Heritage School.

IIFT runs a two-year postgraduate MBA programme with specialisation in international business and a part-time MBA course for working professionals. The student intake is 60 for each course. Once the new campus is ready, it will rise to 120.

The institute, set up by the Union commerce ministry in 1963, has a number of research centres that deal with international trade. Its World Trade Organisation cell in Calcutta provides inputs to policy-makers, government officials and trade and industry bodies on issues affecting industry, agriculture and the service sector.

As the saying goes'All good things must come to an end' and so my stay in Kolkata has come to an end.

Hope I have covered most of the updates to projects in the Kolkata metro region.:cheers:

As the saying goes'All good things must come to an end' and so my stay in Kolkata has come to an end.

Hope I have covered most of the updates to projects in the Kolkata metro region.:cheers:

Didn't get you man? Are you going somewhere?

Didn't get you man? Are you going somewhere?

yes, I am relocating from Kol to Blore.

yes, I am relocating from Kol to Blore.

Kolkata's loss!

Please take Mamata didi with you as well.

:lol:

Kolkata's loss!

Please take Mamata didi with you as well.

:lol:

Damm. Then what about b'lore.. :lol:

Damm. Then what about b'lore.. :lol:

ArijeetB can get her a job in one of the call centres in Bangalore. The customers on the other side of the line will be pleasantly surprised.

:lol:

j/k

ArijeetB can get her a job in one of the call centres in Bangalore. The customers on the other side of the line will be pleasantly surprised.

:lol:

j/k

:hilarious

I think till now Arijeet couldn't see his new responsibility. He will jump inside an Well. :badnews:

:hilarious

I think till now Arijeet couldn't see his new responsibility. He will jump inside an Well. :badnews:

Maybe that's why he is not responding to this new responsibilty.

Maybe that's why he is not responding to this new responsibilty.

:lol:Hey ..i am back. Didi is very customer centric as long as her customers( including tons of sycophants) are brainless and we are seeing that all too well.

Sector V leads pro-Tata rally (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080901/jsp/calcutta/story_9769834.jsp)

As Mamata Banerjee stood her ground in Singur, a group of young protesters chose the venue of her marathon fast last year to speak up for the Tata small-car project she is campaigning against.

“The Nano plant will be a trophy industry that should help Bengal attract more investment,” said 28-year-old IBM engineer Shawkat Ali, standing on a 10x5-foot podium in front of Metro cinema.

That spot had been Mamata’s last December. She had then fasted for 26 days in protest against land acquisition in Singur for the small-car project.

On Sunday, the stage belonged to Shawkat and his Sector V friends, and they all spoke about how Bengal would be the biggest loser if the Tatas took the project elsewhere. Unlike on other weekends, the engineer had spent Saturday mobilising support for the “cause”.

A vinyl flex had been put up outside the Infinity building in Sector V for people to pledge their support to the Tata project.

Most of those who gathered in front of Metro cinema the next afternoon were those who had responded to Shawkat’s plea and the online campaign started by Jhuma Mukherjee, an executive in a life sciences firm, and one of her colleagues.

With some passers-by joining the protest, the size of the crowd in front of Metro cinema increased to over 250 people.

“We do not have any political leanings. We have floated a forum called Town Hall and this is our first programme. Anybody who is pro-industrialisation can join us. We will continue to campaign for the cause of industrialisation,” said Jhuma, her nervousness showing for a moment as she held the microphone to make her first public speech.

But once she started, there was no holding back.

“Why can’t people realise that young people like us would suffer if the Tata project goes away? I spoke from the heart,” she said later.

Jhuma’s website http://wesupportindustry.silicogene.com//SR, activated last week, drew over 300 messages supporting the Tata project on the very first day.

Members of Town Hall intend to meet chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Mamata in the next few days. Jhuma and her team have already drafted a memorandum in support of the Tata project. As dusk set in, they lit candles to express their solidarity.

Around 25 people, including professionals, addressed the rally. A group of lathi-wielding constables looked on. “We cannot afford to miss the bus,” said one of the youths standing near the podium and collecting signatures.

“We need more industries to generate jobs. If a showpiece project like this faces so many hurdles, other investors will not come to Bengal,” said a senior accountant of an infrastructure support company


^^I like the way resources are mobilized to protest wrongdoings & injustice in India these days.

:lol:Hey ..i am back. Didi is very customer centric as long as her customers( including tons of sycophants) are brainless and we are seeing that all too well.

Hey Arijeet, good to see you back man. Hope life is cool in b'lore. At least far away from didi :lol:

Cooperatives, Houses And Job-Oriented Training For Rajarhat Landlosers

Suman Chakraborti

Kolkata: The state government is going through one of its biggest crises over land acquisition issue in Singur. But in Rajarhat, apart from facing some trouble in acquiring land in the fringe areas, the state has so far been very successful in acquiring land and compensating farmers.
Apart from setting up a landlosers’ cooperative, about 5% of the total area of New Town has been kept reserved for the sons of the soil. The government has decided to spend more than Rs 650 crore towards compensation for the landlosers here.
The landlosers’ cooperative has been set up by Hidco — for those on whose land the township is coming up.
“Not only compensating the landlosers, we are also working on a resettlement project. As part of that, we will provide dwelling units or plots at lower prices for those who have got compensation for handing over their land to us,” said an official of the land procurement committee. The panel — comprising representatives of different political parties — has been formed to decide on the compensation and rehabilitation packages for the landlosers.
Hidco has so far identified around 550 beneficiaries. And till date, the authorities have provided dwelling units or alternative plots to nearly 150 families. “The rest will soon be settled in the neighbouring areas,” said the official.
Hidco has also organized job-oriented training facilities for the New Town landlosers, said a Hidco official. Around 2,300 such landlosers are being trained as part of this programme. Hidco has also helped to register 45 cooperative societies of the landlosers and these societies have received work orders of around Rs 8 crores so far. “We are working to increase the amount so that more landlosers are benefited,” the official said.
The authorities are also chalking out a plan to rehabilitate many refugee families who are now living along the bank of the Bagjola canal.
Hidco has procured land directly from the local people to ensure proper compensation. The authorities have already paid more than Rs 450 crores as land prices to the farmers and another Rs 250 crores will be paid in the next few years.
Hidco officials are still working hard to acquire and develop land in the four action areas of the upcoming township. Work of acquiring land and infrastructure development in Action Area-1 — which is about 660 hectares — has been done. At present, work in Action Area-II (1,050 hectares) and Action Area-III (1,365 hectares) is going on in full swing. The authorities will soon start work to acquire land in Action Area-IV (700 hectares).

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Pc0041400.jpg

Times of India

:lol:Hey ..i am back. Didi is very customer centric as long as her customers( including tons of sycophants) are brainless and we are seeing that all too well.

Good to see you back! Life without didi must be really boring.

:lol:

DLF warns of Dankuni pullout (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIKM/2008/09/01&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00101&DataChunk=Ar00303&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

Kolkata: Singur may be grabbing all the headlines at the moment, but it isn’t the only project where the West Bengal government has ‘landed’ itself in a mess. Another storm is brewing just 20 km away, where DLF is growing impatient with its proposed Dankuni township.
The real estate giant has threatened to pull out of the Rs 33,000-crore project since no progress has been made in the case for months and the company is yet to get possession of the land.
State urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya confirmed on Sunday that DLF has increased pressure on the government. “The project is not making any headway and DLF is telling us they’ll pull out if the situation continues,” he said, pointing out that with the entire district administration in Hooghly focusing on Singur, hardly any work is getting done on the Dankuni project.
“There’s also opposition to the Dankuni project at the local level. It would have generated huge employment in the state. We are still trying to convince DLF,” the minister said.
The Dankuni township is one of the largest real estate projects in the country, covering over 4,840 acres to be built through public-private-partnership (PPP) over 10 years. It is also the largest PPP project in the country.

THE BLUEPRINT
* Proposed investment: Rs 33,000 crore
* Project area: 4,840 acres
* Private partner: DLF
* Project to come up as:
Private-publicpartnership (PPP)
* Project comprising:
township and industrial hub
* Housing over: 1,872 acres
* Textile, food processing and engineering industries: 771 acres
* To house: 800,000 people
* Generate employment: 2 lakh people
* Generate: 69 crore man-days of work
* Will benefit: 2.3 lakh people DLF has already paid Rs 270 crore to govt
Kolkata: DLF has already paid Rs 270 crore in advance to the state government, which is supposed to hand over land for the proposed Dankuni township after procuring it. While negotiations with landowners began a year ago, consent has been obtained for only 20 acres. State government officials are now trying to convince DLF that the imbroglio in Singur will soon be over and thereafter 4,840 acres in Dankuni can be acquired smoothly.
Since acquisition was not happening smoothly, the government had set up a ‘procurement committee’ with
public representatives from panchayats. The committee was to speak to landowners and take their consent on acquisition. However, CPM suffered heavy losses in Dankuni in the rural polls, with Trinamool Congress wresting all eight gram panchayats in the project area.
The state government is now grappling with the fact that Dankuni might suffer the same fate as Singur.
When contacted, DLF’s group executive director Rajeev Talwar, and eastern region head Sudhir Sehgal both said any statement on the project would have to be the company’s official statement and could not be given now. However, sources in the company said the company’s patience was indeed running thin.
“Money has a cost, and the fact is that money was paid to the West Bengal government,” a top DLF official said on condition of anonymity.
Another official in Kolkata said there was increasing pressure from the company’s headquarters to either deliver, or pull out.
“Naturally we have to put pressure on the West Bengal government. Many deadlines have passed, but the state government has not made any progress in procuring the land, leave alone handing it over the land to us,” he said.

DLF warns of Dankuni pullout (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIKM/2008/09/01&PageLabel=3&EntityId=Ar00101&DataChunk=Ar00303&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

It may be very difficult for this township project to get off now considering the Singur logjam. Plus the 'higher end' real estate market may have cooled off.

Hey Arijeet, good to see you back man. Hope life is cool in b'lore. At least far away from didi :lol:

Good to see you back! Life without didi must be really boring.

Saraf , Sun :cheers:


Cool ? yes, the climate is very pleasant but the traffic, pollution and the current condition of roads are huge letdowns >(

It may be very difficult for this township project to get off now considering the Singur logjam. Plus the 'higher end' real estate market may have cooled off.

the situation in Singur may provide DLF a strong reason to make people believe they would be forced to pull out..
and considering the present real estate situation it might not be a wise decision to pump in the huge sum..
prices have more or less settled down and may even see a shortfall in a short to medium term..

KOLKATA, Sept. 3: The state government has decided to prepare a master plan to check ill-planned development and rampant erection of hoardings along EM Bypass that are causing severe traffic chaos on important roads.
A committee comprising principal secretary of urban development department, commissioner of police, chief executive officer of KMDA, IG (South Bengal) and additional CP (traffic) has been formed. This committee would look after all developments along the EM Bypass. A master plan would also be prepared under the guidance of the committee.
State urban development minister, Mr Asok Bhattacharya, said there are plans to expand the EM Bypass. The road between Baruipur and Airport would be developed into an eight-lane stretch.
Huge rush of traffic coupled with irregular parking and erection of unauthorised hoardings are the reasons for accidents on busy roads, the minister said.
“The committee will look after these issues and solve these problems henceforth. Steps will be taken against illegal parking and erection of unauthorised hoarding. There are plans to introduce a bus rapid transit system. Buses would ply non-stop on roads where this system would be introduced. Pune and Ahmedabad are the only two places in India which have this system. The master plan would include details like where a bus stop would be set up or where a parking lot would come up on the EM Bypass,” said Mr Bhattacharya.
Mr Bhattacharya also mentioned that the first logistic hub in the country would be set up beside Kona Expressway in Howrah. The hub would be spread over 108 acres of land and the project is a joint venture of the KMDA and a private partner, Havloc Properties Ltd. The company today handed over a sum of Rs 11 crore to the Howrah Municipal Corporation (HMC) as the sanction fee. The HMC would get a total of Rs 34 crore as sanction fee for the project. The hub would have warehouses, parking facility, hotels, shopping mall and it would be used as a transit point where all goods vehicles would stop. From this transit point, goods will be carried to the cities on small vehicles.

Statesman News Service

Roads transferred to civic body (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080904/jsp/calcutta/story_9786070.jsp)


http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/2746/04roadrp0.jpg
The state public works and irrigation departments and the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) have decided to hand over about 150 km of city roads to the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC).

“The CMC is always blamed for the poor condition of roads though it does not maintain many of them. We always wanted these roads to be handed over to us. I took up the matter with the state government,” said mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya.

Out of the 2,705 km of roads in the city, the CMC owns and maintains about 2,100 km. About 275 km of roads in Kidderpore, Garden Reach and along the Hooghly are owned by Calcutta Port Trust. It is supposed to provide conservancy services and arrange for street lights and repairs on the roads.

The PWD owns about 200 km of roads while the CMDA maintains over 130 km of roads that it constructed.

The CMC will take up the responsibility of maintaining 150 km of roads in the first phase. The departments and the CMDA will hand over more roads to the civic body in future.

The list of roads taken over by the CMC include EM Bypass, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Canal East Road and Canal West Road.

“The CMC will start regular conservancy services on the stretches from the last week of September. We will later take up maintenance of the roads and the lights,” said municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay.

The chief engineer (conservancy) of the civic body, Arun Sarkar, met officials of his department on Wednesday to assign responsibility of maintaining the roads that will be handed over.

Red Road, Cathedral Road and the stretches in front of Curzon Park, Netaji Indoor Stadium, Assembly and Victoria Memorial are some of the roads still under the control of the PWD.

According to civic officials, Calcutta Port Trust had turned down appeals by the CMC to hand over Circular Garden Reach Road, Taratala Road, Transport Depot Road and Strand Bank Road

Salim has exited from projects, says minister (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=333502)

As the state government prepares to start talks with the Centre to include the 96 kilometer (km) Raichak-Barasat expressway including the bridge at Kukrahati in the 13th Plan, the Indonesia based Salim group may be making a quiet exit from West Bengal.

Once dubbed at the biggest foreign direct investement in the state, Salim Group's ventures in West Bengal included two special economic zones, a clutch of townships, and a cluster of industrial estates included the Raichak Expressway that the group had promised to build for free in lieu of land for its township projects.

It got land virtually free for a 400 acre satellite township called Kolkata West International City on the Kona Expressway 10km from Kolkata.

The project foundation plaque was laid in February 2006 and was yet to be completed.

Salim Group had offered to build the Raichak Expressway together with the bridge over Haldi river at Kukrahati for free in lieu of land, said Kshiti Goswami, minister in-charge of Public Works Department.

"We have estimated that cost of land together with the political costs of acquiring land for the 96km road and Salim's township at Baruipur would not be a feasible idea at this moment", Goswami said at an interactive session at the Merchants Chamber of Commerce (MCC).

Goswami estimated that the net land requirement for the road and township projects could be around 2400 acres.

After the panchayat elections in May 2008, the state government decided not to acquire farmland for purposes of industry. It would rather act as a mediator so that land owner and investors could directly deal in land. Salim had not agreed to such a proposition and therefore, exited from the state.

Interestingly, it had already cashed in on the 400 acres for the Kolkata West project.

The state government would now look for funding options for the Raichak Expressway, Goswami said. The 1.5km Kukrahati bridge, which Goswami called the signature project of West Bengal, would be at the mercy of the Central government.

“We would try to persuade the department of surface transport of the government of India, to take up the Expressway project”, Goswami added.

Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was working as technical consultants on the Kukrahati bridge project before Salim was chosen for the project. Salim’s entry had eliminated JICA from the project in 2007. The feasibility and the option of constructing a link under water was under study.

"Akhon Bosse aangul chosha charah aar kee upaay aache!!":ohno:

"Akhon Bosse aangul chosha charah aar kee upaay aache!!":ohno:

Chinta korben na dada. Sob thik hoye jaabe.

:cheers:

Abar Mamata didi r record dekhle chinta hotei parey.

And anyway why will Salim stay after all the harrassment by Mamata, Medha and Co since 2005 (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/10/21/stories/2005102110051200.htm).

BTW Unitech Bengal is now building Kolkata West which has been renamed as Nirvana Country (http://www.unitechgroup.com/projects/residential/kolkata/nirvana/index.shtml).

And the Motorcycle factory against which Mamata/Medha were agitating will hopefully see TVS's entry.

http://www.mahabharatmotors.com/

Wetland park work to start soon

KOLKATA, Sept. 4: The state government is expecting a detailed plan for the proposed park that would come up on the East Kolkata Wetlands by the next month. The work for the park is also expected to start by early next year.
Wetlands International, the agency appointed for preparing the plan for the park ~ that would have world class conservation, education and tourism facilities ~ is likely to submit the plan by early October, senior official said at the Writers' Buildings. The agency has considerable expertise in chalking out plans for Ramsar Convention sites.
The idea of setting up a park on the East Kolkata Wetlands came up in 2006 after a delegation from the state led by the chief secretary, Mr Amit Kiran Deb visited the famous Hong Kong Wetland Park. The decision was finalised after it was learnt that the Wetlands in Hong Kong were very similar to the East Kolkata Wetlands. The decision was taken mainly to save the wetlands from being encroached upon.
Despite several efforts, the wetlands are facing the threat of losing its status as a Ramsar site owing to encroachment on a portion of it.
A few months back, the East Kolkata Wetlands Authorities had pulled down a number of unauthorised structures. In a situation like this, it is expected that setting up the park could save the wetlands from further encroachment.
An official at Writers’ Buildings said the authorities of Hong Kong Wetland Park had primarily agreed to give technical know-how and all other support to set up a similar park on East Kolkata Wetlands.
“The wetlands in Hong Kong are also a Ramsar Convention site. It has now been converted into a very good tourist spot. In fact, it is not just an entertainment park, but also an awareness ground. People are instructed on the need to protect such wetlands by the use of electronic models,” the official said.
The East Kolkata Wetlands are known all over the world for its multiple usages. It treats the waste water naturally, in the process saving the Kolkata Municipal Corporation authorities from constructing and maintaining a wastewater treatment plant.
When contacted, Mr ML Meena, state environment secretary, said: “We are expecting a detailed plan of the proposed park from the agency within one month or so. After this, we would be able to take the required steps to start work for the park.”

Statesman

No worries!

Ja cholchhe ta thik cholchhe na kintu amar mone kothao ekta biswas achhe je e sob thik hoye jabe. Sob temporary ebong sob'i part of a natural life-cycle of industrialization. Go back to the old days of birth of the European industry - the Shilpo Biplob (Industry Revolution). Aaj obdhi prithibir kothao totally hassle-free industrialization hoy ni - kintu industrialization here jaay ni. So, no worries, West Bengal is going to win and industrialization is also going to win. Maybe in the longer run, who knows, we might see a healthier industry in West Bengal than many other parts of the country. Like it or not, acknowledge it or not, many private companies more often than not exploit a lot of undeserved priviliges even up to human resource exploitation. Hopefully ei byaparta kombe. But of course, amader union-baji korle industry thakbe na, palabe. People also need sense.

We need a new city in Purulia / some place which is approximately the junction of some fertile land and some barren land. Only with a city / big town can knowledge creep in, and only then a socialized and balanced development can happen. It is seriously tough to expand Kolkata due to farmlands encircling it and all the related hassles.

The new city might be a mega-city-corridor in the lines of Bombay-Pune mega-corridor with respect to Kolkata. It ought to give West Bengal the much-needed breathing space for industrial growth.

KMC advt in Times of India

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Ad0070031.png

photo source: southcity projects website

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2834/scgstatust5dt1.jpg

picture 2

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/1269/scgstatust6kf1.jpg

picture 3


http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/8789/scgstatust7qx5.jpg

picture 4

http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/9282/scgstatust8zk9.jpg

^^ Kool update Samrat. keep it up man. :banana:
________________________________________________________________

US eatery chain set to open shop in city

Subhro Niyogi

Kolkata: TGI Friday’s, the iconic American fine-dining restaurant with a fun-filled atmosphere, is close to sealing the deal for its launch in Kolkata. TGIF marketing manager Mohit Patni said the restaurant chain is looking at a February-March date to debut on Park Street.
“We will bring to Kolkata a casual dining establishment where couples, families and singles can enjoy a varied platter of tasty appetizers, meals and desserts as well as a broad selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. This refreshing concept embodies all the fun and the camaraderie and ‘let your hair down’ feeling that comes before a weekend and distils that spirit into a wonderful, casual dining experience that throws its doors open all week long,” he said.
The chain’s name, incidentally, has its origins in a unique spirit called Thank Goodness it’s Friday. Its happy hour, usually from 5-8 pm, draws huge crowds, particularly youngsters.
“We have shortlisted a couple of properties. The agreement is expected to be sealed soon and the launch will take place in four-five months. We are looking at a 200-seater establishment spread over 2,000-2,500 sq ft. The total investment is pegged at around Rs 4-5 crore,” said Patni.
Real estate agents said the company had attempted to negotiate with the Apeejay Surrendra group for the space that is currently occupied by T3 at Park Mansion. The negotiations did not materialise though.
Also, on TGIF’s radar is a property at Karnani Mansion on Park Street. The furniture store that currently occupies the floor space has already reduced its store area to sub-lease the rest. If TGIF does move in there, it will be present alongside the other iconic American brand, McDonald’s, and diagonally opposite yet another, KFC.
TGIF’s trademark décor with memorabilia like the propeller and the racing scull along with the music and the flair will certainly liven up the experience. The music is recorded specially for TGIF and is uniform for all outlets worldwide.
The concept of TGIF’s was first introduced in Manhattan at First Avenue and 63rd Street in 1965 and featured the same red-and-white striped awnings and the signature name that was to best describe a feeling for generations to come. Today, there are over 826 TGIF outlets in over 50 cities across the world, serving approximately 25,000 guests every day.
In India, TGIF set up its first restaurant in Delhi in 1996. Since then, it has added six more outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurgaon and Hyderabad. The chain plans to have at least 20 restaurants across the country. Prior to its Kolkata launch, three more restaurants, two in Delhi and one in Mumbai, are also in the pipeline.

Times of India

thanx saraf:)

^^ Kool update Samrat. keep it up man. :banana:
________________________________________________________________

US eatery chain set to open shop in city

Subhro Niyogi

Kolkata: TGI Friday’s, the iconic American fine-dining restaurant with a fun-filled atmosphere, is close to sealing the deal for its launch in Kolkata. TGIF marketing manager Mohit Patni said the restaurant chain is looking at a February-March date to debut on Park Street.
“We will bring to Kolkata a casual dining establishment where couples, families and singles can enjoy a varied platter of tasty appetizers, meals and desserts as well as a broad selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. This refreshing concept embodies all the fun and the camaraderie and ‘let your hair down’ feeling that comes before a weekend and distils that spirit into a wonderful, casual dining experience that throws its doors open all week long,” he said.
The chain’s name, incidentally, has its origins in a unique spirit called Thank Goodness it’s Friday. Its happy hour, usually from 5-8 pm, draws huge crowds, particularly youngsters.
“We have shortlisted a couple of properties. The agreement is expected to be sealed soon and the launch will take place in four-five months. We are looking at a 200-seater establishment spread over 2,000-2,500 sq ft. The total investment is pegged at around Rs 4-5 crore,” said Patni.
Real estate agents said the company had attempted to negotiate with the Apeejay Surrendra group for the space that is currently occupied by T3 at Park Mansion. The negotiations did not materialise though.
Also, on TGIF’s radar is a property at Karnani Mansion on Park Street. The furniture store that currently occupies the floor space has already reduced its store area to sub-lease the rest. If TGIF does move in there, it will be present alongside the other iconic American brand, McDonald’s, and diagonally opposite yet another, KFC.
TGIF’s trademark décor with memorabilia like the propeller and the racing scull along with the music and the flair will certainly liven up the experience. The music is recorded specially for TGIF and is uniform for all outlets worldwide.
The concept of TGIF’s was first introduced in Manhattan at First Avenue and 63rd Street in 1965 and featured the same red-and-white striped awnings and the signature name that was to best describe a feeling for generations to come. Today, there are over 826 TGIF outlets in over 50 cities across the world, serving approximately 25,000 guests every day.
In India, TGIF set up its first restaurant in Delhi in 1996. Since then, it has added six more outlets in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Gurgaon and Hyderabad. The chain plans to have at least 20 restaurants across the country. Prior to its Kolkata launch, three more restaurants, two in Delhi and one in Mumbai, are also in the pipeline.

Times of India

^^Would be great if they get rid of T3 for TGIF. It would be difficult to find a better location in Park street than this.

Some of the Diamond City West Towers

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/8402/tower5diamondkolkatagb8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Diamond Heights

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/1618/diamondbehalavv7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Devaloke Heights

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/5954/12822232rq8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Terminus - Bus Terminus and commercial complex, New Town

Architect: Dulal Mukherjee and Associates

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/1780/teminusmalllv7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Current status

photo copyright ArijeetB

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/8602/teminusmallarijeetbzs2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

wow.. most of the building is done...
nice find sun

This will be a boon for eastern India

This Tata project on city fringes is quietly moving ahead

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Away-from-Singur-this-Tata-project-on-city-fringes-is-quietly-moving-ahead/355234/

At a time when the Tata small car factory in Singur has run into hurdles, there is another Tata project that is quietly coming up on the city’s fringes. Spread over an area of 13.40 acres, the construction work of the Tata Medical Centre is progressing in full steam at Rajarhat.
Construction of three floors in the main hospital building has already been completed and engineers at the project site are hopeful that the 150-bed hospital will be fully operational in another year. “If work continues unhindered, then the hospital will be ready by April next year,” an engineer said.

Initially, the Rs 120-crore project had run into glitches with delay in supply of construction material and labour shortage. But now more than 600 labourers are working at the project site. Recently, Chairman of the Tata Group Ratan Tata had also visited the site to see the progress of the project.

According to the project plan, the facilities at the hospital will be on the lines of the Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai. The hospital is being designed by Cannon Design, a US-based architecture firm, while Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Limited is executing the construction work. The TCE Consulting Engineers are the consultants for the project.

According to the website of Cannon Design, the Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata, featured in the annual international issue of Healthcare Design, a leading magazine on architecture. The website describes the centre as “Eastern India’s first world-class cancer hospital and research centre that will cater to patients from West Bengal, north-east states, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh.”

According to Cannon Design: “Rather than simply housing all programmatic components in a large box like building, the campus accommodates care delivery, research, academic, and support functions in separate yet linked structures. These buildings surround a central courtyard that forms the heart of the campus. It provides a vibrant environment for scientific discovery and multidisciplinary patient care.”

The plan envisages two wings of the hospital, a cafeteria, academics and administration buildings, a service building, a residential building, a mortuary and a parking lot.

New Town truck terminal in land acquisition row (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIKM/2008/09/08&PageLabel=5&EntityId=Ar00501&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T):ohno:

Kolkata: Call it the Singur effect if you will. But villagers of Ganti in New Town have refused to give up land for the proposed truck terminal and logistics hub in the showpiece township.
Most of them have turned down the transport department’s lucrative compensation package. But stung at Singur, the government is not pushing ahead with land acquisition yet.
Trouble has been brewing at the project area for some time. The transport department identified 100 acres for the terminal a few years back. The first hint of trouble came early last year when around 250 villagers gheraoed some land and land reforms department officials at Derozio College in Rajarhat. The officials had gone there to give away compensation cheques to landlosers. Rejecting the compensation package, villager asserted they would not hand over their land.
Transport secretary Sumantra Chowdhury is hopeful the dispute will be resolved. He said a strategy to kickstart the project was being implemented. “There has been progress with regard to the project,” he said. The department has also issued notifications a few times to acquire land.
Rajarhat-Gopalpur Municipality chairman Tapas Chatterjee said that discussions were on with the villagers to resolve the impasse. “We are talking to them. No land would be acquired by force,” he said. The hint was that the project would not come up in the area if villagers remain firm on their decision to not hand over land.
The transport department is ready to pay farmers an even higher compensation than that paid by Hidco to landlosers in Rajarhat. However, farmers contend that the compensation package is far below open market rates. They allege that the government is ready to pay only Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 for a cottah of land while the open market rate for each cottah in Rajarhat is around Rs 2-3 lakh.
“Hidco did not face resistance as it acquired most of the land for the New Town project back in the late ’90s, when there was not much demand for land here. A cottah in Rajarhat could be acquired for Rs 8,000-20,000. Now, with New Town coming up, the price of land in adjacent areas has shot up. A cottah near the proposed IT park’s site now sells for Rs 3 lakh. Naturally, farmers have reservations about handing over their land at the rates the government is offering,” said a civic official.

China inaugurates its consulate in Kolkata (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/China-inaugurates-its-consulate-in-Kolkata/358684/)

Kolkata, September 07 The relationship between India and China is growing stronger, said Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who inaugurated the Chinese consulate in Kolkata on Sunday.

“The inauguration of Chinese consulate in Kolkata is a good sign and it shows the sincerity of China in improving its relations with India. Your foreign minister is a good friend of mine and tomorrow I am going to meet him. You will get the answers of your questions tomorrow,” Jiechi said when asked why China played a hostile role at the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) meeting at Vienna.

Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee, who attended a book launch programme at the Kolkata Press Club, refused to comment on China’s role at Vienna saying that it was China’s internal matter.

“China and India have a long history of mutual cooperation. The two countries together formulated the doctrine of Panchsheel. We are ready to work with India. The improved relation between the two developing countries has its roots in the common aspirations of their people. I am confident that China and India will enjoy a long-term friendship,” Jiechi said.

“When poet Rabindranath Tagore visited China, he wrote that he felt at home in our country. I also feel at home in Kolkata. I was a small boy when I first heard about this city. This city is the cradle of culture and civilisation and my next visit to the city will be soon,” the Chinese foreign minister added.

Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who was also present at the function, said the opening of the consulate would mark a new era of friendship between the two countries.

Calcutta Telephones plans Rs 500 cr investment (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Telecom/Calcutta_Telephones_plans_Rs_500_cr_investment/articleshow/3459370.cms)

KOLKATA: Calcutta Telephones, the Kolkata circle of the state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, will invest Rs 499 crore in 2008-09 for technology upgrade of its network, said a top company official here on Monday.

"We plan to launch data card in October," said Calcutta Telephones chief general manager S.K. Chakravarty at a press meet.

The company has planned an investment of Rs.1.7 billion for mobile service expansion that includes 400,000 mobile subscribers. An additional 300 base transceiver stations (BTS) will be added with Rs 110 crore investments in the 2G segment.

By December, the company expects that the 3G with 575 BTS will become operational on an investment of Rs 60 crore.
It will invest another Rs 97 crore for CDMA expansion, Chakravarty said.

Singur fallout: Infosys may pull out of Bengal
9 Sep 2008, 0251 hrs IST,TNN


BANGALORE: Infosys Technologies, the number two software services exporter in the country, is having a serious 'rethink' of its maiden investment plan in West Bengal given the unfriendly industrial and political climate in that state. ( Watch )

T V Mohandas Pai, director — HR, Infosys, said they were waiting and watching the current situation there as the government was unable to deliver on its promises.

Infosys had planned to invest Rs 250 crore and set up a development centre on the outskirts of Kolkata and provide employment to around 5,000 people. The recent events in Singur have shown that the government is unable to implement its policies; any acquisition of land has the potential of facing protests, Pai said.

"We are rethinking our decision to expand our business there after Singur row. The dispute in Singur created fear in India Inc. We have seen political parties intimidating top businessmen, stop people from attending work, blocking national highway for days."

"There is also non-enforcement of the High Court order. This has created concern and apprehension in the minds of investors. Well, India has many destinations." Further, the recent protests in Singur have also shown that the government or the courts are unable to control the situation, Pai said.

"We are not officially pulling out of the state. Until we are convinced that the government will be able to protect the life of workers and interests of investors, we will not go ahead with our expansion plan there. Tatas have been in the state for over 100 years, if they have to face this, what about others," Pai asked.

Besides Infosys, Wipro is also planning to set up its development centre in West Bengal. Both the companies have plans of setting up IT SEZs with the land being provided by the state government.

Singur fallout: Infosys may pull out of Bengal

BANGALORE: Infosys Technologies, the number two software services exporter in the country, is having a serious 'rethink' of its maiden investment plan in West Bengal given the unfriendly industrial and political climate in that state.

T V Mohandas Pai, director — HR, Infosys, said they were waiting and watching the current situation there as the government was unable to deliver on its promises.

Infosys had planned to invest Rs 250 crore and set up a development centre on the outskirts of Kolkata and provide employment to around 5,000 people. The recent events in Singur have shown that the government is unable to implement its policies; any acquisition of land has the potential of facing protests, Pai said.

"We are rethinking our decision to expand our business there after Singur row. The dispute in Singur created fear in India Inc. We have seen political parties intimidating top businessmen, stop people from attending work, blocking national highway for days."

"There is also non-enforcement of the High Court order. This has created concern and apprehension in the minds of investors. Well, India has many destinations." Further, the recent protests in Singur have also shown that the government or the courts are unable to control the situation, Pai said.

"We are not officially pulling out of the state. Until we are convinced that the government will be able to protect the life of workers and interests of investors, we will not go ahead with our expansion plan there. Tatas have been in the state for over 100 years, if they have to face this, what about others," Pai asked.

Besides Infosys, Wipro is also planning to set up its development centre in West Bengal. Both the companies have plans of setting up IT SEZs with the land being provided by the state government.

A quietly happening big project. New Jubilee bridge over Hoogly. Google map images. This bridge will have a look like Sydney Harbor Bridge(According to indian railway)

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/jublee_gmap01.jpg
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/jublee_gmap02.jpg

No pullout letter from Infy, says minister

TOI epaper

Top bosses of the state IT department spent the whole of Tuesday trying to ensure that Infosys keeps its date with the state. This flurry of activity came after the company’s director, T V Mohandas Pai, issued a statement that the software giant was reconsidering its decision to set up shop here in the light of the Singur imbroglio.

State IT minister Debesh Das and IT secretary Siddharth said “all is well” — at least for now. “It was indeed scary reading about the reaction of Infosys in the papers. After all, it took a lot of spadework to bring Infosys to Bengal. So, how can we relax after reading such news,” Das said. “But we have checked with Infosys and there’s nothing to worry. We are expecting a delegation in a month’s time,” he added.

“Infosys will be one of the four IT companies setting up shop on a stretch at Rajarhat that has been named Kolkata IT Link. Wipro, ITC Infotech and Satyam are the other three. “We have not received any official communique from Infosys saying it is pulling out. The last one said its representatives will be here after the Pujas to take possession of the 90 acres earmarked for them,” Siddharth said.

“Adjacent to the land for Infosys is a 90-acre plot that is being taken by Wipro. Infosys and Wipro will employ at least 5,000 people each once the first phase is complete. Each will invest Rs 500 crore,” Siddharth added. While ITC Infotech will get 50 acres, Satyam 25.

Both Das and Siddharth, however, admitted that they have been flooded with questions following the Singur fiasco from prospective IT investors. “Outsiders reading about the episode or watching TV are filled with apprehension. We are trying to quell these to the best of our ability. Our biggest problem is that we are having to explain the position to at least 15 foreign IT firms that are expected to come here over the next one year,” Das added.

KMC advt II

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Ad0070065.png

Times of India

Singur issue an isolated case: LN Mittal

NEW DELHI- Commenting on the Singur standoff, steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal on Wednesday said the Singur issue is an isolated case.

“Our investment plans in West Bengal have not been hit,” Mittal said.

He also said the company was ready to start its project as soon as it gets government approval.

The ArcelorMittal CEO confirmed he was not reviewing his investment plans in India due to Singur issue.
..


TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Singur_issue_an_isolated_case_LN_Mittal/articleshow/3466302.cms)

Walls meant to move

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080911/jsp/calcutta/story_9809185.jsp

Calcutta’s first green building with a manoeuvrable, shell-like exterior designed to let in sunshine in winter and deflect heat in summer will come up in Salt Lake’s DD block by 2010.

The building will have vertical and horizontal steel fins that can be controlled from a computerised control room, depending on whether the structure needs to be cooled or heated.

“What it means is that air-conditioning won’t be required at most times. It’s a unique project and we hope to finish it in 18 months. Work will start in December this year,” said S.P. Gon Chowdhury, the managing director of the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Ltd.

The corporation is partnering Bengal DCL Housing Development Company in the Rs 9-crore project. The building will house various wings of the state science and technology department.

Gon Chowdhury said the entire roof of the Salt Lake structure would be used as a water reservoir, the idea being to not only increase storage space but also keep the building cool. “Measures such as these will reduce our dependence on air-conditioning, which means less emission of carbon dioxide. We believe the building will be a magnificent piece of work.”

“We have already tested the soil and finalised the design. All that remains to be done is get the project going. We hope to start work within the scheduled period,” Gon Chowdhury said.

West Bengal will soon emerge as animation hub (http://www.freshnews.in/west-bengal-will-soon-emerge-as-animation-hub-67757)

West Bengal will emerge as one of the leading hubs of the animation, visual effects and gaming industry in the next three years, DQ Entertainment (DQE) chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarthi said here Wednesday.


"West Bengal, though a late starter in this sector, has shown a steady growth rate in the last five years. I am sure it will be the next big thrust in the animation, visual effects and gaming industry," Chakravarthi told reporters during the launch of DQE's first production centre in Kolkata.

"This centre is the first of its kind in West Bengal with advanced IT infrastructure. Our thrust is manpower growth in this sector as there is no dearth of talent here. We have started off with 300 people at the Kolkata centre and will triple it in the next two years," he said.

DQE will also animate some of veteran filmmaker Satyajit Ray's films along with some stories of Rabindranath Tagore and Abanindronath Tagore and poems of Sukumar Ray to popularise Bengali literature in the international market.

"We are in the process of translating, writing screenplays and working on the visualisation of the 'Feluda' series of Ray and two children classics - 'Raj Kahini' and 'Khirer Putul' - by Abanindronath Tagore," he said.

What's the hush hush?

:nuts:

CTC staff design slim-trim tram

TOI epaper

A legacy of the British Empire may well come to an end when two brand new ‘slim’ tramcars roll out of the Nonapukur depot on Monday. These tramcars will have no ‘classes’ — just more facilities for passengers and an ultramodern look.

At a time when trams are being phased out from certain routes in Kolkata, Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC) employees of the Nonapukur workshop have, on their own, designed and built two state-ofthe-art tramcars, with transparent roofs, wider windows and more comfort on offer.

“The seats will be more comfortable and speakers will play FM music. There will be larger number of compact fans to make the journey more comfortable. An in-built inverter will ensure that passengers don’t have to sweat it out during a load-shedding. The inverter will provide enough power for the fans and lights for oneand-a-half hours,” a CTC employee at Nonapukur revealed.

CTC plans to do away with second-class compartments in these tramcars. Both cars will also have LCD boards for public service messages and advertisements.

“The problem with existing tramcars is that they extend on both sides of the tracks, causing traffic chaos on the city’s narrow streets, particularly at turnings. The new trams will be much slimmer. This is the future look of Kolkata’s tramcars. They have been designed and built by the employees with a passion to prove that the days of the Kolkata trams are not over. All that is required is an upgrade and trams will remain as popular as ever,” a CTC officer said.

The tramcars will be inaugurated at Nonapukur on Monday by transport minister Subhas Chakraborty. The matter has been kept hush-hush for reasons best known to CTC and the transport department. Even road trials scheduled for Thursday night were cancelled to ensure that people do not get a glimpse of the cars.

“This may well be the turnaround time for CTC. Till recently, we were being told that the future is in buses. But technicians and experts at Nonapukur were trying to establish that trams are still a viable option for cities like Kolkata where pollution is a problem. Instead of phasing out trams, these should be relocated to areas like Salt Lake and Rajarhat New Town. Our experts may also provide necessary assistance to cities which are planning a similar transport system which is cheap, safe and pollution free,” the officer added.

What's the hush hush?

:nuts:

CTC staff design slim-trim tram

TOI epaper

Its a surprise. They are trying to create a shock and awe effect. I hope that the designs are good though, given that they came up with it. fingers crossed.

Yes, they are trying to give surprise. Subhas-da's concept probably. Hope they come up with some standards and good passenger facilities. Lets have a look first.

Yes, they are trying to give surprise. Subhas-da's concept probably. Hope they come up with some standards and good passenger facilities. Lets have a look first.

^^Well, well...looks like CTC has kept its tryst with dates. The first announcement came about a yr back. It would be interesting to know what they bring out of their stable.

DLF township plan runs into payout storm (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/DLF_township_plan_runs_into_payout_storm/articleshow/3477683.cms)

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: The Bengal government may be forced to rework the compensation package offered to Singur farmers, but only 20 km away at Dankuni, its a different story altogether. Farmers affected by DLF's township project have been offered unattractive packages, which is proving to be a hurdle in the path of the project.

The state government is charging DLF Rs 56 lakh per acre for the Rs 33,000 crore township project. But to the farmers, it has decided to pay a paltry sum of Rs 7 lakh per acre for fallow land, Rs 12 lakh per acre for multi-crop land and Rs 14 lakh per acre for homesteads. Where's the difference going? The government is pocketing it as "development charge".

DLF entered into an agreement with KMDA to build the new township, which, when completed, would become the country's largest public-private-partnership project. DLF has also assured one job to every displaced family. It bagged the project in February 2007. But till now, the government has got consent to acquire only 20 acres. Now, DLF is getting restless, as the delay will affect the projects viability. It is putting more pressure on the government to complete taking over the land.

Experts feel that like other projects in Bengal, DLF's township plans are getting delayed because of the state government's policy of acquiring land instead of allowing companies to enter the fray. If the government allows developers to directly approach farmers, land can be taken over smoothly, a senior builder said.

A source said DLF could pay around Rs 40 lakh per acre directly to the farmers. The company would develop drainage and other infrastructure with rest of the amount. By any standards, Rs 40 lakh per acre and a job per displaced family was an attractive compensation, the source added. As the project is huge, the development cost wouldn't be very high. This would allow developer to pass on a substantial amount to farmers.

Farmers in Dankuni are resisting the government's move to take over land at less than one-fourth of the cost that the company is offering. Trinamool Congress has already started mobilizing local farmers against the government.

Urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya justified this. "Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) is preparing the infrastructure, including drainage and water supply. We also want to develop the area," he said. Bhattacharya argued that most land in the area does not belong to farmers, but to "syndicates", who are groups of real estate developers or touts. He admitted potential landlosers aren't happy with the rates. "We will review the rates, which can be increased," he added.

Now, Satyam abandons Kolkata plan (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIKM/2008/09/13&PageLabel=1&EntityId=Ar00101&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

Hyderabad/Kolkata: In what would be a further blow to West Bengal’s industrialization plans, India’s fourth-largest software exporter Satyam Computer Services, after dilly-dallying for four years, has decided to quit Kolkata.
A decision to not go forward with its proposed software development centre at Salt Lake’s Sector V, Kolkata’s IT hub, was taken at a highlevel internal meeting last week. However, the move is yet to be formalised and the company’s decision has so far not been communicated to the West Bengal government.
According to internal Satyam sources, the company feels that the piece of land allocated to it in Salt Lake is lowlying and prone to water logging, especially during monsoon. “Therefore, it is not suitable for establishing a software development centre,” a company source said. Satyam had been allocated 2.77 acres at Salt Lake for the software development centre.
On its part, though, the state government still expressed confidence that Satyam would not give up on Kolkata.
“We have no reason to believe that the company wants to back out of the city because it has always appeared genuinely interested in setting up a presence in Kolkata during the frequent interactions we have had with them. We are even offering Satyam land near Vedic Village at Rajarhat (where Infosys and Wipro are each being given 90 acres) for setting up an IT SEZ which it is keen to establish,” state IT minister Debesh Das told TOI. In July, Satyam had expressed interest in setting up an IT SEZ in Kolkata. As per norms, a company needs a minimum land area of 25 acres to establish an IT SEZ.
The MoU between Satyam and Webel (the West Bengal government agency responsible for promoting IT investments) for setting up the Kolkata facility was signed on January 30, 2004, in the presence of Satyam chairman B Ramalinga Raju and chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Hyderabad. The foundation stone for the Kolkata project was laid on February 24, 2006.
LAND-LOCKED
JANUARY 30, 2004:
Satyam signs MoU with Webel for setting up software development facility on 2.77-acre plot at Sector V township project
FEBRUARY 24, 2006:
The foundation stone of Satyam’s Sector V unit that can house 2000 associates laid
JULY 01, 2008:
Company says still awaiting approvals for Sector V centre. Promises to set up an IT SEZ in Kolkata Satyam seeks 25 acres for IT SEZ
Hyderabad/Kolkata: Satyam had announced that its proposed facility at Salt Lake would be able to employ 2000 associates, but the plans never got off the ground. However, periodically, the company has been assuring the state government that it was “serious” about Kolkata.
Down the line, Satyam, however, had expressed the desire to the state that it should be given a larger patch of land at Rajarhat or Bantala. Following this, Satyam was shown bigger plots in Rajarhat, but no deal could be reached on the price. Satyam reportedly wants at least 25 acres to establish an IT SEZ. Analysts say the decision to not go forward comes at a time when the state is rattled by the Singur issue and some wondered whether Satyam was seeking to get a good deal at a time when the latter’s bargaining chip is limited.
IT minister Debesh Das said: “As for Sector V, our assessment is that Satyam is waiting for more clarity on the extension of the STPI scheme so that it can take a call on how it can make use of the land allotted to it there.” The scheme, which confers a host of fiscal benefits to IT units, is supposed to expire on March 31, 2010.

Now, Satyam abandons Kolkata plan (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIKM/2008/09/13&PageLabel=1&EntityId=Ar00101&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

Why don't they simply say that they don't want to invest here? Past four years I have been hearing they are serious about Bengal but always showing different reasons not to open centre. The land they have been given is one of the best in Sec-V. That is just opposite CTS Bishnu building and behind the BIPL if I am not wrong. I never saw that place water logged. If a company like infinity were given that land I am sure we could have seen some tall IT parks. Satyam simply wasting that land and time. Anyway, WB's IT sector will continue to prosper without Satyam.

Actually they were not interested in Kolkata and have been waiting for some excuse which they have got now

Satyam says it is committed to West Bengal

Kolkata (PTI) : Amidst the continuing impasse over Singur issue, IT major Satyam Computer Services Limited, which is planning to set up an R &D centre here, today said it remained committed to West Bengal.

The company, which has been allocated nearly three acres of land in Salt Lake Electronics Complex for its proposed facility four years ago, is, however, seeking alternate land.

Satyam, Global Head (Corporate Services), H R Prasad said in a statement that challenges some sectors of the industry are facing right now in West Bengal would not come in the way of the company's stated commitment in any manner.

Asked why the company was not starting the project, a company source said the land was prone to water logging and thus not right for the facility.

Satyam has sought an alternate land for which it would start negotiations with the West Bengal government.

Earlier, another IT major Infosys Technologies had said it was watching the developments closely and will reconsider its plans in West Bengal if needed.

The Hindu News Update Service, Business, Saturday, September 13, 2008 : 1850 Hrs
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/006200809131795.htm

Why don't they simply say that they don't want to invest here? Past four years I have been hearing they are serious about Bengal but always showing different reasons not to open centre. The land they have been given is one of the best in Sec-V. That is just opposite CTS Bishnu building and behind the BIPL if I am not wrong. I never saw that place water logged. If a company like infinity were given that land I am sure we could have seen some tall IT parks. Satyam simply wasting that land and time. Anyway, WB's IT sector will continue to prosper without Satyam.


Yes, Satyam has been beating around for some time now. Not sure if they ever committed any long term numbers for WB. WB can perhaps do without Satyam but not without Infy, TCS, CTS, Wipro etc who have talked of large numbers.

never heard of Satyam, and it can take its business somewhere else...desi brands suck anyway.

Satyam is a top IT exporter based out of Hyderabad. They should be ~40k in India right now. It already has its business in most parts of India including Bhuvaneshwar and Vizag. WB needs numbers at the moment, don't really care how or where they come from

Yes, Satyam has been beating around for some time now. Not sure if they ever committed any long term numbers for WB.

They are not it seems. I just told they are wasting the land govt provided them. In every corner of sec-v you can see construction work except that place. :ohno:

Sneek peek at the new trams.. from Star Ananda

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/462/kolkatatramtj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Sneek peek at the new trams.. from Star Ananda

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/462/kolkatatramtj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Ohhh...the sneak peak has just triggered my imagination. More excitement ahead...:cheers:

^^ Cool. I just saw some of them. The seats look like the same as they have on "White liners". Whatever it may be, it is going to far-far better than those old "dabbas". :cheers:

Slip roads for smooth ride to airport (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080915/jsp/calcutta/story_9833965.jsp)

Three slip roads are being planned in north-east Calcutta for snarl-free access to the airport.

The proposal was discussed on Saturday at a meeting attended by the local MP and representatives of the Airports Authority of India (AAI), public works department (PWD), irrigation department and three civic bodies.

A slip road, also known as access road, is a short road connecting a motorway with another. Three such links to the airport are likely to be built from Haldiram’s on VIP Road, the Jessore Road end of Belghoria Expressway and the Nagerbazar intersection, said PWD minister Kshiti Goswami.

Frequent snarls on VIP Road as a result of heavy traffic volume have necessitated an alternative plan.

“A committee has been formed to conduct a detailed survey and come up with a short-term solution for traffic congestion on the way to the airport,” added the minister. A flyover is, of course, the long-term solution.

At Saturday’s meeting, the AAI representative proposed an elevated corridor from Belghoria Expressway to the Haldiram’s crossing with an interchange for independent access to the airport.

There is a vacant plot near the crossing where the interchange, which will also be elevated, can be built and linked to the Belghoria Expressway extension.

A flyover from the crossing of the VIP Road-airport connector to the new terminal building is also under consideration. “The arrival terminal will be on the first floor of the building and the departure terminal on the ground floor. The flyover will be aligned with the arrival terminal,” said an AAI official.

Around 6,000 vehicles head to the airport daily. The figure is expected to increase to 24,000 after the modernisation, the first phase of which will end in 2010. The four-lane flyover from Chitpur to the Lake Town-VIP Road crossing that the transport department has planned will also add to vehicle count on the main airport artery.

“Traffic can hardly move on VIP Road during the morning and evening peak hours. We told the state government officials that the situation would soon be out of control if steps were not taken,” said a senior airport official who attended the meeting.

The drainage problem in and around the airport was also discussed on Saturday. The choked canal near the airport was identified as the chief culprit.

“There are areas in the airport compound that were under knee-deep water last monsoon. The new terminal building is supposed to come up in one such area,” added the airport official.

It was decided at the meeting that experts from Jadavpur University would be asked to prepare a plan for dredging the canal. The irrigation department would execute the plan.

From TOI epaper

http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/2536/kolkatatramstoisg2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/16cal01.jpg

Anandabazar pic

Sweet no doubt. They have transparent roof. LCD tv. FM. Velvet seats. Lets hope they will maintain it. CTC still have some good engineers/designeers it seems. Remember they designed, constructed it completely by their own. It will good it see more vibrant designs next time. Lets have some experiment.

Good job, CTC.

Parking at New Market

video by sukhiray

XGTaNuREEG8

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Pc0020700.jpg
Artist’s view of the proposed heritage hotel

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Pc0020900.jpg
One of the Mint buildings that will be retained

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Pc0020800.jpg
View of developed heritage site

Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey

Kolkata: The first ever heritage tourism complex in the state is about to come up on Strand Road. The process will start on Friday when the bids are opened and one of the six shortlisted developers gets the ambitious project.
Here, again, Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi is the one to thank. He wrote to Union finance minister P Chidambaram about the 179-yearold mint on Strand Road, which is lying in a state of utter neglect. The Governor urged him (the finance ministry owns the building) to get the massive structure and the accompanying Raj-era buildings restored.
Chidambaram not only agreed but also worked out a public-private partnership model for a heritage tourism project around the mint. A boutique five-star hotel will be built on the campus, complete with a convention centre, theme food courts and retail shopping units. The idea is to draw people to the site so that the mint and its accompanying heritage structures can be restored from the earnings of the hotel.
Among those who are fighting it out for the prize project are the RPG Group, which has tied up with Sanjeevani Group (the builders of Silver Spring), Eden and Unitech. This developer will then tie up with a leading hotel group to build and run the hotel. Among the hotel majors who are believed to have shown interest in the project are ITC, Park, Taj and Radisson group of hotels. A total investment of over Rs 500 crores is likely.
The complex is now managed by the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), a wing of the finance ministry that manages its mints and printing units. It has asked Infrastructure Development Corporation to act as the facilitator for the bidding.
After the developer is selected on Friday, a detailed presentation of how the heritage complex is to be developed will be made before the Governor on September 30. The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), which was the first to draw the attention of the governor on this massive colonial structure that needed immediate restoration, has been invited and is likely to guide the selected developer in the restoration.
The complex was built by the British in 1829 to mint silver coins. Later, a copper mint was added. It was in 1960, after the new mint on Diamond Harbour Road was built, that the old mint started working as a silver refinery, but very soon it was disbanded and a portion was let out to the CRPF. The latter has agreed to move out to help the restoration. Once restored, the mint will turn into a money-andprint museum tracing back the oldest coins and printing technologies of the world.
“The entire complex reminds one of Doric style architecture and care will be taken to bring it back to its old glory. The hotel will also be in sync with the surroundings. The reason why the hotel and its surrounding money generating units have been planned is because we want the complex to generate its own funds for upkeep,” said Sudip Dutta, vice president of IDC.
“It will take three years for the developer to restore the buildings and to build the hotel. Thereafter, we will allow it to continue for 30 years,” Dutta added.

Times of India

^^Great:cheers:. I am hoping that in the process of renovation no one messes with the external facade modeled on the Temple of Minerva in Athens, Greece.

^^Great:cheers:. I am hoping that in the process of renovation no one messes with the external facade modeled on the Temple of Minerva in Athens, Greece.

Yahh. Awesome project. :cheers:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Photo cc Luis @Picsaweb

Renovation work
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/DSC00218-1.jpg

Yahh. Awesome project. :cheers:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Photo cc Luis @Picsaweb

Renovation work
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/DSC00218-1.jpg

^^Cool. Another Victorian masterpiece under going restoration. Does anyone to know the approx age of Stephen House?

Metro Cash & Carry, the wholesale division of the Germany-based Metro AG, which planned to open an outlet here two years ago, said Thursday that it was waiting for a fresh licence from the state government to start operation.

The company said it invested in West Bengal on a pre-requisite that it would be given license to trade agri commodities.

"In line with this, the state government granted a licence to trade in APMC (Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee) commodities in 2005, which was subsequently renewed twice in 2006 and 2007 and to be valid till March 2008," the statement said.

"However, in June 2007 the licence was unilaterally withdrawn by the APMC authorities. The company filed for issuance of fresh APMC licence in March 2008 and is still awaiting the same," the company added.

Metro Cash & Carry started setting up the outlet in eastern metropolitan bypass in the city two years back. However, the project got delayed due to land disputes.

After eight months of legal battle, the company finally won permission to resume construction of its first store in the city.

"The project got delayed due to land dispute. But the company completed the entire work within six months of getting the clearance," Minister of State for Sunderbans Affairs Kanti Ganguly, whom the company representatives met few days back to discuss these matters, told IANS.

A spokesperson said the company was now considering an operational re-structuring to start the outlet at the earliest.

"We are hopeful that the matter will be resolved very soon and they will be given the licence so that they can start operations. They have provided employment to so many people here directly and indirectly and we have put forward the matter to Agriculture Minister Naren De," Ganguly added.

Source (http://www.aussieindolanka.com/)

I wanted to know wat is the status of the proposed Bengal Nri Complex, to be built on E M Byepass. When will the booking start. Is there any prelaunch offer?

2010 Deadline For Ambitious Project To Coincide With Building’s Centenary

Subhro Niyogi

Kolkata: Park Mansions, the nearly centuryold grand building at the intersection of Park Street and Free School Street, is getting a major makeover. The Apeejay Surendra Group that owns the building is renovating it and hopes to complete the ambitious project by 2010 to coincide with the building’s, as well as the group’s, centenary.
The Rs 45-crore project undertaken by the proprietor of Apeejay Surendra group include reversing the aging effect of the building, correcting the stress imbalance caused by a fire in the early 1990s, creating a two-level parking facility in the compound and a Louvre-type steel & glass destination zone above the parking lot.
“The most ambitious part of the project is to utilize the central courtyard of the U- shaped building to create a two-level underground car-park and a contemporary space on the surface. The plan is to utilize the space for an open-sky restaurant, coffee shop, library and art gallery,” said architect Dulal Mukherjee, the man in charge of the project.
Developed by Armenian jute merchant TM Thaddeus in 1910, Park Mansions was constructed as a rental property with mixed-usage comprising both residential and commercial segments. The building, spread over 5 bigha, had a central courtyard and a garden. The architecture is a mix of Victorian and Indo-Saracenic style, with a bulbous dome on the roof, a British interior with a touch of Indian on the façade.
While age and disrepair took its toll on the building, a devastating fire at Alliance Francaise (AF) damaged sections of the structure. The heat led to excessive stress on the structure, weakening the building’s northeast corner. Following the fire, AF shifted out of the building for the first time since 1945. The French consulate has already agreed to be housed in Park Mansions post-renovation.
Efforts are on to woo back AF post-renovation. Incidentally, the oldest existing tenant in the building is S Mathews & Co, whose tenancy dates back to 1931.
Architect firm Dulal Mukherjee & Associates is currently engaged in reversing the aging process and reinforcing the sections that had been weakened by the fire. Escalators and overhead water distribution system will be modernized; the drive and lighting arrangements will be upgraded.
One of the major challenges that Mukherjee’s men face is to restore the building without compromising on safety and mobility of tenants. “The building is inhabited and there is no provision for rehabilitation of tenants during restoration. So, it is a huge challenge,” Mukherjee explained. The restoration of the main building is expected to be completed within June 2009 and the new mid-section by December 2009.
Two other big properties along the stretch — Queen’s Mansions and 20 Park Street — have already been renovated. The remaining two — Stephen Court and Karnani Mansions — are yet to be renovated. While the exterior of Stephen Court has been repaired in patches, owners of Karnani Mansions plan to undertake a major renovation next year. Once that’s through, all colonial structures along Park Street would have received a fresh lease of life.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Pc0020700-1.jpghttp://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/Pc0020800-1.jpg

Times of India

Central funds for flyovers (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080922/jsp/calcutta/story_9867577.jsp)

The Union urban development ministry has sanctioned Rs 236 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for Vivekananda and Nagerbazar flyovers and Sector V sewage revamp.

At a meeting in New Delhi on Friday, it was decided that Rs 153 crore would be allocated for the first phase of Vivekananda flyover, connecting the Howrah bridge approach to Girish Park.

The state urban development minister, Asok Bhattacharya, also announced Rs 49 crore will be released for the Nagerbazar flyover.

A water supply and sewer network will be developed and maintained in Sector V with an allotment of Rs 34 crore.

“For all the projects, the Centre will provide 35 per cent of the total cost, while the CMDA will bear the rest. Work will start after Puja,” said Bhattacharya.

The Centre also agreed to provide the second instalment of funds for five other projects at the meeting.

“These are part of the City Development Plan for Calcutta. About six months back, we had sought approval from the Centre for projects worth Rs 3,000 crore under this plan,” said the minister.

The projects for which funds haven’t yet been released include an elevated road between Park Circus and Parama Island on EM Bypass. Bhattacharya described it as a “fast-track carriageway over the existing Park Circus-EM Bypass connector”.

The proposed link is expected to cost around Rs 350 crore, according to the minister.

The other pending projects are related to sewage and drainage, water supply and solid waste management.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission was launched as a seven-year programme in 2005-06 to encourage reforms and speed up planned development of designated cities.

Central funds for flyovers (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080922/jsp/calcutta/story_9867577.jsp)

The 'Vivekananda flyover' is a necessary one. This is actually planned from Howrah Bridge to Dum Dum. This project needs almost 1000 cr. But for the first phase they allocated only 153 cr(+100 Cr from state govt). This is for Howrah bridge to Giris park. This will be an important link for the vehicles moving towards airport/Rajarhat from Howrah Bridge. They need not go through congested central Kolkata.

Eden Group wins bid for Mint makeover

Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey

Kolkata: The old Mint complex on Strand Road will be restored by the Eden Group that won the bid beating five other firms. Among those that Eden managed to outbid are RPG Group, which had tied up with Sanjeevani (developer of Silver Spring and Vedic Village) and Unitech.
Eden has roped in USbased Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) for the heritage tourism project that is likely to cost Rs 500 crore. The latter is known for investing in prime properties worldwide and also in restoring heritage structures. REIT has involved a large number of US-based heritage conservationists in the project who have already done a recce of the site and prepared the project report.
Apart from restoring the Mint and other buildings of the complex that the British built in 1829, the project will also have other features that will help it earn enough to support itself. It will contain a fivestar boutique hotel, complete with retail shopping units, a convention centre and theme food courts. Eden will tie up with a leading hotel group to run the boutique hotel. Among those reportedly vying for this are ITC, Park and Taj.
Though the Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDC), which manages this property belonging to the finance ministry, is yet to officially confirm the name of Eden, vice-president Sudip Dutta said: “The chosen one, which will start work within four months, would be given three years to complete it. We will then allow the developer to run the project and keep its profits for 30 years. The developer has to get a clearance from the state environment department and KMC.”
He added that on September 30, the name of the chosen bidder will be announced at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who has taken a keen interest in the makeover and even liaised with Union finance minister P Chidambaram to initiate the process.
The Eden Group also plans to beautify the Hooghly waterfront. A Port Trustowned warehouse lies in between the project site and the waterfront and negotiations are expected to begin between the two to develop the link.

Times of India

The 'Vivekananda flyover' is a necessary one. This is actually planned from Howrah Bridge to Dum Dum. This project needs almost 1000 cr. But for the first phase they allocated only 153 cr(+100 Cr from state govt). This is for Howrah bridge to Giris park. This will be an important link for the vehicles moving towards airport/Rajarhat from Howrah Bridge. They need not go through congested central Kolkata.

So, what would be the length of the 1st phase? Also we do not know how many lanes it is going to be. Also will they demolish the existing flyover ? And the challenges of building over MG road. With the current state of affairs all this sometimes seems like eternity. Being a jnurm project I hope they have a completion timeline for this.

The Park circus-Parama island would be another key link with its own set of challenges. How do they build a 4 lane flyover alongside bridge no.4?

Eden Group wins bid for Mint makeover

Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey

Kolkata: The old Mint complex on Strand Road will be restored by the Eden Group that won the bid beating five other firms. Among those that Eden managed to outbid are RPG Group, which had tied up with Sanjeevani (developer of Silver Spring and Vedic Village) and Unitech.
Eden has roped in USbased Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) for the heritage tourism project that is likely to cost Rs 500 crore. The latter is known for investing in prime properties worldwide and also in restoring heritage structures. REIT has involved a large number of US-based heritage conservationists in the project who have already done a recce of the site and prepared the project report.
Apart from restoring the Mint and other buildings of the complex that the British built in 1829, the project will also have other features that will help it earn enough to support itself. It will contain a fivestar boutique hotel, complete with retail shopping units, a convention centre and theme food courts. Eden will tie up with a leading hotel group to run the boutique hotel. Among those reportedly vying for this are ITC, Park and Taj.
Though the Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDC), which manages this property belonging to the finance ministry, is yet to officially confirm the name of Eden, vice-president Sudip Dutta said: “The chosen one, which will start work within four months, would be given three years to complete it. We will then allow the developer to run the project and keep its profits for 30 years. The developer has to get a clearance from the state environment department and KMC.”
He added that on September 30, the name of the chosen bidder will be announced at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi, who has taken a keen interest in the makeover and even liaised with Union finance minister P Chidambaram to initiate the process.
The Eden Group also plans to beautify the Hooghly waterfront. A Port Trustowned warehouse lies in between the project site and the waterfront and negotiations are expected to begin between the two to develop the link.

Times of India


Great news:) Strand Road will soon become a retail haven

So, what would be the length of the 1st phase? Also we do not know how many lanes it is going to be. Also will they demolish the existing flyover ? And the challenges of building over MG road. With the current state of affairs all this sometimes seems like eternity. Being a jnurm project I hope they have a completion timeline for this.

The Park circus-Parama island would be another key link with its own set of challenges. How do they build a 4 lane flyover alongside bridge no.4?

Not sure about the length. Also, not sure if they have to demolish any existing flyover or not. I think it can be done without doing that. Some 3 or 4 years back there were several flyovers proposal to link Kolkata east and west. I am quite sure 'Vivekananda' was one of them. It should have 4-lanes at least.

Not sure about the length. Also, not sure if they have to demolish any existing flyover or not. I think it can be done without doing that. Some 3 or 4 years back there were several flyovers proposal to link Kolkata east and west. I am quite sure 'Vivekananda' was one of them. It should have 4-lanes at least.

Oh if memory serves me right, there was a "shila-nyash" (founding the first stone) programme long back on Bibekananda Road flyover - that was probably around 2001 (or 1999?). KMC had some major role to play in it. Then TMC came to power and Subroto Mukherjee became the mayor. The files of this project got buried under dust. After the commies came back to power in KMC, talks about this one gradually started to revive somehow. While it has gone nowhere, this is where we see it today.

All this from my memory, and anyone is welcome to correct me.

I wanted to know wat is the status of the proposed Bengal Nri Complex, to be built on E M Byepass. When will the booking start. Is there any prelaunch offer?

From what I had heard it is not going to get launched before December. It may get delayed futher. I am hearing about this project for the last 1.5 years. I think they will need more time to get the necessary permissions.

Airport store boost to exports


The cold store at the airport. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha
A cold storage facility for perishable cargo was inaugurated at Calcutta airport on Friday.

The Centre for Perishable Cargo will be able to handle 12,000 tonnes of goods annually, 10 times the amount exported through Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

The Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority spent Rs 6.75 crore to develop the centre for the Airports Authority of India. The facility was on a trial run since June.

“The centre will boost export through Calcutta airport. The eastern and northeastern parts of the country will be benefited,” said Jairam Ramesh, the Union minister of state for commerce and power, while inaugurating the centre.

Fish, prawn, vegetables, tea and flower are exported to Europe, Southeast Asia, West Asia and the US through Calcutta.

But many traders from the region export vegetables and other perishables through Mumbai and Delhi airports, which have cold storage facilities.

These traders will now export through Calcutta, said an airport official.

The Telegraph 27.09.2008

Published in today's TOI:

Metro Bloc-ade lifted, licence by Oct 10

Kudos to the WB CM, for getting the license renewed for this German retail giant inspite of resistance from own alliance party. This shows his commitment for the growth of state and that he is above small political interests.

With a committed leader like Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee at the helm of affairs, Infosys should be rest assured that their investment in the state will be well protected and rewarded. This is a message to all WB investors

Source: TOI EPaper


DLF’s Rajarhat complex to run on solar power
Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey | TNN

Kolkata: Here’s a first that is sure to make us all proud. The country’s first solar energyrun housing complex is coming up at Rajarhat. It’s also supposed to be the largest housing complex planned till date. (*TOI does it again*)
An agreement to this effect has just been signed by real estate major DLF and the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC). In fact, the project is the latter’s brainchild.
A total of 200 acres has been acquired in Rajarhat by DLF for the project and work is expected to start after Puja. “The project has already been designed following specifications laid down by us for DLF. The idea was to build a complex that runs on green energy,” said an ecstatic SP Gon Choudhury, WBGEDC managing director and the brains behind the project.
The highrise complex will provide housing solutions to all three categories — lower, middle and higher income — and contain 8,000 apartments. Photovoltaic cells will be fitted on rooftops, terraces, refuge areas, balconies and window panes to generate power.
“Over the years, we have developed more efficient ways of generating solar energy. We will share this knowhow with DLF so that each tower in the complex is able to generate at least 40% of its total energy requirement,” said Gon Choudhury. He, however, conceded that the use of ACs and microwaves is not being considered while the total energy requirement of an apartment is considered; tubelights, fans and geysers have been factored in.
Explaining how the remaining power requirement of the complex will be satisfied, Gon Choudhury said the complex will be fitted with a dual grid system. The power generated by the solar panels will directly flow into the grid, owned by West Bengal State Electricity Development Corporation Limited (WBSEDCL) and this will be purchased by WBSEDCL at market price. That will then be registered as the complex’s own output.

Restore plan for ruin- Botanic garden heritage house (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080929/jsp/calcutta/story_9848307.jsp)

Roxburgh Building and the herbarium, that boasted one of the richest collections of plant specimens anywhere, and the library in front of it in a restricted area of the Indian Botanic Garden in Shibpur, which went to rack and ruin after they were abandoned in the 1970s, may be soon be restored to their former glory.

M. Sanjappa, the director of the Botanical Survey of India (BIS), has sought the help of experts from IIT Kharagpur. Earlier, in the mid-1990s, a grant of Rs 35 lakh was received to repair the 200-year-old structures, and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), which is in charge of the upkeep of the 273-acre garden, had been routinely assigned the job.

“But I was not happy with CPWD’s work as conservation architects are necessary to execute the restoration project,” says Sanjappa. “I have plans to turn the building into a museum that will also house the herbarium, the way it was earlier.” Sanjappa had good reason to be apprehensive about CPWD’s intervention. The CPWD was responsible for the destruction of the Currency building in Dalhousie Square and more recently, of the Sailors Chapel in Hastings. But unless urgent measures are taken to restore both the heritage buildings they will fall to pieces.

The sprawling garden on the banks of the Hooghly opposite Metiabruz was founded by Colonel Robert Kyd in 1787, and William Roxburgh was its first salaried superintendent between 1793-1814. The building named after him was constructed around 1794, and although initially it served as Roxburgh’s residence, he subsequently constructed the herbarium and the library in the dilapidated house opposite it. Roxburgh was a pioneer in botanical studies in India and he had written Flora Indica, once the bible for botanists studying Indian flora.

A herbarium is a storehouse of dried plant specimens arranged scientifically and classified for the purpose of future study and research. Only 2.5 lakh species of flowering plants have been discovered so far. In India, 17,500 flowering plant species have been discovered.

The herbarium contained 2.5 million specimens collected from all over the world and different corners of India. The herbarium-cum-library adjacent to Roxburgh building came up in 1882. As the condition of the two buildings deteriorated all the valuable specimens and books were shifted between 1973 and 1975.

The original plans of the buildings are not available. After Independence, the British had perhaps carted out all the documents. The garden was renamed the Indian Botanic Garden in 1950, and up to 1963 it was under the administration of the state government. Subsequently, the Centre had taken it over. The papers may have been lost in the interregnum.

Inox bets big on eastern region

Udit Prasanna Mukherji

Kolkata: Leading multiplex operator Inox Leisure Ltd plans to invest Rs 600 crore over the next two years, with over Rs 150 crore being earmarked for expansion in the eastern region and rebranding 89 Cinemas.
Inox COO Alok Tandon said that by December 2010, the company will have 19 multiplexes and 71 screens in the East. Currently, it has five multiplexes and 18 screens in the eastern region. Tuesday would see 89 Cinemas being rebranded Inox Swabhumi. Inox took over 89 Cinemas in July 2007.
Elaborating on expansion plans, he added that Inox has planned four new multiplexes in Kolkata at Jessore Road (Diamond City), Rajarhat (City Centre II), BT Road and Woodburn Park.
“After this expansion, we will have seven multiplexes in Kolkata. Number of screens in the city will go up from 12 to 23 by end-2010,” he said. The Inox in Jessore Road will be operational by May 2009, while the other three will start in 2010.
“Inox’s seating capacity in the East will go up from 4,925 now to 19,800 by 2010-end. We are the biggest multiplex operator in the region and will continue to remain number one,” he said. Inox would also go to smaller towns like Burdwan, Siliguri, Haldia, Asansol, Kharagpur etc, he added.

Times of India

Source: TOI EPaper


No Nano jitters for Finnish biz team
Sumali Moitra | TNN

Kolkata: USIBC may have shied away from sending a delegation to the city in the wake of the Singur controversy, but Nano jitters don’t seem to have afflicted a high-profile Finnish business contingent planning to visit Kolkata next month.
“The sub-regional meeting of Finpro to discuss the prospects of Finnish companies in south and south-east Asia, scheduled to be held for the first time in Kolkata, is going ahead as scheduled from November 16-19,” Satish Kapur, honorary consul of Finland, told TOI.
About 20 business leaders from Finland would participate in this meeting, which Kapur believes would also provide an excellent opportunity to showcase strengths as a business destination. There’s already been some preliminary discussion on this aspect between Kapur and state commerce and industries secretary Sabyasachi Sen.
“We will also try to fit in some interactions between Finpro members and some of the city’s leading corporates on the sidelines of the Finpro meeting,” Kapur said. Finpro represents the interests of over 500 firms, the Confederation of Finnish Industry and Employers and the Finnish Entrepreneurs Organisation. Finpro has offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
“The visit will allow us to broach the subject of the organisation setting up a presence in Kolkata to tap opportunities in the East,” Kapur said. Collaboration prospects exist in various fields like IT, paper, paper machinery and food processing.

^^

Good news.. :cheers:

Lets hope for investments on IT and food processing sector from them.

Do you guys have any idea about the construction going on here? This place is probably on NH-6, Howrah.

Photo cc Kryptik @Picasaweb

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/015.jpg

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/016.jpg

Photo cc Sabyasachi @Picasaweb

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/P7180805.jpg

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/P7180819.jpg

is that the Mall for Nirvana Country?

Could be. It looks like a mall..

Could be. It looks like a mall..

I have my doubts. I did not notice any high-rise construction near Kolkata west whose images I posted a couple of months ago. Difficult to make out from the highway pics about the location of this site.

Avani is coming up with its first mall somewhere in Howrah. Do you guys know the location?

^^

Good news.. :cheers:

Lets hope for investments on IT and food processing sector from them.

Yeah..and not to mention telecom sector. Owing to the penetration of mobiles in this region, I always thought Nokia could set up a plant here. Maybe they will think about their second plant here sometime in the future....

I have my doubts. I did not notice any high-rise construction near Kolkata west whose images I posted a couple of months ago. Difficult to make out from the highway pics about the location of this site.

Avani is coming up with its first mall somewhere in Howrah. Do you guys know the location?

Yes it should not be kolkata west. This construction is just next to the highway.

New town police station which is opened today. It's like sweet home. :lol:

http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff132/SarafIndian/new_town_police_station.jpg

Times of India

Do you guys have any idea about the construction going on here? This place is probably on NH-6, Howrah.


I think it is City Centre II, New Town Kolkata.

I think it is City Centre II, New Town Kolkata.

Great observation, Sun:cheers: It is indeed New Town xway and the shots are taken from one of completed residential clusters next to it.