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"There is ample scope for handholding between the CMC and the private sector in not only alleviating the housing shortage, but also to ensure better safety and security in old residential building blocks," mayor Sovan Chatterjee said after inaugurating the Credai-Bengal property fair Home Front 2010 on Saturday.

The new mayor, who also sought greater private participation in affordable housing and slum redevelopment, was presented by Credai's state chapter the Mumbai model being followed by Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry -- a public-private initiative with the Maharashtra government to redevelop the Dharavi slum.

Promising to find a replica for Calcutta, Chatterjee said: "There are many housing schemes being implemented by the CMC under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for the weaker sections of society. Private developers should come forward to help us in this cause."

Source: Realty Plus Calcutta Mayor's call to realty

Dr. Abdullah said that the Punjab and Haryana governments alone had spent Rs. 6,500 crores as diesel subsidy to farmers for running sets to pump out ground water for irrigation. He said that his Ministry was exploring the possibility of using solar power to generate energy to be used by these pumps.

"Apart from bringing down the spending on diesel subsidy, this would also reduce the use of fossil fuel," Dr. Abdullah said at a function organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry on `Opportunities and Scope of Renewable Energy in west Bengal'.

Dr. Abdullah also said that his Ministry had invested in a project to run 100 telecom towers on solar power.

"There are 8,000 telecom towers in the country that have generator sets running on diesel....If the project is effective, it will gradually be extended to develop others," he said.

Describing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission as the "most important" of the eight missions in the National Action Plan for Climate Change, Dr. Abdullah said that expertise had to be found to achieve the mission's goal of producing 20,000 megawatts of power by 2022.

Source: The Hindu By Ananya Dutta `Solar power to run telecom towers, agricultural pumps'

The policy decision has been taken and it awaits approval of the cabinet on September 22, chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today said while inaugurating a Haj House-cum-Empowerment Centre at Kaikhali near Kolkata airport.

"If SC and ST population can come under reservation, why not the minorities like Muslims?" he said adding that the state government was encouraged by recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission in this regard.

The Rs 10-crore Haj House is the second of its kind in the state after the one situated near Park Circus in the city, which made West Bengal the only state to have two Haj Houses for the benefit of Haj pilgrims, he said.

Bhattacharjee said there was need for such a facility to cater to the growing number of Haj pilgrims in the state. While 1,410 pilgrims went to Haj in 1985, the number rose to 10,272 in 2010.

Built by the state government's PWD department, the G-plus-seven-storeyed building can accommodate pilgrims for three months during the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Source: dnaindia.com Backward Muslims in Bengal to get OBC certificates soon

The projects announced in the Railways budget for the current financial year will expand Metro services from Burranagar to Barrackpore, New Garia to Dum Dum via Rajarhat and Joka to BBD Bag via Rajarhat. "Their non-cooperation with the Railways authorities have stalled these projects, as a result people will suffer," she said. State Transport minister Ranjit Kundu, meanwhile, said, the state government has no idea that Railways requires land for the expansion of these projects. "We have not received any communication from the Railways," said Kundu.

`Infosys chairman (N.R. Narayana Murthy) had a talk with the Chief Minister (Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee). They have seen and liked a plot. They want to know how much floor area ratio (FAR) they would get,' Housing Minister Gautam Deb told reporters here.

`We have said we will give them the highest. If legally possible we will give some more. The chief minister is desperate to get Infosys in West Bengal,' Deb said.

The villages here are witnessing a slow, but steady impact of various poverty alleviation schemes being implemented by Panchayats (village councils) and West Bengal's Rural Development Department.

The formation of self-help groups (SHG) along with several others, have economically bolstered the entire area, empowering women in various fields.

According to the latest figures, around 6,604 families are availing the benefits of various poverty alleviation schemes, including income generation projects and micro-credit programmes.

"The approach is still good and it should be welcome by all. Because, now people have the right to ask for work to the local self-government, like Panchayat (village council); they can go to Panchayat and ask for work," said Achin Chakravorty, a professor of the Institute of Development Studies, who conducts workshops with villagers.

Source: sify.com Rural employment schemes a boon for West Bengal villagers

The court passed the order after hearing a PIL moved by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach).

Appearing for Intach, Gautam Mitra and Reha Mitra argued that in 1999, 5 Russel Street was listed as a heritage site by KMC. The counsel further stated that in the grade list of heritage buildings published in the capacity building programme Vol-XI by KMC, the premises was graded IIA.

It was alleged that at the instance of premises owner YMCA, KMC struck the property off the heritage list on December 23, 2009. The counsel argued that once a building is declared heritage property, it cannot be delisted without hearing the interested parties.

Source: Times Of India HC asks KMC to review heritage delist

A TOI team visited some of these makeshift markets in south and central Kolkata, where local residents make a beeline every morning to buy their daily needs, which are available almost at their doorsteps. Such bazaars have mushroomed mostly near municipal or private markets.

Take for example the makeshift market at Dover Lane. This bazaar, dotted with vegetables, fish and fruit vendors on both sides of the road, is fast expanding though Gariahat market is less than half a kilometre away. It all started around two decades ago with only about a couple of vegetable and fish vendors. Now, with more than 60 such vendors, the makeshift market has expanded from Dover lane to Dover place.

Prospective buyers from the three central government housing complexes and the new multi-storeyed buildings have led to the expansion. While a section of local residents is happy with that, others are apprehensive about the rapid encroachment of the pavements and the filth that the vegetable and fish vendors generate.

Source: Times Of India Pavements turn makeshift markets

"We distributed 10,000 ration cards to tribal families that are below the poverty line in the Nayagram, Lalgarh and Jhargram areas in Paschim Medinipur district. This is part of a drive that involves distribution of 1.6 lakh extra ration cards over the coming month in the region," Chief Secretary Ardhendu Sen said here on Monday.

Speaking on the security situation in the State which includes the Maoist-affected areas, Mr. Sen pointed out that the "highly porous border with Bangladesh" was becoming a matter of concern.

"We have received inputs that the Indian Mujahideen was getting help from across the border. Indeed, we had received an input indicating a possible attack on Independence Day," Mr. Sen said.

The information had not been made known to prevent a situation of panic, but surveillance had been increased. However, the day passed off without incident, he said.

As for the special development package for Jangalmahal, the State Government had announced it in June on completion of one year of joint operations by security forces to flush out Maoists and activists of the Maoist-backed Police Santrash Birodhi Janasadharaner Committee (PSBJC) from Lalgarh and adjoining areas. Apart from the distribution of ration cards, the package includes schemes for socio-economic development of the region such as funds for the upgradation of educational institutions and improving civic amenities.

Source: The Hindu By Ananya Dutta 10,000 ration cards distributed to BPL families in Jangalmahal

"All accredited journalists will be given a monthly pension of Rs 2,000 after retirement. We are planning to raise this amount in the future," finance ministerAsim Dasgupta said at an Independence Day function at the Press Club, Kolkata.

The minister said he had discussions with chief ministerBuddhadeb Bhattacharjee about a health insurance scheme for journalists and hoped he could announce a positive decision soon in this regard.

The state government has already decided to allow free travel to journalists in state-run public transport, including buses, trams and ferries.

The state's compensation announced last year included Rs 15 lakh in cash, the deceased's unpaid salary till retirement, right to stay in police quarters and a government job for an eligible kin. But while the families got the money and have started receiving salaries from this month, nobody has got a job. "The chief minister announced this package without knowing the government rules there is no provision for jobs. As of now that is impossible, we have checked thoroughly," said a senior government official.

The DGP Bhupinder Singh, on the eve of his retirement on August 31, is now urging the government to provide for jobs.

"The home department wanted to know which other states are offering jobs and we cited the package in Andhra Pradesh," Singh said.

"Apart from money and jobs, they give land too." The families are lulled by hope and false promises.

"Last week I went to Midnapore and met the DSP for the job and he told me the papers are being readied," said Deepankar, son of Dibakar Bhattacharya, the second officer of Sankrail police station who died in October 2009. Barnali Roy, daughter of Tapan Roy who died in the same attack said: "I am sure the chief minister will fulfill his promise." Home Secretary Samar Ghosh said: "We will do what is required to be done."

But there was bitterness about the chaos it triggered in the neighbourhood. There just wasn't enough space to park the cars that streamed in. Elgin Road got choked, as did all connecting roads. KMC's archaic building rules were not designed for something like this. The old norms required all commercial buildings to provide a car park for every 900 sq ft built-up space. Forum provided more space to park cars but it still turned out to be woefully inadequate.

"It's actually the Forum experience that made KMC and police wake up to the new reality. The buildings rules were radically revised. Commercial buildings were categorised into low- and high-footfall ones. In case of offices and non-retail establishments, a car park had to be provided for every 250 sq ft. In high-footfall projects like malls, a car park had to be provided for every 150 sq ft," a building department official said.

Elgin Road continued to be plagued with traffic jams till Kolkatans started thronging the new and larger malls like Metropolis, South City and City Centre, which had adequate car parking provisions.

Source: Times Of India Parking Woes Set To End As Mall Gets Bigger, Swankier

78 lakhs to benefit
While the subsidy on diesel for the agricultural sector will be one rupee per litre, nearly 78 lakh consumers of power across the State will benefit from subsidies that will cost the State Government Rs. 120 crore annually.

State Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta said the subsidy on diesel for agricultural purposes would cost the State Rs. 30 crore annually. It would benefit farmers who have to depend largely on irrigation facilities and are already burdened by the rising costs of agricultural inputs.

Added costs
The announcement by State Power Minister Nirupam Sen that subsidy on power is aimed at easing the burden of added costs on consumers both in the city and districts in the wake of the rise in power tariff by the West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) recently.

Source: The Hindu West Bengal Announces Subsidies On Diesel, Power And Kerosene For Agricultural Purposes

"If the plan was scrapped, we would have been intimated by the ministry. Since there is no such intimation as of now, there is every reason to think that the plan stands and we are working accordingly. We have already sent our plan to the MHRD," said the deputy director of the institute, A K Majumdar.

The institute will start construction of the medical college building that will have both undergraduate and post graduate medical courses in place this year.

Interestingly, the minister of human resource development, Kapil Sibal, whose ministry controls the IITs, announced at the institute's convocation on July 17 that the IITs are going ahead with their plan of starting medical education. This is after they have established themselves as the country's premier tech training brand.

Source: Times Of India IIT-Kharagpur goes ahead with medical college

The beneficiaries under the scheme include agricultural workers, rural artisans and fishermen, according to a press statement issued by the State Information and Cultural Affairs Department.

"Landless people living in lands of other people who are not related to them through paternal, maternal or in-laws connection may become beneficiaries of this scheme. The order of selection of beneficiaries in this project is ST, SC and others," the release said.

The State Government has taken an in-principle decision to purchase land for such beneficiaries at a price 25 per cent higher than the market value. A beneficiary under the scheme will get a patch of maximum five cottahs. The State Government has so far purchased about 611 acres of land for the scheme. Apart from distribution of land for agricultural and dwelling purposes, the women members of the beneficiary families will also be encouraged by the State Government to set up self-help groups.

"The necessary support will be provided through banks, DRDC and other local organisations so that they can be associated with economic activities," the release added.