Power bill goes up third time in a year

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Kolkata:For the third time in 12 months, households in the city will feel the pinch of a power tariff hike. Brace for a 20% rise in electricity bill as the unit cost that was at Rs 5.09 last December has shot up by Re 1 with hikes in March, May and now December. Since the hike is effective from April 2012, consumers will feel the burden of arrears, too. 
    

But power consumers in Salt Lake and the rest of the state won’t feel the bite of a 22% hike, thanks to a queer equation in which arrears and variable costs have been absorbed in the increase. 
    

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is averse to any kind of tariff hike that burdens the common man. So, although West Bengal State Electricity Development Corporation Ltd (WBSEDCL) raised the unit rate from Rs 4.96 to Rs 6.07 (with effect from May 2012), there will be minimal change in the actual bill. 
    

No such luck for Kolkatans. The State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) on Monday allowed CESC an average tariff revision of 1%, taking the per-unit cost from Rs 6.03 to Rs 6.09. The hike has not spared ‘lifeline consumers’ (the base slab), who use less than 25 units amonth. They will have to pay 2 paisa per unit more (Rs 3.20 to Rs 3.22). In the other slabs, the hike will be from 2 to 4 paisa per unit. But with the revision effective from April 2012, arrears of eight months will be collected in eight instalments. That means bills from December to July will go up by 2% on average. No change in state power utility’s dues 
    

The tariff revision will increase CESC’s revenue from Rs 5,500 crore to Rs 5,555 crore, said an official. 
    

In the rest of Bengal, the basic tariff went up by Rs 1.11 as SERC allowed the utility to convert the variable charges and arrears that it has been collecting since May 2011 into actual tariff cost. Only the monthly variable cost adjustment that had not been done for eight months (April 2011 to November 2011) will be added to the bill along with the eight months this year (April to November). Since the payment has to be made in 48 installments, consumers are unlikely to feel the pinch, say WBSEDCL officials. 
    

Price of electricity consumed in domestic households had shot up from Rs 4.96 to Rs 5.38 in December 2011. In February, it was further hiked to Rs 5.76 and then to Rs 6.07 in May 2012. “Since the overall bill value does not go up, our revenue will remain Rs 10,000 crore and there will be no change in dues that stand at Rs 21,000 crore,” a WBSEDCL official said.

"A father's desperate call" - An Open Letter

ClickSaltlake.info  received a distress call from a father and wants to help. We are not disclosing the name of the person who wrote this mail to us for security reason. 

Respected Sir ,

I am very sorry to say that the college NIH (National Institute of Homeopathy), Salt Lake, Kolkata , which is under Government is promoting heavy ragging to the new students. I beg your pardon but this year my children get admitted and now facing heavy tremendous ragging by the seniors. It is also surprising that the college authorities also promoting this. Inside the college campus, the professors leave classes and handed over the the senior students and they started ragging heavily. All the new students are now facing life and death problem. They are in such a panic that they request us not to discuss anything with anyone. Because as soon as the college authorities know about ragging they first inform these stupid senior students and the new students are heavily insulted. Kindly help sir. We are very common people and if anything can be done by you We will be obliged. Thanking you in advance. 

Please do not disclose our identity or my child have to face anything bad. THOUGH THIS IS NOTHING RELATED WITH YOUR DEPTT BUT I AM TRYING TO SEND IT EVERYWHERE TO SAVE MY CHILD

Lakhs stolen in Salt Lake burglary

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Kolkata:Burglars broke into a house at Salt Lake’s FD Block and fled with cash and jewellery worth several lakhs. The Bidhannagar North police have started a probe. 

The complaint lodged by businessman Shambhu Kedia, who lives in a three-storied building at FD Block, says that on Wednesday morning he found one of the almirahs on the second floor broken open and about 300gm gold jewellery and Rs 1 lakh in cash missing. 

Police suspect that the burglars climbed up the water pipes to the second floor. The window grilles of the room next to the pipes were broken open. The family was present in the house as the burglars broke into it and operated silently. 

The family said they had employed a domestic help from Bihar who left the job a few days back. The police are trying to track him. Incidentally, the police had last year arrested an inter-state gang that had come from Bihar. The gang had been involved in a daring robbery in CF Block.

Baby girl dumped in Salt Lake

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

A newborn was found abandoned in a bush near the CA block crossing in Salt Lake on Thursday morning. 

All the fingers in her right hand had been gnawed off, possiblyby a rodent, said sources. 

Two green police personnel, who were on footpatrol, heard the frail 
whimpers of the baby. They tracked the sound and found a child wrapped in a cloth. 
 

The baby was immediately taken to Bidhan Nagar hospital and then to NRS Hospital after preliminary care. 

The body of another newborn was found last week from a bush in Salt Lake. The child was, however, found dead.

Salt Lake civic body gets 10lakh for battling outbreak

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Kolkata: The urban development department on Tuesday approved Rs 10 lakh for Bidhannagar Municipality to carry on with its anti-dengue drive in Salt Lake. 

The municipality has already sent notices to 225 houses in the township for not following the civic body’s instructions of keeping the surroundings clean and not letting stagnant water to accumulate. Civic authorities have found that blocks like BG, BJ, CK, AE and FD are the worst affected by dengue. 

According to the latest figures with the civic authorities, which they have collected from the health department, the number of dengueaffected people in the township stands at 197, though unofficial numbers are much higher. 

The civic authorities are spraying oil and bleaching powder in all blocks. Rapid action force teams that have been formed for inspection in the township have so far checked about 7,600 houses, out of which mosquito larvae was found within the surroundings of over 2,700 houses. The civic authorities are sending them notices and asking people to remove stagnant water within the next seven days, failing which the authorities will impose a fine of Rs 1,000. Also, a team of 208 nurses are making rounds in the township. 

In neighbouring Rajarhat, anti-mosquito oil and bleaching powder are being sprayed. Special teams have been formed to contact people, generate awareness and get feedback. Atemporary medical camp has been set up on the main arterial road in Action Area-II and an ambulance is also in place for any emergency situation to take patients to hospitals.

More water for Salt Lake

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Kolkata:Here’s some good news for residents of Salt Lake. From next week, Bidhannagar Municipality will receive another 2.5 million gallon water daily from Tallah. 

Bidhannagar Municipality chairperson Krishna Chakraborty met state urban development and municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim and mayor Sovan Chatterjee at Writers’ Buildings on Monday where Bidhannagar MLA Sujit Bose and other civic officials were also present. “Salt Lake is facing a water supply shortage. It gets about 4 million gallon water from Tallah. Within seven to 10 days, the amount will go up to about 7 to 8 million gallon per day,” said Hakim. 

Chakraborty said the civic body will soon install meters to measure the amount of water the township gets every day. At present, the rest of the water is collected from deep tube wells. “Though we will receive about 7.5 million gallon per day from Tallah soon, there will still be a deficit as the number of residents living in the township has increased over the last few years. The requirement is about 10 million gallon per day. 

In an attempt to increase revenue earnings, the civic authorities are also planning to impose water tax on commercial establishments. “It has already been announced that no water tax will be charged from residents. However, we are now thinking of charging water tax from commercial establishments, as they are running for commercial purposes and a huge amount of water is being consumed by them daily,” said a civic official. 

The state government is working on an arrangement in which the areas of Salt Lake, Sector V, areas under South Dum Dum Municipality and Rajarhat will receive water from the treatment plant that is being set up in Rajarhat New Town. It will have a capacity of 100 million gallon per day. 

After the Trinamool Congress came into power at both KMC and Bidhannagar Municipality, mayor Sovan Chatterjee had met the Salt Lake civic authorities where discussions were held to solve out the water supply problems.

Tax collection to resume in Salt Lake

Suman Chakraborti TNN 

Kolkata: The Bidhannagar Municipality is all set to restart the process of collecting property tax. The civic body had started collecting taxes in March, but the process had to be stalled a couple of weeks later after some confusion over tax calculation surfaced. 

“We are going to restart collecting property tax soon. Tax rates will be based on the old, 2005 rates as directed by minister Firhad Hakim,” said Bidhannagar Municipality chairperson Krishna Chakraborty. 
 

According to the old tax structure, those who have an annual valuation of their property between Rs 1 and Rs 999 will have to pay a tax of 3.5% of the annual valuation. The tax rate will go up to 10.5% for property that has an annual valuation of over Rs 10,000 (See chart). The civic authorities are expecting to collect around Rs 9 crore in the form of property tax this fiscal. 
Officials said that bills of those who have already paid their taxes will be adjusted and fresh bills will be sent to those who did not pay their bills in March. According to sources in the civic body, Bidhannagar Municipality had collected a total of Rs 6.57 crore in the form of taxes in a couple of weeks in March. “We have almost completed the process of calculating the tax rate based on pre-2005 rates and will start dispatching the bills soon,” said a civic official. 

Tax collection in Salt Lake remained suspended for a few years in the past. On February this year, the civic body sent a notice to the residents that the municipality will start collecting tax for fiscal 2010-11, 2011-12 and arrears from 2007 to 2010. There was a mad rush to pay taxes after the bills were dispatched. But many residents started complaining that the tax bills they received were not matching pre-2005 rates. The civic authorities then sought intervention of urban development and municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim. The tax collection process was stopped after the minister admitted that there was confusion over the tax bills. There were some miscalculations in the tax bills that was prepared.

Wife ill, vice-chairman slams civic body

Suman Chakraborti TNN 

Kolkata: The Bidhannagar Municipality, which has drawn severe flak from Salt Lake residents for not taking adequate steps to control the dengue outbreak, was slammed by none other than its own vice-chairman Sabyasachi Datta on Wednesday. Datta’s wife Indrani Datta, a former councillor, has been suffering from dengue for the last 10 days. 

Datta, who stays in DL Block and is also the Rajarhat MLA, said the civic authorities were not taking proper measures to control the outbreak, which has reached almost epidemic proportions in Salt Lake. “More than thousands have been affected by dengue here. My wife is down with it, too. I officially informed the SDO about it, but nobody from the municipality bothered to turn up to see my wife. The health inspector only said that he was sorry to learn this,” Datta said. 

Datta also came down heavily on municipality chairperson Krisna Chakraborty. “As a resident of Salt Lake, I can say that yes, dengue cases are being reported from here. As the local councillor, I can say that my ward is very much affected and as the vice-chairman of the municipality, I do not know how to prevent the outbreak. Till today, the chairperson could not provide the exact figure of dengue cases in Salt Lake,” Datta fumed. Datta, who is the councillor of blocks BF, CF, CE, DE and DF, said all these areas are much affected. 

Chakraborty, however, said the civic body was taking all necessary steps to control the outbreak. “We are doing everything possible. We are working to create more awareness, too, so that we can prevent the spreading of the disease. I don’t know what Datta has said, but I don’t believe in politics over this issue. I have heard that his wife has had a dengue attack and I had called her up, too,” said the civic chief. 

Officials said a team of 50 civic workers was making rounds of the township, visiting 40 houses daily to spread awareness and distributing leaflets in the localities. They are also checking the houses and localities for stagnant water. The civic authorities are thinking of imposing spot fines on residents for not taking steps to keep their houses free of accumulated water.

Bidhannagar Municipality vice-chairman Sabyasachi Datta’s wife Indrani, a former councillor, is suffering from dengue

Ex-minister’s kin molested in Salt Lake

Miscreant Snatched Victim’s Mobile Phone, Nabbed By Green Police Volunteer

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Kolkata: Snatchers seem to be having a free run in Salt Lake. This time, however, the criminal molested the woman, daughter-in-law of a former minister, and was nabbed within moments. The accused, identified as Abdul Malek, snatched the victim’s phone on Saturday night. But when the gutsy woman caught hold of his hand and protested, Malek reportedly molested her. 
    A green police volunteer posted in the area tracked him down and the Bidhannagar South police arrested him. Malek was produced at Bidhannagar additional judicial magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody till September 7. 
    The incident occurred at GD Block of Salt Lake which is usually secluded in the evening. “I was returning home at around 8pm on Saturday when I saw a person on a bicycle coming from the opposite direction. Suddenly, he snatched the mobile phone from my hand,” the woman, a resident of HB Block, said. 
    The victim, however, was alert and managed to catch hold of Malek. It was then that he molested her. “When I shouted out in protest, the man touched my body. I let out a cry. The man then tried to run away with his bicycle,” she said. 
    One of the green police volunteers, on duty in the area, heard the woman’s scream and rushed to her aid. He saw the criminal trying to flee on his bicycle and gave him a chase. Within moments, he caught hold of Malek who was then contemplating which way to flee. Malek was handed over to Bidhannagar South police. The victim later lodged an FIR at the police station. 
    Preliminary probe revealed that Malek is a vegetable vendor and resident of Bhangor area in South 24-Parganas. Police are trying to find out why he had come as far as Salt Lake from Bhangor and whether he was a part of a bigger snatching gang. 
    Of late, Salt Lake has witnessed a spree of snatchings. Since last Monday, four cases of snatching were reported. Police are keeping a strong vigil at all the entry and exit points of the township. About 150 green police volunteers have also been posted in township. 
    The Bidhannagar police had earlier prepared a list of do’s and don’t’s for the residents of Salt Lake and Lake Town and held meetings with various block committees. But residents of the township are still living in fear.

Dengue makes deadly comeback

Salt Lake Worst Hit But Civic Body Yet To Take Action, Docs Blame Uncertain Monsoon For Outbreak

Sumati Yengkhom TNN 

Kolkata: Dengue is swarming the city this season. Doctors agree that it may be the worst outbreak since 2005. 
    The actual intensity is still being assessed, but the indications are grim. Hospitals on the fringes have admitted scores of dengue patients in the last four weeks but the actual number of victims is many times more because only about 20% cases need hospitalization. 
    Salt Lake has taken the worst hit, so far. If the number of patients being treated at hospitals in the township and along EM Bypass is any indication, it 
is high time for the civic body to press the panic button. 
    “Forty-six patients have tested positive for dengue in the laboratory attached to our hospital alone in the past four weeks,” said a source at aSalt Lake hospital. Dr Soumitra Dutta, principal consultant (paediatrician) at Columbia Asia Hospitals, said at least 15 children affected with dengue were admitted to the hospital in last week alone. 
    The sporadic rain pattern this monsoon, accompanied by high humidity, has triggered the comeback of dengue, say dengue. 
    The advice from doctors is that if you have high fever with severe headache and body pain, don’t ignore it as just another viral fever. It could well be dengue and you should go for a blood test. 
    Take the case of Ranjeeta Chakrabory. The young home maker from BS block had high fever and body pain for a few days and it was a while before she went to a doctor. A blood test confirmed dengue and she was immediately hospitalized. After five days of treatment, she was discharged on Monday. 
    “Apart from her, I know of at least five persons in mySalt Lake neighbourhood who have tested positive for dengue in the past few weeks. The muncipality seems to be sleeping over this menace. We have barely come across any mosquito- controlling measures. I have not seen any fogging in the locality in the last two years,” said Ranjeeta’s husband Shantanu Chakraborty. 
    Accumulation of stagnant water, high humidity, uncleared bushes, piling up of garbage and absence of mosquito management exercises have aggravated the situation, said sources. 
    “I come across at least one dengue patient every day, having treated about 10 patients per day in the past 10 days in the hospital. If anyone is suffering from fever as high as 103/104 degrees Fahrenheit, along with headache, body pain, dehydration and nausea, it’s best to consult a doctor right away,” said consultant physician (internal medicine) Dr Subhasis Ganguly. 
    Fever triggered by the dengue virus does not respond to the normal dosage of paracetamol, say doctors. If left untreated, the viral attack could lead to secondary infections affecting organs like the liver, kidney and the heart. 
    “After the dengue outbreak in 2005, there have been sporadic cases every year. But this year it seems to be higher, particularly in Salt Lake and its vicinity, where I have treated about 15 patients in last three weeks. But the severity of the attack is less than the one in 2005,” said paediatrician Dr Subrata Chakraborty. 
    “But there is no reason to panic. We have treated about 29 dengue patients in our hospital so far this year. The positive note is that diagnosis through the blood test can be done in two hours and hence the treatment can be started early,” said Dr Rupali Basu, CEO, Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals. 
    Dr Basabbijay Sarkar, consultant physician of Fortis Hospital, has seen about 14 patients in his Salt Lake clinic in the past month apart from treating an equal number of patients in the hospital. “If we count Day 1 as the onset of dengue, all complications will appear in the next seven to eight days. There is a tendency for the blood platelet to go down in the patient. Timely treatment is very important,” said Dr Sarkar. 
    Even as health officials tried to project the situation as not alarming, doctors practising in and around the township and hospitals are flooded with dengue patients. Sampurnaa Saha (11), a Class-V student from GC block in Salt Lake, was admitted to Columbia Asia on Wednesday night. “Since there weren’t enough beds, my daughter was in the emergency ward all of Wednesday night. She got a bed only on Thursday,” said the girl’s father Sujay Saha. 
    “Out of 10 children affected with dengue, only about two need hospitalization, the rest are advised treatment at home. I practise mainly inSalt Lake and my chamber is flooded with dengue suspects, mostly children. I have admitted at least 15 children in the past one week. Therefore, one can well imagine the magnitude of the dengue menace,” said Dr Dutta of Columbia Asia. 
    Health department spokesperson Dr Asit Biswas said that the they are monitoring the situation closely. “Cases of dengue are being reported from different localities, including Salt Lake. We will soon meet the hospitals and representatives of Bidhanagar municipality,” said Biswas.

Sec V to get ring road, parking lot

Kolkata: In an effort to decongest Sector V and reduce the travel time between SDF Building More and 215A bus stand, the Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (NDITA) is going to construct a ring road along the waterbody behind the Webel office. The authorities will lay the foundation stone of the road on Thursday. 
    Also, the NDITA has identified a car-parking lot near 215A bus stand. It will be thrown open for the public on the same day. According to NDITA chairman and commerce and industries 
secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Rs 10 crore has been earmarked to construct the road. “As of now, there is no road on the proposed stretch. Once this road comes up, commuters will benefit from it immensely,” he said. 
    At present, commuters take the road along the SDF Building, Webel Crossing and College More before taking right turn to connect with 215A bus stand. However, there is no short-cut between these two busiest locations of the IT hub. During rush hours, commuters face huge traffic snarls to cover this 3-km stretch. NDITA officials feel the proposed 2.5-km ring road will help commuters cut the travel time between these two points. 
    Besides, the civic authority will also throw open a 1-acre car parking lot near 215A bus stand on Thursday for public use. “The lot will be able to accommodate about 150 cars for parking,” said NDITA chief executive officer B N Kar. This will considerably help minimizing the long-standing problem of illegal parking that Sector V has been facing over the years. The authorities are also working on setting up a multitier parking plaza in place of the current CSTC bus depot near the Wipro office. 
    As long-term plans, the authorities are mulling an option to develop intercity bus links where buses would ferry passengers within Sector V. Earlier, it was decided that no new bus routes would be permitted to ply in Sector V as there was much pressure already. 
    Apart from laying the foundation stone of the ring road and opening of the parking lot, the NDITA will also inaugurate two parks on Thursday. “I feel happy that we are not only taking decisions but ensuring that the projects are actually implemented,” said NDITA board member Suparno Moitra.

Blue-and-white makeover for Salt Lake soon

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Kolkata: After Trinamool Congress came to power in May last year, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) had untaken a project to paint the city in chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s favourite colors — blue and white. And now, Bidhannagar Municipality is catching up with the city civic body by givingSalt Lake a new blue-andwhite look. 
    To begin with, the municipality has started painting its 
five-storey building. According to officials, next in line are the traffic islands, pavements and the dividers. A fresh coat of paint is a part of the township’s beautification plans, a civic official said. 
    “Not only the municipality building, the walls of the traffic islands and road sides will also be painted in blue and white in several parts of the township, along with the trident street lighting,” he said. A portion of the walls surrounding Central Park has also been painted in blue and white. Officials in Bidhannagar Municipality feelSalt Lake has abundant greenery and the new colours will give the township a catchy look. 
    Recently, the civic authorities handed over the maintenance work for the township’s traffic islands to advertising agencies that use them commercially. According to sources, billboards that have been put up inside the traffic islands will be removed soon and the urban development department will renovate these islands before painting them. 
    At present, the civic body maintains over 50 big and small parks in Salt Lake. However, the department is working on a holistic plan to engage private players to beautify parks, waterbodies, ponds, median dividers and pavements not only inSalt Lake but in other areas like Rajarhat New Town, Sector V and Kalyani as well. Selected companies will be entrusted with maintaining the areas they beautify, a senior official said. 
    “We welcome this initiative of painting the township in blue and white. However, we feel strongly that equal attention should be given on repairing some of the roads that are in very poor shape. With smooth roads, the beautification programme could have received a holistic look,” said Bidhannagar welfare association secretary K S Sadhu.

The new-look Bidhannagar Municipality building

Salt Lake land transfer legal now

Gazette Notification Issued; Lease Right Of Residential Plots Can Be Sold For A Fee

Suman Chakraborti TNN 

Kolkata: The state government this week has issued a gazette notification, legalizing leasehold residential land transfer in Salt Lake. 
    State urban development secretary Debashis Sen said transfer of lease is now permissible for residential plots. “However, a system of checks and balances will be in place,” he said. 
    The notification, which has been issued by order of the governor, mentions that there are about 13,000 residential plots in Salt Lake and most of them have been leased out to people for residential purpose on a subsidized rate. The government, the notification says, had allowed transfer of residential plots of Kalyani township and also of nonresidential plots in Salt Lake in 2005. The lease of such plots can be transferred for a permission fee under certain terms and conditions. 
    Residential plots in Salt Lake had been leased out by the government for a tenure of 999 years. 
    The notification mentions that the leaseholders of residential plots or houses in Bidhannagar will be allowed to transfer their leasehold rights for an unexpired term by paying a transfer fee of Rs 5 lakh for each cottah. Those who would like to transfer the leasehold rights will have to inform to the state urban development department stating the intention for such transfer. The fees will, however, not be applicable for those transferring lease rights to father, mother or spouse. The provisions of the notification apply to the lessees or occupants of stalls, shops and the members of housing cooperative societies in Salt Lake. All existing and pending applications and cases will also come under the purview of the notification. 
    The notification also mentions that in case of a transfer of lease right, all the terms and conditions of the original lease deed executed between the government and the lessee of the residential plots or building shall also apply to the person who is buying the leasehold right. And that will apply to all subsequent transfers as well. It has also been decided that the same will be applicable for plots that have already been sold or transferred. According to civic sources, around 35% of plots in Salt Lake have been illegally “sold” or transferred earlier. 
    According to officials, the process of allowing leaseholders to transfer their lease rights will have several steps. Before the urban development department checks and verifies a lease transfer application and gives permission, the matter will also be checked by the Bidhannagar Municipality and also by the police. 
    Earlier this month, the state cabinet, chaired by the chief minister, passed the proposal to give legal stamp to leasehold residential land transfer in Salt Lake. By taking this major decision, the government will be able to earn a good amount of revenue. 
    The government expects to raise more than Rs 1,000 crore through the process of regularizing the sale of unsold plots and legalizing the sale that took place earlier.

Govt mulls legal stamp on Salt Lake plot sale

Suman Chakraborti TNN 

Sale of leasehold residential property in Salt Lake is going to be legalized soon. 

    The Mamata Banerjee government plans to allow transfer of lease in the township for a fee. Most of the land in Salt Lake belongs to the urban development department and the government will fix the fee. 

    The state Cabinet meeting is likely to discuss the proposal on Tuesday. Salt Lake residents had been waiting for this for a long time. 

    If things go according to plan, plot-holders in Salt Lake can legally monetize their property by paying the government stamp duty, registration fees or some other levy. 

    “Leasehold land won’t turn into freehold land. We are mulling allowing transfer of lease but only with the permission of the government,” urban development minister Firhad Hakim said. 

    The government will continue to enjoy ownership rights and also earn revenue that it had missed out on earlier when property changed hands in Salt Lake under cover. 

    The Bidhannagar Municipality could never stop the under hand deals unless the original lessee walked up to register a formal complaint. 

    The proposal was doing the rounds since the days of the Left Front government but was allowed only for commercial properties. A case is pending in the court over the change of a commercial property into a residential highrise in HB block.Govt to fix lease fee per cottah 

    Once the proposal to legalise the sale of residential plots in Salt Lake gets through in the state Cabinet on Tuesday, the government will evaluate the plots in the township and fix a price for the transfer of lease per cottah. 

    Illegal sale of plots in Salt Lake caught the notice of the Mamata Banerjee government soon after the Trinamool Congress came to power in May, 2011. The government has been trying to find a way out since then. 

    Plots in Salt Lake were leased for a 999-year tenure in the 1970s to enable middleclass people to settle in the township on the condition that the leaseholders cannot transfer their plots. 

    According to the present rules, residential plots cannot be sold or transferred as the plot holders are actually lease holders and not owners. But later, some genuine problems cropped up. 

    The family increased at least by two-fold within a span of 50 years and the lessee could not do justice to all his/her children, because leasehold property can’t be partitioned and distributed among the heirs. 

    This prompted some to sell out the property illegally for a huge amount of money. According to estimates, out of the 12,000 plots in the township, almost 35% of the plots have been transferred or sold illegally. Plots measuring a cottah, which were originally leased out for about Rs 5,000, have been sold illegally for lakhs, say sources. Many such transfers are in the process with the help of touts and many houses have been illegally sold more than once.

Salt Lake Rabindra Bhavan plot ready Suman Chakraborti TNN  Kolkata: Salt Lake will get its own Rabindra Bhavan very soon. Bidhannagar Municipality will start building the structure this year on a 36-cottah plot cleared by the state government. The building, to be located at Salt Lake’s FE Block adjoining Central Park, will be the municipality’s tribute to Rabindranath Tagore on his 150th birth anniversary.      Bidhannagar Municipality chairperson Krishna Chakraborty said the plot has been finalized and the civic authorities will start work very soon. “We will kick off the project very soon,” she said. The municipality plans to foot the estimated Rs 10 lakh project cost from the revenue it earned from the Bidhannagar Fair it organized at Salt Lake’s Central Park last winter.      The building will be either a three- or four-storied structure with a statue of Tagore in front. Besides an auditorium for cultural programmes, it will have an exhibition room, art galleries and a library to showcase and display the works of the bard. The Bhavan will also have rooms for use by students and scholars researching Tagore, along with a cafeteria. The civic body will appoint architects to prepare a building plan.      The project had been on the anvil for quite some time. Residents ofSalt Lake had, for long, been demanding a centre on Rabindranath Tagore to facilitate research on the bard. Residents had also suggested that the centre have a stage for performing Tagore’s plays and musical repertoires.      Following the demand, the previous Left-run municipality had come up with a plan to set up a Rabindra Bhavan and had asked the urban development department for a plot. The civic authorities had got a triangular plot, but the then civic engineers had said that it was not suitable for construction of the Bhavan. The project got delayed after civic authorities requested the government to earmark another plot.      It was only after Trinamool Congress took over the reins of Bidhannagar Municipality and Mamata Banerjee came to power that an initiative was taken to revive the project.

UNFULFILLED PLANS

50 years on, lack of amenities continues to plague Salt Lake 

Suman Chakraborti TNN 

Kolkata: It was 50 years ago that then chief minister of Bengal, Bidhan Chandra Roy had laid the foundation stone of the township. Five decades on,Salt Lake still lacks various civic amenities that are essential for the development of a township. 
    Two years back, Trinamool Congress took over the reins of the Bidhannagar Municipality and made numerous promises. The civic authorities had earlier submitted a list of civic issues, that needed to be looked into, to the state urban development department. Improvement of Kestopur canal, construction of metalled roads, proper disposal of garbage, improvement of parks are some of the issues that find a place in the list. 
    Though municipality officials claim that steps were being taken, these plans continue to remain on paper. 
    “We are taking all necessary steps to improve the civic amenities of the township,” said municipality chairperson Krisna Chakraborty. 
    TOI takes a look at the major issues plaguing the township — 
Property tax 
    It was in 2007 that the Supreme Court had scrapped the township’s property tax structure. Regular collection of property tax has been stopped since then. Civic officials said that a new tax structure will be put in place where self property-assessment forms will be filled by the residents. The welfare association, however, said that no new tax structure could be implemented till the pending court case is solved. “We are ready to cooperate with the civic body on this issue. It should start collecting tax on the basis of the old tax structure to meet up the arrears that are accumulating,” said Kumar Sankar Sadhu, general secretary ofthe Bidhannagar Welfare Association. 
    The municipality has to also sort out the status of land in Salt Lake vis-a-vis the land in the added areas. Salt Lake is under the state urban development department, while land in the “added areas” is still under the local land and land revenue department. The municipality has to bring all the land under one authority before initiating property assessment. 
Illegal transfer and selling of residential plots 
    According to rules, plots or houses in Salt Lake cannot be sold or transferred since all the plots are leased for 999 years. But, irrespective of all these rules, plots and houses continue to be sold. There are about 12,000 plots in the township, 35% of which has already been transfered or sold illegally. Theurban development department had earlier set up a committee to look into this matter, but the problem could not be sorted. “The problem of residential buildings and plots being sold out is the biggest problem for the township but sadly nothing is being done to check this menace. Several hundred of houses have been sold with the help of the touts,” said BN Chatterjee, secretary of 
the Salt Lake Citizens Welfare Society. 
Solid waste management 
    Fifty years since the township came into existence, Salt Lake is yet to have a garbage disposal system in place. The civic authorities had started off with a scientific process of separating different types of waste. But, like all other plans, it was not implemented. The authorities should look for an alternative as the present dumping site, Mollar bheri, is overflowing. “This is one area where the civic authorities have been failing miserably. There has to be a proper waste disposal system in place,” said Sudhir Dey, a senior resident of BA block. 
Roads and traffic 
    The deteriorating condition of roads in Salt Lake needs to be looked into immediately. Chaotic traffic has added to the miseries of the residents. “The important junctions of the township are now witnessing traffic chaos, especially during office hours. Also, cars being parked on both sides of the road add to the problem. Roads are also full of craters and potholes,” said retired DG BP Saha, a resident of the township. 
Hoardings and billboards 
    Key areas like City Centre, Karunamoyee and PNB Island are cluttered with illegal hoardings and billboards. A survey by the civic authorities revealed that out of the 378 hoardings in Salt Lake, 188 are illegal. It has now been decided that illegal hoardings will be pulled down. 
Drainage and Sewerage system 
    Faulty drainage system has been a long standing problem of the township. At many places, the drainage and sewerage lines have got interlinked. According to civic authorities, there is no proper map of the township’s drainage and sewerage masterplan. “We are working to prepare a map of the existing drainage and sewerage system.” said a civic official. 
Kestopur canal 
    Kestopur canal is in a shambles. Though there have been numerous plans to renovate the canal, no initiative has been taken on that front. The previous Left-run government decided to introduce ferry services on the canal, but the project did not succeed.With no cleaning up, the canal has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. 
Developing civic infrastructure in the added areas 
    Civic authorities have promised to develop the added areas of Mahisbathan, Nayapatti and Duttabad, but there has been no visible change. It was only recently that the urban development department floated a plan to develop Duttabad by setting up flats for the existing dwellers. 
Mosquito menace 
    Mosquitoes have been a problem since the township came into existence. Despite efforts by civic officials, mosquitoes continue to breed in the area. Authorities are now taking help of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and the irrigation department for clean up. 
SALT LAKE BLUES 
No new property tax structure Illegal transfer of residential plots and houses No system of garbage disposal Illegal hoardings Chaotic traffic and potholed roads Faulty drainage system No renovation plans for Kestopur canal No development in added areas Mosquito menace