Asansol, Durgapur, Burdwan Projects and News

[Suncity]

Malay names New district carved out of Burdwan

http://www.asianage.com/kolkata/mala...ut-burdwan-168

The new district which will be carved out of Burdwan district will be called Asansol-Durgapur. This was announced by state law minister and MLA from Asansol Malay Ghatak on Friday.

“The state secretariat has given its consent to the bifurcation of Burdwan district and all the formalities for the creation of the new district are almost complete. The new district will be called Asansol-Durgapur and Asansol will be the district headquarters,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, mayor of Asansol Town Tapas Banerjee said that it would be dream come true for the people of Asansol and Durgapur region.

[Suncity]

Genexx Exotica, Asansol
status update
photos copyright http://genexxrealty.com/asansol.html



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[Suncity]

Sugam Park, Asansol

photo copyright Sugam Park

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[Suncity]

Durgapur
photo from Destination Durgapur faceebook page



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[Souvik_N]

Originally Posted by Suncity

Durgapur
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Awesome ..

[Suncity]

Bengal Aerotropolis - Sept 2012 update from official website

http://www.bengalaero.com/



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[SarafIndian]

[anan355]

Cross-posted from Guwahati thread.

Kolkata based Bluechip Projects, a real-estate development company will bring Wyndham Hotel Group into the state. Ritwik Das, CEO & MD, Bluechip Projects said, “We have inked a deal with the US based Wyndham Hotel Group to use one of its brands for our upcoming hotel in Asansol.” According to Das, Wyndham zeroed in on the Asansol project after survey of the business prospects of the hospitality sector in the region. Wyndham currently runs 12 hotels in India mostly under the Ramada brand in Mumbai, Delhi, Goa and Bengaluru among others. Seven more projects are under construction.

Bluechip plans to start work on the Asansol hotel within the next two to three months. It has finalised the design and drawing, which have been approved by Wyndham. “We have submitted the plan to the Asansol Municipal Corporation for sanction and is expecting its approval soon. We hope to complete the construction of the project by the end of 2012 even as the target launch date is 2013.” Das said.

The plot for the hotel, located on National Highway 2, has been provided by Asansol-Durgapur Development Authority on a 99-year lease with an option to renew it for another 99 years. Named as, 'Days Hotel', the Asansol project with a one lakh square feet built-up space, will be a 100-keys property. “In the first phase, we plan to start with 60 keys and add the remaining 40-keys at a later stage,” Das said. The proposed property will have conferencing and banqueting facilities besides a business centre, 24-hour coffee shop and F&B outlets. Das said that the cost of setting up the hotel has been pegged at ` 25 lakh per room. According to him, the project will be funded through internal accruals. As per the franchisee arrangement, Wyndham will provide the technical support and will include the property within its marketing network. Bluechip will own and operate it. “'We have hived off a separate arm, Sharda Agarwal Hotels, a fully owned subsidiary of Bluechip Projects, which will own and operate the property,” he explained.

Commenting on the future plans, Das said, “We have plans to set up such business-class 100-key hotels in other important cities of the Eastern region like Bhubaneswar, Agartala and Guwahati. We have already initiated the process in this regard.”

Source

[anan355]

With no response from the centre to lift the two year ban to set up more industry in Haldia and Asansol though sending letters repeatedly, the state government is planning to take up strong pressure tactics. State environment minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar said that they will send yet another letter to the union minister of environment and forest Jayanthi Natarajan on this matter.

Ghosh Dastidar said that they have earlier sent quite a few letters to the union ministry in the last one year asking to lift the ban as the pollution controlling norms were complied with but the state government is yet to receive any response. "We had earlier contacted with the centre on this matter but to no avail so far. All the norms that was laid down have been complied with. We are planning to send another letter soon to the union ministry and will be preparing what next to do," the minister said. The state government has sent at least three letters to the union ministry of environment and forest, with the latest letter sent on September this year.

With pollution level increasing dangerously in the industrial belts of Haldia and Asansol, the union ministry ot environment and forest had imposed the ban two years back that no further industries could be set up in these industrial belts, declaring the areas as critically polluted zones. It was noticed that the comprehensive environmental pollution index of these two industrial belts was indeed very high. The state government then started on work to follow all the norms and the pollution index was brought down to permissible limits.

With the panchayat elections slated next year, chief minister Mamata Banerjee is harping on all round development including setting up more industries in the state. Last week, industries minister Partha Chatterjee claimed that the one and half year old Mamata Banerjee government had already cleared 222 industry proposals, having an investment of over Rs one lakh crore.


Source

[anan355]

The first proposed family club in Durgapur, branded by 'United-21', shall usher in new standards in international hospitality. The 3-star hotel cum club is sprawled over spacious 50,000 sq. ft. The hotel, targeting business travelers, has a total of 120 rooms, of which 60 rooms are service apartments, and another 60 are executive rooms.

http://www.panoramicworld.biz/bengalupcoming.html

[anan355]

Asansol, not Kolkata, is Bengal's fastest growing urban sprawl, says the latest UN report on 'State of World Cities 2012/13'.

The report, pegged on urban agglomerations where 7, 50, 00 or more people stayed in 2009, shows that urban agglomeration in Asansol by 2020-25 will have a population growth rate of 2.06% compared to Kolkata's 1.73%.

But don't get swayed by it just yet for Bengal's second-largest city will take some time to catch up with Kolkata, if ever. The latest UN publication predicts that by 2025, Kolkata's urban population will be around 20.1 million compared to Asansol's 1.9 million. While there are many other urban agglomerations in India which are growing at a more rapid pace, Asansol's growth trajectory replicates that of Varanasi and Meerut.

The report predicts Kolkata's urban population maybe eighth highest in the country in 2025, but far lesser than Delhi and Mumbai. While Delhi's urban agglomeration will shoot up to 28.6 million, Mumbai will have a 25.8 million population.

Moloy Ghatak, Asansol (North) MLA and state law minister, feels the service delivery channels can be stepped up to meet the demands of Asansol's ever increasing population. Under the JNNURM scheme, the city has already been sanctioned Rs 1600 crore by the Centre to upgrade water supply, including sanitation, sewage, solid waste management,roads, urban transport and develop inner (old) city areas.

The funds will also be used to shift commercial establishments to conforming areas. Till now, only Rs 350 crore has been spent. Once all the projects are completed, it will help meet the demands of the population surge, feels Ghatak. The same UN report also bears out a disturbing fact for Asansol, its population growth rate has dropped significantly from 4.06% in 1990-1995.

Asansol-Durgapur Development Authority (ADDA) is the nodal agency working towards this. ADDA chairman Tapas Banerjee, however, sounded a word of caution: "After these projects what? There isn't any place in Asansol to grow afresh. A population boom will be telling on the civic infrastructure."

The ADDA's intent is however missing. It chose to sit on the 'Vision 2025' document prepared by IIT-Kharagpur that had stressed on the need to develop infrastructure and build ring roads. However, the same UN report has also revealed a disturbing fact.

This apart, the report has pointed out a disturbing fact. The population growth rate of Asansol has dropped significantly from 4.06% between 1990 and 1995.

But one good aspect perhaps is the formation of the Asansol-Durgapur police commissionerate. Police commissioner Ajay Nand said, "Initially questions were raised why a police commisionerate in Asansol-Durgapur that has a largely rural demography. This only vindicates that decision. Asansol will continue to grow for its industries and projects in the pipeline. We are equipped to deal with law and order issues."

On the other hand, for Kolkata, the downward growth slide is perhaps a vindication of the Census 2011 findings that Kolkata isn't growing at all. In 1991-2001 decade Kolkata's population had grown by 3.93%, whereas it reduced by minus -1.88% in 2001-2011. Kolkata's negative growth rate, the census indicated, was perhaps the only aberration for Bengal which grew at a pace of 13.93 % in that decade.


A latest UN report on State of World Cities 2012/13 shows that urban agglomeration in Asansol by 2020-25 will have a population growth rate of 2.06% compared to Kolkata's 1.73%. The UN report is pegged on urban agglomerations where 7, 50, 00 or more people stayed in 2009.

But don't get swayed by the report just yet for Bengal's second-largest city will take quite sometime to catch up with Kolkata, if ever. The latest UN publication predicts that by 2025, Kolkata's urban population will be around 20.1 million compared to Asansol's 1.9 million. While there are many other urban agglomerations in India which are growing at a more rapid pace, Asansol's growth trajectory replicates that of Varanasi and Meerut.

The report predicts Kolkata's urban population maybe 8th highest in the country in 2025 but far lesser that Delhi and Mumbai. By 2025, the report predicts Delhi's urban agglomeration will be 28.6 million; Mumbai, meantime, would have a 25.8 million population.

Source

[anan355]

West Bengal’s first private airport is expected to be operational by March-April next year.

The airport is being developed near Durgapur — approximately 200 km south of Kolkata — by Bengal Aerotropolis Pvt Ltd (BAPL), a venture involving four Indian companies and the Singapore-based Changi Airports International.

“Nearly 80 per cent work has been completed. We are hoping that the project will be operational around the first half of next year, say, around March-April 2013,” Ang Cheng Nam, Vice-President, Changi Airports told Business Line.




Ang was in the city to attend Bengal Builds, a conference on urban development.

Changi holds 26 per cent equity in the project.

The airport is being developed under direct technical assistance from Changi and will be fitted with modern night-landing facilities. “It will be run differently from other Indian airports,” he promised.

Talks are on with two domestic carriers — Air India and Jet Airways — to start operations in Durgapur.
Clearances

BAPL will also approach the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) by the end of this year seeking licenses for its aerodrome, and inspection of its equipment and other facilities that include safety and security measures.

According to BAPL officials, efforts are on to attract airlines by making landing charges, airport usage fees, rentals, and night-parking facilities cheaper.

The attempt is to woo leading airlines to use the airport as a terminal point instead of Kolkata.

Sources suggest BAPL has also approached the State Government for sales tax concessions for refuelling.
Township

Apart from the Rs 600-crore domestic airport, with peak hour capacity of nearly 450 passengers, BAPL is also developing an airport city (aerotropolis) on an 1,800-acre plot.

According to Ang , more traffic is expected once the adjoining housing project takes shape.

“Initially, there will be some challenges as it’s a greenfield airport. However, once the township comes up we can expect more flow of passengers,” he said.

Source

[anan355]

Singapore-based Changi Airports may hike its investment in the upcoming airport city project in Bengal if the Mamata Banerjee government clears the roadblocks.

The foreign firm has already informed the state government about its willingness to become the leading developer of the urban infrastructure project at Andal, Burdwan.

“I have met Changi officials on the first day of the fair. They have indicated that they are increasing their investment from 26 per cent to about 51 per cent,” state urban development minister Firhad Hakim said on the sidelines of Bengal Builds, a conclave on urban infrastructure development, that concluded today.

Changi is the strategic partner in Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), a company promoted by four city-based businessmen to build an airport and a city around it with a light engineering unit, an IT hub, social infrastructure and a township.

The West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), the nodal agency of the Bengal government for industrial development, has given 1,818 acres for the project.

Sources said Changi CEO Lim Liang Song had met industry minister Partha Chatterjee on October 17 in Calcutta and had agreed to raise the stake. The Mamata Banerjee government wants Changi to be the leading partner in BAPL to add more credibility to the project.

Several attempts to contact Changi for confirmation of the report failed.

Changi now holds a 26 per cent stake and, if it makes further investment, it could become a majority stakeholder.

Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd and WBIDC hold 12.65 per cent and 1.2 per cent, respectively, in BAPL.

The promoters, who own the remaining 60.15 per cent, will have to dilute their stakes following the restructuring.

The Andal project is running behind schedule and will miss the deadline of December 31, 2012, to make the airport operational even as the company claims it will complete construction by then and apply for the DGCA’s clearance.

“Bengal Aerotropolis is saying the first flight will take off from the airport from Poila Boishakh. They have said they want to do the job quickly. Our government is with those who want to do work quickly. Whatever help ADDA (Asansol Durgapur Development Authority) can offer will be provided,” Hakim said.

According to a senior BAPL official, Changi has agreed to increase its stake on the condition that the state government expedite the provision of certain facilities.

BAPL needs state help to relocate some high-tension electric towers obstructing the flight path by acquiring land. Moreover, ADDA has to divert a village road.

Changi also wanted WBIDC to drop some of the changes being proposed in the development agreement with BAPL. The state wanted a 10 per cent commission on any subsequent transfer of land in the township area. This will include transfer of property between two individuals who may buy the plot. BAPL felt this clause would harm the prospect of the project.

If Changi becomes the lead developer, more Singapore companies are likely to consider investing in the project.

“Of all the consortium members, only Changi is an airport operator. To make the airport a success, the state government wants Changi to play a bigger role,” the official said.

The official also said talks were on with airlines such as Jet Airways and Air India to schedule flights from the airport.


Source

[anan355]

Aadhar Housing Finance (P) Ltd., jointly promoted by Dewan Housing and International Finance Corp (IFC), on Tuesday announced the launch of its branch at Asansol city in West Bengal's Burdwan district.


Located at Rambandhu Tala, this branch will cater to other important locations like Durgapur, Barddhaman, Siuri, Bolpur, Raniganj, Kulti, Bankura and Puruliya through a hub-n-spoke model.

This is Aadhar’s first branch in West Bengal and 16th branch in the country.

Aadhar was envisaged by DHFL and IFC, a member of the World Bank group, as a segment focused housing finance company to reach out to the low income segment with incomes ranging from Rs. 5000 to Rs. 25000 pm in the identified states namely Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and West Bengal.

Aadhar enables access to housing finance to a segment that has limited access to any form of formal lending and provides housing loan up to Rs. 12 lakh.

Speaking on the occasion, Harshil Mehta, CEO, Aadhar, said, “Asansol has been registering growth at a phenomenal pace and is amongst the top 11 Indian cities in the list of 100 fastest growing cities in the world with a rank of 42.”

Asansol is Bengal's second-largest city after Kolkata and is also Bengal’s fastest growing urban area with a population of over 1.2 million people as per census 2011.

The industrial base of Asansol is chiefly supported by coal, iron and steel industries, including heavy engineering, fertilizers and coal based chemicals industries and has experienced remarkable growth in population and economy to have emerged as India’s important urban industrial centre.

The region is further expected to have a population growth rate of 2.06% compared to Kolkata's 1.73% by 2020-25, as per a United Nations report.

Aadhar offers an array of products including home loans, home improvement/extension loans, plot loans, self-construction loans and gradually extend products such as mortgage loan, lease rental finance and non-residential property loans.

Aadhar also refinances project loans essentially for development of low cost housing projects.

Source

[anan355]

The administrative process to upgrade Asansol-Durgapur subdivision to a district moved forward with the initiative taken by the district administrative body.

According to the blueprint, Asansol will be named the district headquarters. A district judge’s court and a juvenile justice board will also be set up in the town. High court judge Jayanta Biswas on Thursday visited Asansol to identify land for the proposed projects. District magistrate Onkar Singh Meena said that he discussed the issue with police superintendent Ajoy Nanda.


"At the meeting we discussed about the present condition of Durgapur and Burdwan court," said Meena

"If Asansol is identified as the district headquarters then the court area needs to be expanded. We discussed on this subject. A piece of land has been identified besides Asansol district library for building district judges’ bungalow and juvenile justice board." he added.

Meanwhile, Asansol has been declared as a health district. The district sadar hospital department of the health district will be set up in Asansol.

The office of the chief medical officer(CMOH) will be at the old hospital complex in Asansol. According to the sources, the CMOH has already been nominated and will assume office from the beginning of January.
Sources further added that current ACMOH, Arati Sen Chattaraj might be promoted to the post of deputy CMOH in the Asansol health district.

BengalPost

[anan355]

"For the sake of better administrative effectiveness, we have decided to bifurcate Burdwan into two new districts - Burdwan Rural and Asansol Durgapur," announced chief minister Mamata Banerjee at Asansol on Thursday. She said the proposal had been accepted in an all-party meeting and had also got the nod at the secretariat level.

"It will take some more time to shift and transfer the offices for the new district headquarter (Asansol) and create further infrastructure," the CM said.

While laying the foundation stone of Kazi Nazrul Islam University at the Polo Ground in Asansol, the chief minister criticized the previous Left Front government for setting up only one university in the state during their 34-year rule.

"But in a span of only one and a half years our government has approved four new universities including a private one while another is in the pipeline. Classes of Kazi Nazrul Islam University will begin from July this year. We have already appointed professor Anuradha Mukherjee as the vice-chancellor," she added.

The chief minister felt she had done a "national duty" by setting up a university in the name of the great poet who is a national hero not only in India but also in Bangladesh.

Besides the university, Mamata laid the foundation stone of a host of other projects including a drinking water project and a mega retail shop that will sell products of various self-help groups. She also showered her bounties on the district by giving away pattas, cycles and certificates to locals.

Mamata projected Burdwan as a potential industrial hub. "In Panagarh, out of the1458 acres of land under the industrial park, 1185 acres have already attracted investments worth Rs 12,000 crore. This will give employment opportunities to about 12,000 people. New brick clusters will come up at Baraboni, Kulti and Salanpur," she said. The second phase of the industrial park will be in Durgapur, she added.

"We have also decided to set up a hotel management and catering institute at Durgapur on five acres of land with an investment of Rs 10.50 crore. It will be run by the state tourism department," the CM announced. Sail and Kobe Steel of Japan is jointly setting up a steel plant at Durgapur which is the second of its kind in the world, the CM said.

At the gathering, Mamata Banerjee boasted of the achievements of her government: "We have done so much work only within the span of a year and a half and I have statistics to prove it. But a section is trying to malign us purposely. I request you to remain calm and not react to what they are saying."

Addressing the problem of illegal coal gangs operating in the industrial belt, she directed Asansol Durgapur Police to take proper measures and prevent illegal entry of guns.

Quoting figures from 2009 -10 to the last year she tried to establish how much work has been done by her on every front compared to left regime including minorities development. She said that she dreeams of having a kisan mandi, cold stoarge, ITI in every blocks of the state. " We have done so much work only in one and half years and I am giving you statistics. But a section is trying to malign us purposely. I request you to remain calm and don't react to what they are saying,"she added. She directed the Asansol Durgapur Police to control the ongoing gang war of coal mafias and also warned that illegal guns should not enter Andal. Seize all arms, she added. Some misctreants alleghedly fired at a trinamul rally in Parascole in Andal, who are coming to CM's rally in Asansol today. She also gave away pattas, cycles, certificates in today's rally. Education minister Brataya Basu and MP Mukul Roy accompanied her.


TOI

[anan355]

Located at Muchipara near Durgapur, the project will house two, 2.5 and three-BHK units with base price kept at Rs 2,195 per sq ft

Kolkata-headquartered realty player Jain Group is now coming up with its first project in south Bengal — at Muchipara near Durgapur. Christened as Dream Eco City, the new project promises to be a unique residential project developed with biophilic design.

Located on NH-2, next to NSHM Knowledge Campus, the project offers easy connectivity to Durgapur railway station. Spread over eight acres and with over one million sq ft of space, Dream Eco City will house 800 families, the developer said.

The ground-plus-11 storey*ed towers at the project will house 286 units of two-BHK apartments (880–910 sq ft), 110 units of 2.5-BHK apartments (1,045 sq ft) and 374 units of three-BHK apartments (sizes varying between 1,235 sq ft, 1,285 sq ft and 1,325 sq ft). The base price of the project is kept at Rs 2,195 per sq ft.

Built as per green building standards, the project will house a swimming pool, gymnasium, ampitheatre, jacuzzi, multi-level garden, community hall, lounges and banquets, indoor games arena, shopping arcade and a four-star hotel. The project also boasts off solar panel lighting and water heaters, rain water harvesting, thick foliage of natural plantation, laminated wooden flooring, VOC-free eco-friendly paint and eco-friendly building material and four side ventilation, according to Rishi Jain, executive director, Jain Group.

“South Bengal is progressing at a rapid pace and Durgapur can be considered to be the nucleus of this development. This is one of the major reasons why we decided to foray in this region. We would be investing in between Rs 300 crores and Rs 350 crores in south Bengal over two years and the four-star hotel at Durgapur will be opened in association with an international group,” he said.

Financial Chronicle

[anan355]

H&R Johnson (India), an arm of Prism Cement, has drawn up a capacity ramp up and retail expansion plans for the next couple of years. The firm is looking at significantly increasing its export volumes by tapping the neighbouring markets with products to be produced at its upcoming plant at Durgapur in West Bengal.

“It is in the process of coughing up Rs 400 cr from its coffer to significantly increase its retail presence from 25 to 300 by 2015 and ramp up its capacity substantially from the present level of 51 million sq meter per year,” a top official of the company, told FC on Tuesday.

The Hyderabad-headquartered firm, a leading player in ceramic and vitrified tiles, bath-fittings, kitchenware, has been growing at nearly 20 per cent per annum, which is higher than the industry average of 10-15 per cent, Ravi M Ojha, GM (east), H&R Johnson (India), said.

“Although the final capacity of the plant is yet to be worked out, the proposed Durgapur plant of the company, for which the firm has already acquired land and in the process of getting other clearances, will be the single largest tiles plant in the country in terms of capacity,” said Ojha.

“At present, we have 25 outlets, which is being taken up to 70-80 by March, this year and eventually to 300 by 2015. In the eastern India, we will be having 25 outlets by March, 2013 and 75 by 2015. The number of premium signature outlets will also go up from 17 at present to 20 by March, this year,” he said.

The firm at present exports its products to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Europe and some neighbouring countries, albeit an insignificant volume. “Once the Durgapur plant comes up we will tap the neighbouring markets of Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmarmore aggressively because these markets are closer to east or Kolkata,” said Ojha.


Financial Chronicle

[AbhishekDatta]

Andal airport to be ready by May
TNN | Mar 12, 2013, 04.18 AM IST

KOLKATA: The greenfield airport that is in an advanced stage of construction at Andal near Durgapur has received a thumbs-up from director general of civil aviation Arun Mishra. After visiting the site, Mishra remarked: "Of the country's 15 greenfield airport projects that were approved, the Durgapur airport is the one that has made the most significant progress."

The project - which is currently in the finishing stage with less than 15% work left on the runway, passenger terminal and air traffic control tower - is expected to be completed by May. Subrata Paul, the chief executive officer of Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd (BAPL), said the airport would be ready for commercial operations by October 2013. Singapore airport operator Changi holds 26% equity in the project.

"We have already applied for licence to the DGCA. Mishra's visit following our request marks the final lap of the airport's development," Paul said.

Though the formalities needed for a greenfield airport to be commercially operational are cumbersome and time-consuming, Mishra was quite impressed by the pace of work. "A lot of progress has been made in a short time despite several constraints," he said after the trip to Andal.

DGCA is expected to undertake an inspection of the airport sometime this yearend, followed by trial flights before the airport can receive the nod for full-fledged commercial operations. BAPL is already in talks with Jet Airways, IndiGo and Air India for flights to the airport that has several industrial towns like Durgapur, Burnpur, Raniganj and Dhanbad in its catchment area.

Apart from the 650-acre airport, BAPL plans to develop residential townships, hospitals, IT hubs and industries in the remaining 1,200 acre. The Mamata Banerjee government, that was initially critical of the project, has made it clear that it will take a call on the rest of the project only after the airport is ready.

The project with land requirement of nearly 2,000 acre, faced multiple hurdles including objections from Coal India during the initial land acquisition stage and later from locals demanding higher compensation. The state government's hands-off policy on land has not helped matters.

"There have been challenges before the project but we have managed to get over many issues and bring the project to this stage. I am confident that the airport will be ready by the middle of this year and BAPL will become the first greenfield airport to commence operations in the east," the official said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/18920332.cms

[ravichauhan21]

can any one send me more details for this