Kolkata News

[SamitB]

যাদবপুরে নতুন শাখা খোলা নিেয় শুরু চাপান-উতোর

অনিমেষ বৈদ্য

ইন্টার ডিসিিপ্লনারি স্কুল বা গবেষণাকেন্দ্রগুলিকে এক ছাতার তলায় এনে কলা, বিজ্ঞান, কারিগরির মতো পৃথক একটি শাখা চালু করার দাবি উঠেছে যাদবপুর বিশ্ববিদ্যালেয়। আর এই দাবি নিেয় ইতিমধ্যেই বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় কতOর্পক্ষের মধ্যে শুরু হেয়ছে চাপান-উতোর। এই গবেষণাকেন্দ্রগুলি কোনও শাখা বা বিভাগের সঙ্গে যুক্ত না থেকে নিজেদের মতো কাজ করে চলেছে দীর্ঘ দিন ধরে। কেয়কটি স্কুলে পঠন-পাঠন হলেও মূলত স্কুলগুলিতে গবেষণার কাজ হয়। স্কুল অফ উইমেনস স্টাডিস, স্কুল অফ মিডিয়া অ্যাণ্ড কমিউনিকেশনের মতো বিশ্ববিদ্যালেয় এমন গবেষণাকেেন্দ্রর সংখ্যাও নেহাত কম নয়, প্রায় ২০টি। আলাদা শাখা খোলার এই প্রস্তাব নিেয় আজ, বৃহস্পতিবার একটি আলোচনা সভা বসছে ওই বিশ্ববিদ্যালেয়ই।

প্রস্তাবের পক্ষে বলা হচ্ছে, বিশ্ববিদ্যালেয়র এগ্*জিকিউটিভ কাউিন্সল বা ইসি একটি গণতািন্ত্রক পরিসর হলেও সেখানে গবেষণাকেেন্দ্রর সুবিধা-অসুবিধা জানানো বা নিজেদের বক্তব্য বলার কোনও সুযোগ নেই। সেখানে তাদের কোনও প্রতিনিধি নেই। ফলত এত দিন তারা বিশ্ববিদ্যালেয় ব্রাত্যই থেকে গিেয়ছে। গবেষণাকেন্দ্রগুলি নিেয় আলাদা শাখা খুললে সেগুলি স্বতন্ত্র পরিচয় পাবে। এ ছাড়া, বিভিন্ন ক্ষেত্রে গবেষণার পরিধি এত বিস্তOত হচ্ছে যে আলাদা করে একটি শাখা প্রেয়াজন যেখানে একাধিক শাখা নিেয়, তাদের পারস্পরিক সম্পর্ক নিেয় স্বাধীন ভাবে কাজ করা যাবে। গবেষণার পরিসরও বাড়বে তাতে।

তবে এই আলাদা শাখা খোলার প্রস্তাব নিেয় ভিন্ন মতও রেয়ছে। তাই সিদ্ধান্ত নেওয়ার আগে এ বিষেয় কোনও মন্তব্য করতে নারাজ বিশ্ববিদ্যালেয়র উপাচার্য প্রদীপনারায়ণ ঘোষ। এ বিষেয় কারিগরি শাখার ডিন নীলািদ্র চক্রবর্তীও কোনও মতামত জানাতে চাননি। তবে বিশ্ববিদ্যালেয়র ইসি’র সদস্য পার্থ বিশ্বাসের মতে, “এ ভাবে আলাদা শাখা খোলা হলে প্রশাসনিক কিছু অসুবিধা সৃিষ্ট হবে। এ ছাড়া শুধু গবেষণাকেন্দ্রগুলির জন্য নিযুক্ত পদের সংখ্যা খুব কম। তাই আলাদা কোনও শাখা খুলে লাভ নেই। শাখার কথা না ভেবে আলাদা একটি প্রতিষ্ঠানের কথা ভাবা যেতে পারে।” কলা শাখার ডিন নীলাঞ্জনা গুেপ্তর কথায়, “গবেষণাকেন্দ্রগুলির আলাদা পরিচয় অবশ্যই দরকার। সমেয়র সঙ্গে সঙ্গে গবেষণার কলেবর বাড়ছে। গবেষণাকেন্দ্রগুলির কনভেনশনকে স্বাগত জানাচ্ছি। কিন্তু নতুন শাখা খোলাটাই একমাত্র সমাধান এমনটাও নয়। এ বিষেয় আরও আলোচনা প্রেয়াজন।” বিভিন্ন ক্ষেত্রে দেশে-বিদেশে গবেষণার পরিসর যে ভাবে বাড়ছে, তাতে বিভিন্ন গবেষণাকেন্দ্র নিেয় পৃথক শাখা খোলা হলে তা দেশের জন্যই অভিনব বিষয় হবে।
http://www.anandabazar.com/26cal7.htm

[sidney_jec]

Source

Guide Bengal in improving governance through IT: Buddha to Murthy
Subhro Niyogi, TNN, Aug 24, 2010, 08.06pm IST

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has requested Infosys mentor Narayan Murthy to guide the state improve governance through use of information technology.

"I am aware you are busy but let us please meet more often so that we get your valued guidance," Bhattacharjee told Narayan Murthy at the inaugural function of the country's third cybercrime police station. The duo also inaugurated a hi-tech control room for city of Kolkata.

Congratulating Kolkata Police for embracing technology, the Infosys mentor said it would help improve productivity. The police station will handle all cybercrime related complaints lodged in person or through e-mail, SMS, fax and telephone.

"We will take cognizance of the complaint and act immediately. The policemen deputed at this station have been trained for a year in dealing with cybercrime and are conversant

[SamitB]

KMC plans grand gate to Kalighat

Saikat Ray | TNN

Kolkata: In its first stint at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation,the Trinamool Congress board had proposed a grand gate on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass.A brainchild of then mayor Subrata Mukherjee,the Kolkata Gate didnt see the light of the day.Now,the party in its second term at the helm of KMC,has proposed another gate.This time the location selected is at the entrance to one of the roads that lead to Kalighat temple,one of the most sacred pilgrim sites in the east and a popular tourist destinations as well.
The proposed gate at Kalighat is Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjees brainchild.She has already promised Rs 20 lakh for the iconic structure from her MP local area development fund.The initial budget for the construction of the superstructure has been estimated at Rs 60 lakhs but sources said it could even scale Rs 1 crore.
Given that Didis dream is the wish of everyone in the Trinamool rank and file,KMC has swung into action to realize the dream.A series of spot visits later,a detailed project report (DPR) has been prepared by civic engineers.According to the DPR,the 40 ft 60 ft gate would be located at Kalighat Road,just opposite Harish Chatterjee Street where Mamatas house is located.The roads most commonly used by pilgrims and visitors though are Kali Temple Road off S P Mukherjee Road and Sadananda Road off Hazra Road.
The proposed marble gate will depict scenes from Satir Dehotyag and 51 pith or sacred religious sites of which Kalighat is one.
Though the project was conceived a couple of years ago,it was taken up in all seriousness only a month ago after Mamata entrusted member mayor-in-council Firhad Hakim to oversee the project.Hakim then asked engineers to visit the spot.Soil tests followed.KMC officials then sought permission for construction of the gate from Kolkata Police officers.We have got approval from police and are now moving ahead with the plan to construct the gate, a senior KMC engineer connected with the project said.A scaled-down model of the gate has already been also prepared by KMC engineers.
Though local residents welcomed the endeavour,they questioned the selection of spot.SP Mukherjee Road is the main entrance to the Kalighat temple,not Kalighat Road.The gate should have been constructed on S.P Mukherjee Road itself.If there was some problem here,then the entrance to Sadananda Road should have been the location, said local resident Sumanta Mukherjee.
The MMiC in charge of the project said initially the gate was proposed at the entrance of Kali Temple Road but had to be shifted as drilling to erect the columns could have damaged the underground Metro tunnel.Besides,there were hawkers at the spot and the gate would necessitate their relocation.He though,did not comment on why it was not relocated to the Sadananda Road entry point.
Opposition leaders in the KMC felt the MP LAD fund could have been utilised on welfare projects.I personally feel that construction of the gate has been planned as part of an image building exercise for the Trinamool Congress chief and not for religious reasons, said Amal Mitra,the Left Front chief whip at KMC.

[highrise-kolkata]

[Aritra Das]

Originally Posted by highrise-kolkata

n'thng can be more powerful than education.....n whn we have that ample in our city who can stop us from going ahead....dis is Calcutta's Spirit......!

[SamitB]

Delhi is also PhD capital,West Bengal is a distant second,Maharashtra distant 3rd

Hemali Chhapia | TNN

Mumbai: Delhi may be home to only a few universities (19),but that has not stopped it from emerging as the PhD capital of the country.In the last decade,from 1998 to 2007,Delhi has produced over 17% of the total doctoral theses in India.West Bengal is a distant second at 11.9%,followed by Maharashtra,which despite having the largest number of varsities in the country (96),merely contributed 8% to the PhD pool.These figures are based on a sample survey.
This is the first time in India that researchers sifted through thousands of theses lying in university library vaults to tabulate and analyze the countrys body of research.The paperresearched by the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) at Bangaloreis a pointer to what thousands of doctoral fellows in the country have been exploring and producing on thickets of bound paper.In fact,it took Anitha Kurup,an associate professor at NIAS,and Jagdish Arora,director,Information and Library Network Centrewho received a grant from the Tata Consultancy Servicesa year to get all the raw data in place.In their report,Trend in Higher EducationCreation and Analysis of a Database of PhDs in India,they have principally recommended that a single agency should draw up a database on PhDs,and also assimilate the profiles of doctoral fellows.
As observed in the report,twothird of all the PhDs has been awarded to males;and across genders,the attrition rate stands at 50%only one out of two people who register for the hallowed PhD degree,manage to reach the finishing line.
Delhiites contributed the most,producing 2,381 PhDs in the field of medicine,followed by research in pure sciences.Even in terms of the subjects chosen there has been a noticeable shift in trends.While the largest amount of research has been carried out in pure sciences,in recent years humanities is leading the pack.There have been some other interesting changes in the pecking order.The growth in agriculture is seen from 2000,when it overtook other disciplines such as engineering and technology,and medicine.But the interest in the field tapered off towards the end of the period,with the numbers falling below engineering and technology in 2007, the report noted.

[sabya99]

What about Tamilnadu,Karnataka And Kerala? Also UP has sizable number of old univs. Where it stand? Decline of Bengal reflects plight of upper middle class from that state !

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by sabya99

What about Tamilnadu,Karnataka And Kerala? Also UP has sizable number of old univs. Where it stand? Decline of Bengal reflects plight of upper middle class from that state !

The actual report is here.

It is Uttar Pradesh which is in second position after Delhi.

Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka are ahead of West Bengal. Tamil Nadu is behind West Bengal and Haryana.

The study is limited to only some universities in each state and union territory. The report mentions West Bengal has the highest number of PhDs in Humanities, General Science and Commerce.

There are some mistakes or confusion in the actual report. West Bengal becomes West Pradesh in one graph! Also in one table West Bengal seems to have UP numbers while UP has zeroes (that could be were the newspaper picked up the data and puts WB at number 2 spot).

The report has nothing to do with the upper middle class Bengali plight. There are excellent universities and institutes all across the nation.

[SamitB]

STIR PATH
Parties leave development land-locked
CPM Men Against Nandigram Rly Bridge,Trinamool Resists Acquisition In Rajarhat

Suman Mandal & Suman Chakraborti | TNN
East Midnapore/Kolkata: Its a tale of a bridge and a bypass,bound by the common but touchy thread of land acquisition.In Nandigram,a section of CPM-backed villagers have launched a stir against the railways efforts to build a bridge without any formal notification for land takeover,while Trinamool Congress has been blamed for launching a stir against land acquisition on the outskirts of the city.Railway officials have been facing trouble in Nandigrams Gholpukur area since September 3 over construction of a railway overbridge.Villagers,backed by the local CPM,have launched an agitation under the banner of Onnodata O Jomi Bachao Committee,protesting the move.Railway officials have started soil testing in the area without any prior notification.We do not know whether the government plans to acquire land for the project, said Dilip Kumar Samanta,secretary of the newly formed committee.
Tutored by CPM leaders,villagers are now demanding jobs for each of the families before they part with the land.We are in the dark.We do not know how much land is required for the overbridge.Neither the railways,nor the state government has come clear on this matter.Why should we hand over our land for the rail bridge,if we dont get a job said an agitator.The CPM-backed committee has decided to intensify their agitation after Durga Puja.Asok Guriya,the Nandigram CPM zonal committee secretary and CPM district committee member,said that railway authorities have not issued any notice.We do not know what they are exactly doing.We have heard that the locals have started an agitation.We are not against development but we want transparency in any work that will take place here, he said.Sanat Das,who is supervising the soil testing,said that they have started the work after being instructed by railway authorities.This is to expedite the bridge construction work, he said.
The political tussle has intensified despite the fact that the project site comes under the Birulia gram panchayat controlled by Trinamool Congress.Two of the gram panchayat members of Gholpukur village are,however,CPM members.
On the outskirts of Kolkata,state housing minister Gautam Deb is blaming Trinamool Congress for opposing land acquisition for constructing a bypass from Parama Island on the EM Bypass to Madhyamgram via Bantala and Rajarhat in a bid to ease traffic pressure on the bypass.
Here,Trinamool Congress supporters have come in the way of a proposed road from EM Bypass to Jessore Road,touching Rajarhat.The new road was planned some time back to take off from Madhyamgram,take a turn towards New Town and then enter the Bantala leather complex before ending at Parama Island on the EM Bypass.This was our plan.The original plan that was conceptualised by the Delhi-based Consulting Engineering Services was to further extend the road up to Garia, the state housing minister said.However,Deb alleged that the local Trinamool have not let them to start off with the work.
Officials said that the road would have helped people from Action Area-III and IV of Rajarhat New Town to reach both the airport and Bantala leather complex quickly.At present,there is only one road from New Town to Airport the main thoroughfare that starts from Salt Lake Bypass and goes thorough Action Area-I and II before meeting Teghoria on VIP Road.
Who had imagined 10 years back that such huge traffic congestion will occur on the EM Bypass now With huge traffic overload on the bypass stretch already,whether we stay in power or the Trinamool comes,eventually this road will have to be constructed sooner or later.Why cant they (Trinamool) understand this Deb said.

[SamitB]

Minority vote goal unites govt,oppn

State Gets On With Land Acquisition For Aliah Varsity Campus;Trinamool Doesnt Object

Kolkata: Its land acquisition and for once,there is consensus.At long last,the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government has managed to get on with the acquisition of some 65 acres in Bhangar-Rajarhat to set up the Aliah University campus.It has the Opposition Trinamool Congress by its side.
In poll-bound West Bengal,both the government and the opposition are out to strengthen their minority vote bank.While the former is taking several desperate measures to win back all the lost votes,the latter is in a bid to win over more and more members from the minority community.Hence the consensus.
Abdus Sattar,minister of state for minority development,said: Land acquisition for the permanent campus is under way.We should be in a position to lay the foundation at the end of this year. The minister added,For the last two years,funds for the land acquisition have been lying with us.At last we are being able to use it.
Aliah University has its roots in the Calcutta Madrasah College,which was set up in 1780 by the first governor-general of India,Warren Hastings.Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee inaugurated the temporary campus on April 5,2008.The university began its academic session the same year around that time elaborate plans were made for the permanent campus.
But the Rs 40-crore project (it was Rs 34 crore in 2008) hit a roadblock when farmers refused to give away land.They were supported by the Trinamool Congress which had just tasted success of a raging anti-land acquisition movement at Singur.But things have changed since.
Arabul Islam,local Trinamool MLA,said on Sunday: The government has been trying desperately to acquire land for Aliah University here.We have strict instructions from our leader (Mamata Banerjee) not to stall development.The university campus in South 24-Parganas will go a long way in encouraging students not only from the minority sections,but the community as a whole.
Then came the more politically correct statement: We have clear instructions from Didi (Mamata) not to oppose such projects as long as the farmer gets his due.
Yet,two years ago it was Islam who had led the movement against the acquisition along the Bahirampur mouja under the Narayanpur gram panchayat on the plea that the stretch belonged to poor people who were barely making the two ends meet cultivating on the multi-crop land.All these areas fell under Islams Bhangar Assembly constituency.
An official in the land department said: We must take the Trinamools consent at every step of the acquisition because most of the panchayats in South 24-Parganas belong to them. The minority development minister said much progress had been made now with the muchneeded consent from the Opposition.

Campus for women


Since the permanent campus will take some time to come up,the government has allotted a new building next to Indira Bhavan at Salt Lake for Aliahs temporary campus.But a permanent Aliah campus,exclusively for women,will come up at Gora Chand Road at Park Circus.Minority development minister of state Abdus Sattar said: We have bought 144 cottahs for Rs 18 crore to set up this campus only for women who want to pursue paramedical,nursing,teaching,etc. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee,who is the minister in charge,minority development,will lay the foundation for the building next month.Around Rs 50 crore have been sanctioned for the multistorey building.TNN

[niljee]

Behala airfield to serve small flights
Subhro Niyogi | TNN

Kolkata: The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is keen to open the aerodrome at Behala to chartered and corporate flights.
AAI regional executive director (eastern region) Gautam Mukherjee said work on erecting the boundary wall around the 210-acre aerodrome had already begun and the fair-weather tarmac had been upgraded to an all-weather one in the run-up to utilizing the facility better.
“Senior executives of many corporate firms use small aircraft, either companyowned or on hire, to travel between cities. At present, these small planes land at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport where large aircraft of scheduled airlines also operate. We plan to create the requisite infrastructure at Behala so that smaller planes can operate without interfering with the schedules of regular carriers,” Mukherjee explained.
Apart from corporate planes, Behala will also welcome chartered flights of non-scheduled operators like Deccan Charter that uses small aircraft.
“The current runway at Behala is 3,100 feet long. We intend to add 900 ft so that the runway length increases to 4,000 ft. That will enable most small-sized aircraft to operate. However, operations can happen only during the day and when visibility is good because there is no instrument landing system or runway lights at the aerodrome,” the official said.
At the existing tower at Behala, AAI plans to install non-directional beacons (NDB) and very high frequency (VHF) radio that will enable visually-aided operations. A hut-type, low-cost terminal building is also proposed.
The aerodrome at Behala currently houses two flight training institutes that are non-operational. While one belongs to the West Bengal transport department, the other is owned by private party Camillia. A third player, TransBharat Aviation, has set up a hangar and applied to Directorate General of Civil Aviation for permission to conduct flight training at the facility.
Three years ago, civil aviation minister Praful Patel had laid the foundation stone for a Rs 50-crore upgrade of Behala aerodrome with the intent to begin commercial operations from there in a year and a half. Though the runway and apron area were developed, lack of a secure boundary wall along the 5-km perimeter meant that the grassland around was open to encroachment.
Work is currently underway to erect the boundary wall. Local opposition has flittered away with mayor Sovon Chatterjee, who hails from Behala, taking personal interest in the aerodrome’s revival. Moreover, since the aerodrome is located in the constituency of Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee, the pace of progress has increased in the past couple of months political conflicts being ironed out.

[SamitB]

Moderator ,please delete it

[SamitB]

Rivals play bridge politics

Bhangar, Sept. 13: The political rivals in Bengal are desperate to “bridge” the gap with the people ahead of the Assembly elections next year.

A bridge over a canal in South 24-Parganas’ Bhangar has been inaugurated twice — once by the Trinamul Congress yesterday and again today by the CPM. Both parties claimed they had the “right” to inaugurate the bridge over the Bagjola canal in Sonpur.

While Trinamul leaders said the party-run zilla parishad had spent Rs 98 lakh on the construction of the 7.5-metre-long bridge, the CPM said the public works department had planned the bridge and spent Rs 4.65 crore.

Yesterday, South 24-Parganas sabhadhipati Shamima Sheikh and Bhangar legislator Arabul Islam, both from Trinamul, inaugurated the bridge. Around 10,000 people attended the programme, its venue decked with Trinamul flags and posters.

“The construction of the bridge was complete. So we opened it. We are the elected representatives of the region. So we have the right to inaugurate the bridge a day before the CPM,” Sheikh said.

Today, the same scene repeated itself, only the protagonists were different and CPM flags and banners had replaced those of Trinamul’s. A similar number of people attended today’s “official” inauguration.

“It is strange that a bridge is being inaugurated twice,” land and land reforms minister Abdul Rezzak Mollah said at the programme. PWD minister Kshiti Goswami opened the bridge.

Mollah began his speech by thanking Trinamul for “cooperating in removing some shops so that the bridge could be constructed”. Then he launched into a tirade.

“Trinamul went ahead and opened the bridge. They used improper language during their programme. This is not right. The Trinamul leaders claimed they had not been invited to our inauguration ceremony. But the PWD minister has told me that not only were they invited, the local MLA’s name has been inscribed on the inauguration stone of the bridge,” Mollah said.

CPM state secretary Biman Bose said in Calcutta: “The Trinamul-run zilla parishad should not have inaugurated a bridge that has been constructed by the state’s public works department. The move smacks of bad taste.”
http://www.telegraphindia.com/110091...y_12934083.jsp

[niljee]

International terminal shines for airport, domestic a letdown
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata: The international terminal of Kolkata airport, which is often the butt of ridicule, has been ranked 18 among 146 airports across the world in terms of airport service quality (ASQ) during the April-June quarter in 2010. The ASQ system is the world leader in airport service benchmarking.
However, the poor show by the domestic terminal front pulled down NSCBI Airport’s overall ranking to 95.
The ranking, based on passenger feedback on 33 parameters that include facilities, ease of travel through the airport and staff behaviour, is done by Airport Council International.
While Changi Airport of Singapore topped the table for international terminals with an aggregate of 4.99 points out of a maximum 5, Kolkata scored 4.38, well above the world average of 3.98. Mumbai is ranked 16, Hyderabad 25, Delhi 32, Bangalore 65 and Chennai 116.
Incidentally, the Kolkata international terminal had ranked a lowly 116 in the January-March quarter this year. The somersault has left Airport Authority of India officials dazed. Airport director R Srinivasan, while pointing to the hard work that had gone in improving the look and feel of the airport, admitted that everyone was pleasantly surprised when the news arrived.
“Kolkata airport is extremely constrained in terms of capacity and space. The international terminal has a capacity of 0.8 million but handles 1.2 million traffic a year. Despite this, passengers have expressed their happiness and that is a big reward for us all,” Srinivasan said.
Airport advisory committee chairman and minister of state for urban development Saugata Roy congratulated Kolkata airport staff on Tuesday. “The airport handled 8 million passengers and over 40,000 tonnes of cargo, recording a profit of Rs 85 crore last year. I am sure the airport’s fortunes will zoom after the 2,300-crore modernization is over next August,” he said.
The international terminal scored well in ground transport, availability of parking and baggage trolleys, low waiting time in check-in queue, courtesy and helpfulness of inspection staff, flight information service, ease of connection with other flights, washroom hygiene, comfort at waiting areas, baggage delivery speed and overall ambience. However, it lost scores due to lack of ATMs and poor duty free shopping facility.
Among domestic terminals, however, Kolkata ranks 85, ahead only of Chennai at 104. Hyderabad leads at No. 9 followed by Delhi (18), Mumbai (22) and Bangalore (41).
“We are constantly trying to improve services at the domestic terminal but space is a major constraint. It has a capacity of 4 million but handles nearly double the number. Once the 20 million capacity integrated terminal is commissioned next year, we will rise sharply up the ladder,” Srinivasan said.
According to the survey, finding parking space is tough at the domestic terminal, the staff are less courteous, security personnel are curt, there is lack of safety in fuelling services and security inspection is not as thorough.
Hyderabad leads the country in combined (domestic and international) rankings. It is 14th on the table.

[niljee]

Originally Posted by niljee

International terminal shines for airport, domestic a letdown
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata: The international terminal of Kolkata airport, which is often the butt of ridicule, has been ranked 18 among 146 airports across the world in terms of airport service quality (ASQ) during the April-June quarter in 2010. The ASQ system is the world leader in airport service benchmarking.

The ranking, based on passenger feedback on 33 parameters that include facilities, ease of travel through the airport and staff behaviour, is done by Airport Council International.
While Changi Airport of Singapore topped the table for international terminals with an aggregate of 4.99 points out of a maximum 5, Kolkata scored 4.38, well above the world average of 3.98. Mumbai is ranked 16, Hyderabad 25, Delhi 32, Bangalore 65 and Chennai 116.

This is too surprising to believe!!

[sourav2010]

Prithvijit Mitra | TNN
September 15,2010



Kolkata: For half a century it has been the favourite haunt of the swinging crowd. This is where Usha Uthup and Biddu had crooned their way into the hearts of Kolkatans in the Sixties. Trincas — Park Street’s most happening dining address and one of the earliest cradles of band music — turns 50 this year. The restobar, which has resisted change and survived five decades of competition, will be celebrating in style with what had made it stand out — music.
While bands like Shiva and Catch 22 performed this week, others like Los Amigos and Blue Mist are lined up for the coming weeks. “We shall have a new band playing every Sunday. This will continue till December when we plan to conclude our golden jubilee celebrations with a bang,” said Deepak Puri, owner.
Trincas used to be a tearoom till 1959 when it was taken over by the Puri family and turned into a full-fledged restaurant with a bar. Those were the heydays of Park Street when music, food and festivities merged to give it a unique identity. Trincas introduced band music, which eventually became its USP. Others, like Blue Fox and Mocambo, discontinued band performances, but Trincas hung on to it.
“Everything has changed in the city but Kolkatans still identify Trincas with music. So, we have made it a point to have all forms of music at our place,” said Puri.
Bands and singers who had enthralled visitors through the decades might return for a performance later this year. Some of them returned this summer, taking old-timers on a trip down memory lane. Singer Jennie — a Seventies crooner — performed at Trincas last June after about three decades. “We are also looking at fresh talent which has been the tradition at Trincas. That will help keep the spirit of music alive,” added Puri.
Once a preferred hangout of celebrities from across the country, Trincas has hosted stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor and Rekha. As a young sales executive in Kolkata in the late Sixties, Bachchan would often enjoy a quiet evening listening to Usha Uthup. “He made it a point to drop in till about eight years ago. Bachchan would quietly slip in late at night and have dinner. But that stopped after the security arrangements got tighter,” said Puri. Tollywood stars still frequent the restaurant.
Fellow restaurateurs on Park Street felt Trincas has done for Park Street what few others have in the last 50 years. “It has helped promote Park Street and placed it as a symbol of entertainment. Trincas has become synonymous with fun and entertainment. Thankfully, it has never changed,” said Pratap Daryanani.

[arijeetb]

East Kolkata IT Park to attract more IT majors

In its drive to attract more IT biggies and generate more employment in West Bengal, Chief Minister Budhhadeb Bhattacharjee Wednesday laid the foundation stone of the East Kolkata IT Park in Nonadanga in the city.

'Several top IT companies, like Rolta, HSBC Electronics Data Processing Limited and HCL Infosystems have already evinced interest in setting up their facilities in the park,' he said.

Approximately one million square feet of space would be developed in the East Kolkata IT Park at an investment of Rs.500 crore.

The IT Park is expected to be fully operational within 18-24 months.

The park would have a Regional Skill Development Centre and an Infrastructure Management Centre, along with networking, hardware and telecom laboratories to help generate more employment.

[SamitB]

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/.../Ad0020401.png

[SamitB]

GOVT INITIATIVE
Bid to understand Bengals image

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata: What is Bengal Is it dead,or is there still scope for a revival Is it antiindustrialization,can it be a huge draw for tourists,can the brain drain be stopped,will students come to study here or professionals come to work here The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government wants to know the real pulse of the people.It also wants to understand the actual perceptions people have of Bengal.
All this comes at a price,of course the government has to shell out a whopping Rs 1 crore for the exercise.A Mumbai-based company,Saffron Brand Consultants,has been roped in by the state government to find an image makeover mantra for Bengal.One that the Left Front feels will lay bare the minds of the people of Bengal and help find out how to approach the people before the 2011 assembly elections.The brief given to the company,though,is that the work has to be apolitical in nature.
The exercise is also expected to help change peoples perceptions towards the state and what the word Bengal suggests.
On Thursday,the state government formed a 10-member committee of the secretaries of commerce and industries,tourism,agriculture,IT,education,higher education and so on,who will assist the firm in the image-building exercise.
According to Niloy Ghosh of the information and cultural affairs department,a team from the company has already started the work.

[SamitB]

Peerless to invest Rs 260 cr in hospitality

Atmadip Ray ET KOLKATA
THE Peerless group plans to invest some Rs 260 crore over the next five years to expand its hospitality business.
Peerless supremo SK Roy said the group is exploring possibilities to build 4-star hotels in Navi Mumbai,Gurgaon and Bhubaneswar.The group will build another 47-room facility adjacent to its existing Peerless Inn property in Kolkata.
Peerless Hotels CEO Kunal Sen said according to the thumbrule,the cost works out to Rs 50 lakh per room to build a hotel.This excludes land cost.
The company plans to build a 80-room hotel in Bhubaneswar and 100-room hotels in Navi Mumbai and Gurgaon.Mr Sen said the cost of land varies between Rs 20 crore and Rs 30 crore depending upon locations.The project in Bhubaneswar is expected to come up first.We expect to complete this in a years time if we get the desired land soon.Negotiations with the Orissa government for land is at an advanced stage, Mr Sen said.
Mr Roy said: We will invest Rs 20 crore to build the hotel adjacent to Peerless Inn. Land for the project is already available with Peerless.The company will start construction in the next couple of months.The existing Peerless Inn property has 122 rooms.Meanwhile,Peerless General Finance & Investment Co (PGFI),the parent company of the Kolkata-based group,reported a net profit of Rs 255 crore for 2009-10,compared with Rs 236 crore in the preceding fiscal.
PGFI is phasing out its deposit mobilising business following a Reserve Bank of India diktat and has entered into product distribution and mutual fund businesses.
At its 77th AGM,PGFI chairman Dipankar Basu cautioned that the company may face a strain in earnings in the next few years till the new businesses gain scale

Co arm plans 2 more MFs

Peerless Fund Management Co said it plans to launch two more mutual funds (MFs) this year.It has four products under its kitty now.Its CEO Akshay Gupta said the company has sought clearance from Sebi for two more funds and expects to get it in the next couple of months.Of the two proposed schemes,one will be a hybrid product with a mix of debt,equity and gold and the other will be an infrastructure-oriented fund.