Kolkata Project Update II - project news from Kolkata

[sidney_jec]

Originally Posted by SarafIndian

Summary: HIDCO will build 16 flyovers, underpasses, Hump(?) etc throughout Newtown. They are going to start construction of 4 of the flyovers from next year beginning. These 4 flyovers will be constructed over 4 different junctions on the main road(newtwon ex'way). Length of the bridges will be around 300-550 mts. They will finish the work within 18 months. HIDCO will provide the money.

thanks man!

[Suncity]

InterContinental roped in for Batanagar project

TOI epaper

Riverbank Developers is entering into a management contract with Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG) for running the proposed hotel and serviced apartments facility at Batanagar, currently being redeveloped. Riverbank is a 50:50 JV between Bata India and Calcutta Metropolitan Group.

As part of the initial 15-year deal between Riverbank and IHG, the hotel at Batanagar would be branded Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and have 200 rooms.

Both the hotel and 75 serviced apartments would occupy a single building, with a few floors either at the lower or upper portions being reserved for the latter. “The cost of construction of the hotel and serviced apartments will be Rs 175 crore. The facility should be in place by 2013,” a source familiar with the developments said.

“Except the hotel, the first phase of the redevelopment should be completed in 2011,” he added.

[SarafIndian]

Never knew about this project. Though in design stage. From Agrawalarchitects website.

[Suncity]

http://www.lauregeneste.com/index.ph...-center-india/

[Suncity]

Park hotel renovation?

http://www.conranandpartners.com/ind.../park_kol_curr

[Civitas]

pictures look nice. But, that is only pictures. In reality, no work is going on in that plot. May be because of of Unitech's cash flow problem or something else. Whatever it is, we have to satisfy ourselves only with these pictures for long time to come.

Originally Posted by Suncity

http://www.lauregeneste.com/index.ph...-center-india/

[kolkatausa]

Originally Posted by Suncity

http://www.lauregeneste.com/index.ph...-center-india/

looks like everything is all set to go. This is the best in terms of luxury is concerned...not just in Asia but the world. I have been to convention centers around Philly and Washington DC but nothing compares to the one under construction in Kolkata.

[SarafIndian]

Originally Posted by Civitas

pictures look nice. But, that is only pictures. In reality, no work is going on in that plot. May be because of of Unitech's cash flow problem or something else. Whatever it is, we have to satisfy ourselves only with these pictures for long time to come.

Chill man, it's nothing about satisfaction. It is just for information purpose. Some major infrastructural projects all over India(actually all over the world) are hit by the economic slowdown . It could be because of that. I think we have to wait for some more time.

[arijeetb]

Income from rooftop power

The West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation is dangling an extra-income option and tax sops before companies to make them generate solar power.

For a month from November 15, business establishments with roofs larger than 50,000 sq ft can seek permission from the corporation to produce solar power there.

The corporation will provide technical support for the projects. It will also obtain the necessary permissions from the power utilities.

On an average, about 250KW of solar power can be produced per hour on a 50,000 sq ft roof. Companies can sell the power to the grid for Rs 11 per unit (250KW is equivalent to about 1,500 units).

At the current rate, a company producing 250KW can earn Rs 17,000 per day. S.P. Gonchowdhury, the managing director of the corporation, said it would take a company six to seven years to recover the initial investment of Rs 4 crore.

In addition to earning money, companies producing green power stand to get tax benefits and a green certificate.

According to Gonchowdhury, some large companies here, including a resort with a roof over 1.5 lakh sq ft, have shown interest in the scheme. “The companies are interested because they stand to earn utilising their roofs, which normally lie abandoned. We have approached the central government
for more incentives.”

[arijeetb]

LPG switch catalyst for gas racket

KOLKATA: The cottage industry that makes crores out of selling adulterated cancerous kaata tel to autorickshaws has sunk its claws into the LPG network as well.
Racketeers are using no more than cheap foot-pumps to siphon off gas from subsidized domestic cylinders and sell them to auto wallahs at half the price of auto LPG. And they have named it, what else, but 'kaata-gas'.

With the state government pushing for sweeping changes in the city's ragtag and unruly auto sector, and imposing a December 31 deadline to switch to LPG, the kaata tel rackteers are finding new ways to keep their illegal business running. Unlike kaata tel, kaata-gas will not pump toxins into the city air, but it will trigger a crisis on the domestic front. Since pilferage will shoot up once autos start converting to LPG, officials fear it could lead to a crisis in supply of cooking gas.

It is pure economics that is fuelling the illegal siphoning of LPG from domestic gas cylinders. Auto LPG costs Rs 36.29 per litre. A domestic LPG cylinder, which has 14.2 kg of LPG, sells at a subsidized price of Rs 350. The same cylinder is sold to the racketeers at anything between Rs 450 and Rs 500 on the basis of its availability. Since one kg of LPG is equivalent to 1.8 litres, one gets about 24 litres of LPG in a domestic cylinder. Selling the kaata-gas at Rs 17 to Rs 20 per litre is a hugely profitable proposition - it's 50% cheaper than auto LPG. "Even if you buy a litre of kaatagas at Rs 20 per litre, you will have a edge of Rs 16 over auto-LPG ," said Rupak Das, who has been in the "conversion business" for nearly one decade.

"The siphoning racket uses both manual pumps - operated by hand or foot - and electronic ones. These pump sets come with meters and it is easy to siphon gas directly off domestic cylinders to the auto-gas chamber in the vehicle. These pumps are available in the open market. Racketeers have an easy run," said auto emission consultant S M Ghosh.

Like kaata tel, kaata-gas is also selling the most in the suburbs. Beyond Kolkata Municipal Corporation area, there is not a single auto-LPG dispensing station (the first LPG station in the districts is coming up at Panihati ). Owners of LPG autos say they have to turn to the illegal industry. "But there is a deep racket here. Why is it that all RTAs - from Barasat to Siliguri - have generously given permits to LPG-autos when there is not a single auto-LPG station in these areas? Auto operators have no option but to use domestic LPG cylinders," said Anup Chandra, who is with an LPG retrofitment agency in North 24-Parganas .

A senior Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) official admitted there was largescale pilferage. "No doubt, pilferage is on despite several layers of checks and balances. As long as subsidy exists for domestic LPG, it is difficult to stop this illegal act. But if the pilferage suddenly shoots up because a large number of petrol autos shift to LPG, then there will definitely be problems. The effect will be apparent in the domestic sector," he said.

State Level Coordinator for oil Companies Debasish Sen said: "Our daily capacity at the 12 auto-LPG stations in Kolkata is around 2,000 tonnes, whereas consumption is only 210 tonnes. By this year end we are adding 12 more stations. So our capacity will be doubled. We are much ahead of the probable demand."

[arijeetb]

Originally Posted by kolkatausa

looks like everything is all set to go. This is the best in terms of luxury is concerned...not just in Asia but the world. I have been to convention centers around Philly and Washington DC but nothing compares to the one under construction in Kolkata.

The best I have seen in India so far is the Hyderabad Intl Convention center but this one looks much bigger. Let us see how this turns out.

[Rasnaboy]

Chocolate Hotels Pvt Ltd, a Kolkata-based company from Hotel Polo Towers Group of Shillong, is coming up with the first hip hotel in Kolkata, which will be a first of its kind in Eastern India. The 63-room Chrome Hotel will be completely different from the group’s already existing property in Shillong.

On this new concept which is not yet so popular in India, Deval Tibrewalla, CEO and Director, Chocolate Hotels Pvt Ltd says, “The concept of hip hotel has caught the imagination of the young business travellers across the world and we are confident that it will do so in India also. So, when we wanted to invest in a business hotel in this region, we decided to commission a hip hotel which will meet the needs of the young business traveller.”

The property will also target the leisure segment and will have four suites and four junior suites with all modern facilities that a latest five star hotel can offer. “We consider the star rating to be outdated and we want the property to be popular as a hip hotel,” adds Tibrewalla. He further said that the hotel will have a customised shower system in every bathroom, which is called ‘Adrenaline’ and special mattresses called ‘Fat Bed.’

On choosing Kolkata as the first destination to commission such a unique concept, Tibrewalla explains that Kolkata, which is juxtaposed between extreme traditional and modern outlook, still lacks quality business hotels to woo the young business crowd from all over the world. Chrome Hotel is slated to start its operation in January next year. However, features like the gym and the swimming pool will take another two months to be operational.

Source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/d...aid=2607&sid=1

[Suncity]

Originally Posted by Rasnaboy

Chocolate Hotels Pvt Ltd, a Kolkata-based company from Hotel Polo Towers Group of Shillong, is coming up with the first hip hotel in Kolkata, which will be a first of its kind in Eastern India. The 63-room Chrome Hotel will be completely different from the group’s already existing property in Shillong.

Source: http://www.hospitalitybizindia.com/d...aid=2607&sid=1

Another news article

http://www.telegraphindia.com/108111...y_10117404.jsp

Calcutta will soon be home to another hotel. Chrome is all set to open doors in January 2009 at 226 AJC Bose Road (near La Martiniere for Girls School). The eight-storeyed hotel houses 63 rooms, including four suites.

Chrome is pegged as an “alternative hotel”, devoid of the extraneous trappings of a “standard luxury hotel”. In fact Deval Tibrewalla, CEO and director, Chocolate Hotels Pvt Ltd., claims that no two Chromes will be similar. Personal service is the highlight at this property. “We have paid attention to the smallest details, such as the mattresses,” explains Deval.

We have focussed on the design since today people are very design conscious. From ground up, we wanted our hotel to look high-end,” says Deval. No two rooms at Chrome, points out Deval, look alike.

The rooms have been categorised according to their size and the facilities they offer. There are Chrome rooms, High Chrome rooms, theme rooms and suites. While a Chrome room will have an LCD, a High Chrome room will come with Bose music systems and butler service. The suites will have televisions in the bathrooms.

Chrome will have an all-day dining and a “fine-dining” restaurant. For entertainment, there will be a nightclub and a lounge. You can also take a dip in the pool or sweat it out in the gym.

[arijeetb]

Headquarters shift drives road extension

The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has taken up a scheme to build a 12-km road from Garia to Baruipur as part of the plan to shift the district headquarters of South 24-Parganas.

The four-lane road, which will link the EM Bypass to the proposed site of the district headquarters in Baruipur, will be laid in two phases. The headquarters is now based in Alipore.

In the first phase, the road will extend from Garia to Kamalgazi, and in the next phase up to Baruipur.

Land acquisition and alignment work for the road are complete. Local CPM parliamentarian Sujan Chakraborty, the CPM legislator from Baruipur, Rahul Ghosh, and senior officials of the CMDA surveyed the area before the road plan was finalised.

The people’s representatives and the CMDA officials also decided to build six bridges across Tolly’s Nullah.

The project cost for the road has been estimated at Rs 54 crore, which will be provided by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Scheme under its Ganga Action Plan.

“The new road will be vital after the headquarters is shifted to Baruipur,” said Chakraborty.

The shift will see a spurt in construction in the small district town. “A healthcare hub and a technical college are among the immediate priorities. Once these projects and many more come up, traffic to and from Baruipur will increase manifold. The road has been planned keeping this in mind,” Chakraborty added.

The thoroughfare will run on both sides of Tolly’s Nullah. The stretches along the banks will be beautified.

“We also have plans to construct at least six bridges across Tolly’s Nullah in phases,” he added.

The state environment department and the Union ministry of environment and forests have sanctioned Rs 24 crore for building the bridges and the beautification project.

Chunar De, the chief engineer of the CMDA’s Ganga Action Plan sector, said: “We hope to finish work before the monsoon if everything goes according to plan.”

P.B.Nag, the general secretary of Development Employees Joint Action Committee, said the project had been delayed by a year because of land acquisition problems.

[SarafIndian]

Originally Posted by arijeetb

Headquarters shift drives road extension

Isn't it the part of bypass extension project? Anyway, let’s hope CMDA doesn't make it like the EM bypass and tries to do it like Rajarhat ex’way. The quality should be at least like Ruby to Garia stretch of EM bypass. They should give the project to a company like SREI or Tantia.

[anirban_ban]

Originally Posted by SarafIndian

Isn't it the part of bypass extension project? Anyway, let’s hope CMDA doesn't make it like the EM bypass and tries to do it like Rajarhat ex’way. The quality should be at least like Ruby to Garia stretch of EM bypass. They should give the project to a company like SREI or Tantia.

I dont think so ! I dont find logic in making a 10 lane road which will not be utilised well, I beleive more in the incremental approach. You should have seen the number of accidents that used to happen in Rajarhat initially. Considering the shoestring budgets that our Govt has and the number of times Rajarhat ex'way has been renovated, I think they should acquire the land and broaden it whenever necessary.

[Suncity]

How come our great Mamata Didi and her party isn't opposing land aquisition in Baruipur?

[SarafIndian]

Originally Posted by anirban_ban

I dont think so ! I dont find logic in making a 10 lane road which will not be utilised well, I beleive more in the incremental approach. You should have seen the number of accidents that used to happen in Rajarhat initially. Considering the shoestring budgets that our Govt has and the number of times Rajarhat ex'way has been renovated, I think they should acquire the land and broaden it whenever necessary.

Well, you are right, initially making a 10 lane road to Baruipur is not suitable. But, I was not talking about wideness. 4 lane is enough. I was talking about the quality. CMDA should look at the NHAI projects around Kolkata and make a standard. It should look like Rajarhat ex'way with better quality.

[SarafIndian]

Originally Posted by Suncity

How come our great Mamata Didi and her party isn't opposing land aquisition in Baruipur?

Wait, they will.

[SarafIndian]

Photo cc Girish @picasaweb

It seems a recent photo.