Kolkata Project Update II - project news from Kolkata

[arijeetb]

Originally Posted by sidney_jec

A massive construction of residential space is in the pipeline by some of the biggest brands of the country in the city..

Anws does any one has any news and snaps of the under construction Belghoria Exp'way and kalyani exp'way.

Awesome - shows sheer scale of the real estate activities - in the next 3-4 years even if 20% are achieved it would be great

[kolkata]

Nice glassy looks....

New Town, Rajarhat, is all set to have eastern India’s “first-of-its-kind” hospital providing multi-organ transplant, which promises to halt the transplant traffic out of town.

Being developed by a consortium of Global Hospitals, the brainchild of surgical gastroenterologist K. Ravindranath in Hyderabad and the city-based Sureka Group, ground-breaking for the first phase is planned after the monsoon.

“We are looking at 300 beds to start with, on the three acres allotted to us by the government following the tendering and assessment processes. However, we have asked for another two acres and the facility could be eventually ramped up to 1,000 beds,” Pradip Sureka, managing director of the Sureka Group
...
Construction time for the Rs 150-crore initial phase is estimated at 18-21 months, while the cost of the final project could touch Rs 500 crore, says Ravi Venkatesh, CEO, Sureka Group.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/107061...ry_7914119.asp

[kolkata]

http://www.telegraphindia.com/107061...ry_7915078.asp

Calcutta’s dream airport is finally taking shape — on paper.

An integrated international and domestic terminal. An exclusive international terminal with special facilities for passenger arrival and departure. Parking bays to handle jumbo aircraft. A network of roads with flyovers and underpasses for uninterrupted traffic flow...

[Civitas]

from ePaper Time of India

Delhi and NCR can get 60 (even more) flyovers (lot of other infrastructural projects from tax money) in a year from center's money and Calcutta cannot get just 2 !!! Just unbelievable !!!

Centre shoots down flyover projects

High Cost Estimate May Have Doomed Key Transport Proposals But Dunlop Interchange Scheme Cleared
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Kolkata: For those who have been waiting for the Vivekananda flyover, there is bad news. The Centre has rejected this proposal as too expensive. Another project, the much fancier ‘rotary flyover’ to connect Parama Island and Park Circus, has also been shot down.
It was not entirely a day of loss, though. The Centre cleared three key transport proposals — the Dunlop interchange project, the extension of EM Bypass from Garia to Kamalgaji and the two ramps from AJC Bose flyover.
However, the scrapping of the Vivekananda flyover — a brainchild of CPM MP Sudhansu Seal — is a body blow to the state. It would have connected Howrah bridge with Girish Park and was considered vital to improving north Kolkata’s connectivity. The state was even prepared to demolish Braborune Road flyover, if the need arose, to build the Vivekananda high-speed connector.
Urban development officials feel the reason for the two flyover projects being rejected was the high estimated cost. “Projects over Rs 100 crore usually come under stiff scrutiny. The projected cost for the Parama Island-Park Circus flyover is Rs 340 crore and Vivekananda Road flyover would have cost about Rs 120 crore. The Centre, it seems, wants to be doubly sure of the utility of these two projects before it approves them,” suggested an official.
The rest of the three projects have an estimated cost about Rs 40 to Rs 50 crore each.
The state put the combined estimate for the five projects at Rs 650 crore when it submitted the traffic and transportation masterplan to the Centre a few weeks ago. On Monday, urban development department minister Asok Bhattachaya met his counterpart in the Union government, Jaipal Reddy, in Delhi to discuss the proposals.
“The Centre has agreed to sanction funds under the National Urban Renewal Mission (NURM) scheme for three projects, including the Dunlop traffic interchange, by this month,” Bhattacharya said, adding that the Centre had asked for some “alterations” in the two flyover projects. “This could possibly be approved in the next series of meetings.”
The government is happy that the Centre has approved the much-needed Rs 40 crore Dunlop traffic interchange project that would connect the second Vivekananda bridge. Officials of the Second Vivekananda Bridge Tollway Company (SVBTC) apprehend “tremendous traffic chaos” at the entry point of the bridge from the Kolkata end until the Dunlop interchange comes up. The PWD is now gearing up to float tenders and give work order for the project.
The rejection of two flyover projects may embarrass the state even further because it had locked horns with the Centre over slashing stamp duty from 9% to 5% and repealing the Urban Land Ceiling Act. A couple of more proposals under NURM were recently shot down by the Centre. The state has cut stamp duty from 9% to 6% and has committed to cut it further, Union urban development secretary M Ramachandran said recently when he was in the city.
REJECTED
Flyover to connect Howrah bridge with Girish Park ESTIMATED COST Rs 120 cr Why: Too expensive
Rotary flyover to connect Park Circus with Parama Island ESTIMATED COST Rs 350 cr Why: Too expensive
APPROVED
t Dunlop interchange project Rs 40 cr
t Extension of EM Bypass from Garia to Kamalgaji Rs 50 cr t Two ramps from AJC Bose flyover Rs 50 cr

[arijeetb]

Originally Posted by Civitas

from ePaper Time of India

Delhi and NCR can get 60 (even more) flyovers (lot of other infrastructural projects from tax money) in a year from center's money and Calcutta cannot get just 2 !!! Just unbelievable !!!

A mixed bag - i would think. What was the length of the flyover from Howrah to Girish park ?

[drwho]

Indian construction workers paint metal...
Kolkata, INDIA: Indian construction workers paint metal cables at the second Vivekananda bridge, yet to be open to the public, constructed across the river Hoogly, close to Kolkata, 07 June 2007. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to inaugurate the bridge next week. AFP PHOTO/Deshakalyan CHOWDHURY (Photo credit should read DESHAKALYAN CHOWDHURY/AFP/Getty Images)

[Suncity]

Wonder how far this will move...

Kolkata's second metro project receives green signal
http://www.newkerala.com/news5.php?a...lnews&id=38860

East-West Metro, the second metro railway project to connect Kolkata's twin city Howrah in the west with Salt Lake in the east, was cleared by the West Bengal cabinet Thursday.

Officials said the work on the project would begin in December 2008 and is likely to be completed by 2014.

The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) will contribute 45 percent of the project cost - approximately Rs.35 billion ($856.40 million) - and the state and central governments will bear the rest.

Of the total 13.7 km route under the metro expansion project now, about eight kilometres will be underground and the rest overground.

There would be 12 stations in the entire stretch between Church Road in Howrah and Salt Lake's Sector V-Rajarhat point in northeastern Kolkata.

JBIC recently submitted a feasibility report to the state government. Unlike the existing metro rail network, six stations of the new project will be elevated up to a height of 5.5 metres from the ground level. Six stations will be underground.

The project will involve boring tunnels beneath the Ganga at depths of 15 to 20 metres.

The state will form the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation, which will repay the loan that will be taken from the central government. The state government's allocation will come from its capital expenditure outlay.

The trains will have four coaches instead of the eight in the existing metro project.

There will be an automatic system for collecting fare and the trains will run at an average speed of 80 km per hour.

[drwho]

Sun> dunno,but what i have heard is that JBIC is pretty strict to hand out loans to projects that may not be finished. In other words ,JBIC wants a guarantee that they will get their money back + interest.

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by drwho

Sun> dunno,but what i have heard is that JBIC is pretty strict to hand out loans to projects that may not be finished. In other words ,JBIC wants a guarantee that they will get their money back + interest.

Doc, there are many more hitches as this news article shows...

New metro on tracks
http://www.telegraphindia.com/107061...ry_7924388.asp

The proposal will now be sent to the Centre for clearance. “We’re expecting the clearance to arrive around October,” said a transport department official.

A fact-finding committee from Japan will fly down to Calcutta in July to make the “final enquiries”, said the transport official.

In September, the JBIC will send its final appraisal committee, which will decide on the financing of the project.

Plus my biggest concern is track record. The track record of building the current metrorail was vey poor. The extension of the current metro rail to Garia is going on for ages (fund problem, land aquistion problem etc etc..).
Maybe it will not be so bad with this new Metro as it will be away from the control of Indian Railways (which manages the other one).

And then there is the route.

The environmentalists will surely raise a hue and cry about a car shed coming up in Central Park Salt Lake. It is not a very bright idea but I guess there is no other land.

Next is north Kolkata. It is the most congested part of the city. While going overground is a good idea, there will be problems.


The tunnel under the Hooghly is an unknown factor.

Church Road in extremely congested Howrah is right next to the railway tracks and there is no space for a metro terminus there unless it is built on railway land.

While everything is possible if there is a will, I hope that all these things have been taken into consideration.

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by Civitas

from ePaper Time of India

Delhi and NCR can get 60 (even more) flyovers (lot of other infrastructural projects from tax money) in a year from center's money and Calcutta cannot get just 2 !!! Just unbelievable !!!

Under the JNURM funding - of the total funds sanctioned - Maharashtra has secured 22.39% of the funds, Andhra Pradesh 11.98%, Tamil Nadu 9.65%, Gujarat 8.51% and West Bengal 8.5%.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2121453.cms

[Suncity]

From the Statesman

Housing complex in Uttarpara

The RDB group is all set to launch their third project ~ Regent Ganga ~ in Uttarpara on 16 June. The announcement came from Mr Sunder Lal Dugar of RDB group at a Press conference today. Built on an area of 200 cottah on the banks of River Hooghly, the project will have 14 complexes built in its first phase at a cost Rs 60 crore. Mr Rajesh Kumar Jain, CEO of the company, said: “All the complexes will have more than 400 two and three-bedroom flats, each built on an area of 900 to 1200 square feet. Each of the complexes will be equipped with modern amenities like playground for children, community hall, meditation centre and gymnasium.

[Civitas]

Does anybody have any statistics on how much tax money each state provide to center ? I am trying to understand the reason behind this major difference of fund allocation.

For example, if WB provides Rs. 10,000 crore to center from tax money it collects within state and Maharastra gives 30,000 crore, then it is logical that MH will get 3 times the allocation from center compared to WB. Otherwise it is not fair.

Does any one know same statistics of Delhi and NCR. Kind of development it is having it seems all money is concentrated there. I hope tax generated from local people commensurate with the government funded development that is going on there.

Originally Posted by Suncity

Under the JNURM funding - of the total funds sanctioned - Maharashtra has secured 22.39% of the funds, Andhra Pradesh 11.98%, Tamil Nadu 9.65%, Gujarat 8.51% and West Bengal 8.5%.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...ow/2121453.cms

[kolkata]

The City desperately needs this.... http://www.thestatesman.net/page.new...ss=1&id=159720

With the slow pace and rickety feel, trundling along through the city by tram is a little like going back in time - but not for long. New look, more spacious, faster trams could be joining their rattling counterparts as early as the middle of next year in an attempt to attract more passengers. The state transport department has decided to purchase some new trams from Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), a company under the union defence ministry, at a cost of Rs 60 crore, according to a senior official of the Calcutta Tramways Company (CTC).
Mr Ashok Chatterjee, managing director, CTC said: “A BEML delegation came to the city in March this year and visited CTC’s workshops in the city. They are now preparing the design of the tram. The new model will be submitted to the state transport department shortly, following which a work order would be given to BEML.”
The trams will be manufactured either in Bengaluru or in the CTC’s workshops in the city, Mr Chatterjee said.
The BEML delegation has spoken to the state transport minister Mr Subhas Chakrabarty about the matter.
Each new tram will have more coaches and will cost around Rs 3 crore.
A CTC feasibility study revealed people would be keener to use the trams if they were a bit faster. CTC currently runs around 120 trams in the city.
An official said CTC registered a remarkable growth in passengers since the average speed of the tram increased ten kilometre per hour as a result of the overhauling of the city’s tram tracks. Now the average speed of tram in the city, according to the CTC officials, is around 25km per hour.

[arijeetb]

Originally Posted by kolkata

The City desperately needs this.... http://www.thestatesman.net/page.new...ss=1&id=159720

I was of the opinion that trams would be phased out completely over a period of time. This is good news if with increased speed and new design they can keep the heritage symbol of the city Waiting for the new designs to come...

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by sidney_jec

Anws does any one has any news and snaps of the under construction Belghoria Exp'way and kalyani exp'way.

Belghoria Expressway is not yet open. So no snaps except of the interchange at Jessore Road side.

Kalyani - Barrackpore - Sodepur "Expressway" is a two lane partial toll road with minimum crossings.

[Sunny78]

Originally Posted by Civitas

Does anybody have any statistics on how much tax money each state provide to center ? I am trying to understand the reason behind this major difference of fund allocation.

For example, if WB provides Rs. 10,000 crore to center from tax money it collects within state and Maharastra gives 30,000 crore, then it is logical that MH will get 3 times the allocation from center compared to WB. Otherwise it is not fair.

Does any one know same statistics of Delhi and NCR. Kind of development it is having it seems all money is concentrated there. I hope tax generated from local people commensurate with the government funded development that is going on there.

TN contributes more than AP, doesn't mean TN should get more fund allocation. Fund allocation is decided based on several factors, each with its own weightage. Of course, contribution to exchequer is one of the major factor, but other crucial factors include population, land area, etc...

I think a detailed analysis can be found in one of the TN or AP threads, don't remember exactly which thread it is.

[sidney_jec]

I dont understand why is there a need of such requests...
u just need to be investor friendly but i dont think this is the right way to go about it
why not improve the social and physical infrastructure..why not put on hold the militant trade unions...why cry for getting Calcutta airport modernised by AAI..

Buddha woos Infosys with rock-bottom prime plot
WRITANKAR MUKHERJEE & SUTANUKA GHOSAL

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ FRIDAY, JUNE 01, 2007 01:27:34 AM]


KOLKATA: The Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee government appears determined to get Infosys to West Bengal at any cost. It has just offered a prime 100 acres plot to Infosys Technologies at a rock bottom Rs 15-20 lakh per acre at Kalyani - some 60 km from Kolkata. The plot, which belongs to the state government, has been offered for setting up Infosys software campus.

But “Infosys is yet to respond to the state government’s latest land offer,” sources in the state IT department said. The state government’s latest overtures follows West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation’s failure to acquire land in the Vedic Village area (on Kolkata’s eastern fringes), which was to be the original site of the Infosys software campus.

A senior bureaucrat at Writers Buildings close to negotiations with Infosys said, “Senior Infosys officials were recently in Kalyani to check out the 100-acre plot offered by the West Bengal government. Infosys is yet to respond officially to the government’s offer of Rs 15 lakh per acre.”

The latest offer at Kalyani is sharply below the stiff Rs 1.8-crore per acre price tag in the state’s showpiece IT complex at Rajarhat. “The Kalyani plot belongs to the state government and is ready for possession. It will also be available at a fair price which should surely suit Infosys,” the state government official said.

It is well known that the likes of Wipro and Infosys had expressed reservations about high land prices at Rajarhat over a year ago, which is what prompted the state government to look for cheaper land in the Vedic Village area to accommodate Wipro, Infosys and even ITC Infotech. But ever since the land war broke out in Singur and Nandigram, fresh land acquisitions, including some 800 acres in Vedic Village, have been put on hold.

When contacted, senior WBIDC officials said: “All land acquisitions (including the 800 acres at Vedic Village) have been put on hold in the backdrop of Singur and Nandigram developments. Things are unlikely to move unless all political parties reach a consensus on the farmland acquisitions for industrial ventures.”

It may be recalled Infosys had announced plans to create at least 5,000 IT/ITeS jobs in Kolkata by investing in a software development centre cum BPO facility. WBIDC is supposed to acquire 800 acres in Rajarhat for IT ventures of which 100 acres to be ear-marked for Infosys. However, both the state IT and commerce & industry department officials are tight-lipped about this latest move to offer land to Infosys at Kalyani.

West Bengal IT minister Debesh Das told ET: “It’s true we haven’t been able to offer land to Infosys near Vedic Village. We are looking for an alternative location to offer 100 acres to Infosys. We have big plans to develop Kalyani into a major IT destination.”

State IT secretary Siddharth said,“We are in constant touch with Infosys and they remain keen as ever to invest in West Bengal.”

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by sidney_jec

I dont understand why is there a need of such requests...
u just need to be investor friendly but i dont think this is the right way to go about it
why not improve the social and physical infrastructure..why not put on hold the militant trade unions...why cry for getting Calcutta airport modernised by AAI..

Isn't this old news?

Offering land at Kalayani is actually a good move. Kalyani needs some IT industries. But I doubt Infosys will set up anything in Kalyani. It is like setting up something in Ulhasnagar instead of Navi Mumbai.

[sidney_jec]

Originally Posted by Suncity

Isn't this old news?

Offering land at Kalayani is actually a good move. Kalyani needs some IT industries. But I doubt Infosys will set up anything in Kalyani. It is like setting up something in Ulhasnagar instead of Navi Mumbai.

wel its is..but came across it today and found nowhere in threads(or may be i missed it )
anws why even offer any to those arrogant freaks..
Buddhadeb has been calling on Narayanmurthy for so long now..
and that to a communist cm calling on a private investor andtrying hard to get an Infosys
Narayanmurthy at least should have had the courtsey of saying no if he was never interested(and it visibly seems he was never)

[sidney_jec]

Quiet many hotels for our good'ol calcutta

Source: TOI Epaper

GOING THE UMED PALACE WAY?
Heritage buildings to star hotels
Somdatta Basu | TNN
Kolkata: Ever thought what it would be like to stay in the wonderful heritage buildings across the city, much like the havelis in Rajasthan? If the tourism department has its way, you can have your dream come true.
The state plans to convert many of the heritage buildings in the city into ‘star boutique hotels’. “Many of the heritage properties are owned by private individuals. If they are interested in leasing out property to earn revenue, then those magnificent structures can be turned into heritage hotels, much on the lines of the palaces in Rajasthan,” said tourism secretary G D Gautama.
The state feels this will give a much-needed impetus to tourism in Bengal. “There can be no better option than turning some heritage buildings into boutique hotels. If not the whole, then at least portions of the structure,” said an official.
Gautama revealed that the proposal was brought up during a discussion with the chambers of business. “We have already received a list of potential star hotels from the 1,300-odd heritage properties listed in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation area. Now, the government will approach private owners to strike a deal,” he said.
Besides the city, the state is also looking at heritage buildings in Murshidabad, Malda and Bishnupur. “In a short time we will start negotiations and shortlist possible buildings,” Gautama said.
KMC says it has no objection if a private owner wants to convert a heritage building into a hotel. “Without changing the facade, the owner is free to use it as a hotel. We will welcome that,” said mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.
The chairman of the state heritage commission, Pratap Chandra Chunder was, however, sceptical. The commission does not have the infrastructure or financial strength for such a project, he said. “But we are ready to help the state government if we get the required facilities,” Chunder said.
The announcement came on a day when the government submitted a plan to the Centre to develop tourism in Murshidabad. Tourism minister Manab Mukherjee said Basif Manzil, Moti Jheel Bagh and Raja Saheb Bagh would be developed under the project.