Acid attack by sacked help

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Kolkata: A 48-year-old homemaker in Salt Lake was seriously injured after her domestic help threw acid for sacking her. 
    Shampa Sinha, a resident of Shyamali Abason, has suffered injuries in her eyes. 
    Her husband, Gautam Sinha, is a government employee posted in Behrampore. Last month, Gautam’s mother had come to stay at the couple’s flat to spend a few days, for whom he had hired a fulltime nurse, Subhra Das, from a nursing centre from nearby Sukantanagar. 
    After a few days, however, Gautam discontinued her because he was not happy with her work. A new nurse was hired in her place. 
    According to Shampa’s complaint lodged with the police, Das came back to the flat at 11.30am on Friday, saying she had left behind some clothes, which she wanted to take back. She was carrying a bag with her. She entered the bathroom and suddenly came out wearing gloves and carrying a mug in her hand. She reportedly said she wanted to play Holi with Shampa and approached her. Suddenly, Das brought out a bottle of acid from her bag and sprinkled the acid on Shampa’s face. 
    As Shampa screamed out, Das tried to snatch her gold necklace. As the two scuffled, Das even tried to bite her. 
    Neighbours rushed in to help after hearing Shampa scream. Das was caught red-handed and the Bidhannagar South police station alerted. 
    Officers came to the spot and arrested Das. “The motive behind the act is yet to be clear. A probe is on,” said a senior officer.

Shampa Sinha was attacked by the domestic help whom she had sacked

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.

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.

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.

Armed Salt Lake robbers batter 65-year-old woman UNSAFE CITY AND DANGEROUS SUBURB, CRIMINALS HAVE A FREE RUN

TIMES NEWS NETWORK 

Kolkata: A buzzing cellphone saved 65-year-old Salt Lake resident Sumitra Mookerjea’s life on Wednesday. But for the ring, she could well have met the fate of 93-year-old Shanta Bhattacharya, who was gagged by robbers and suffocated to death at her Ultadanga apartment last week. 
    Sumitra’s bruises speak of her ordeal — the robbers held a knife to her throat, hit her with an iron rod and slapped her without provocation. She could barely speak of the shock she felt on finding three masked men in her bedroom at 3.45am. Her husband, 72-year-old Devdas Mookerjea, was sleeping in an adjoining room in their twostoried house at Salt Lake’s AH-239. The elderly couple lives alone. 
    The gang brazenly made a front-door entry after breaking the locks of the main gate and the grille. “I woke up with a start. 
There were three armed men in my room. One of them had a gun. The other one locked my husband’s bedroom from outside while the third held a knife to my throat. I screamed for help. They tied me up and were about to gag me when I pleaded with them not to do so as it would choke me. I promised not to shout again. But one of them suddenly hit me with an iron rod. My knees buckled but he stepped up and slapped me,” Sumitra said. 
    The noise woke Devdas. With memories of the Ultadanga murder-robbery fresh on his mind, he feared the worst when he found his door locked from outside. Trapped and unable to do a thing, Devdas picked up his cellphone and kept calling his wife. “The robbers thought that some outsider had been alerted,” Sumitra said. Gang stole jewellery 
Kolkata: The gang lost all its bravado and asked Sumitra to show the rear door with the knife still pointed at her throat. “They fled through the backdoor but snatched whatever ornaments I wore and my cellphone,” she said. 
    Devdas said that the gang had dragged her from the first floor to the ground floor to help them flee. “They untied her before escaping. They were around 25-30 years old and spoke in Bengali,” he said. 
    As the news spread in the locality, relatives rushed to their home. North 24-Parganas SP Champak Bhattacharya and local Trinamool MLA Sujit Bose also visited the Mookerjeas. “A gang of three committed the robbery. The couple has provided us details of what is missing from the house. We are probing the case,” Bhattacharya said. The police videographed the house while fingerprint experts collected samples. 
    The robbery, less than a month after a similar attempt at CF Block, sent shockwaves in the township. “AH block is mostly home to elderly people. The police should be more active in preventing such incidents,” said Gopal Chandra Bandyopadhaya, an elderly neighbour of the Mookerjeas. TNN

BRUISED... Sumitra Mookerjea talks to cops at her home on Wednesday

Salt Lake tax to be levied after May 13

Suman Chakraborti TNN 

Kolkata: Residents of Salt Lake had better brace to pay property tax right after the assembly election results are declared on May 13. The Trinamool-run Bidhannagar Municipality is waiting for declaration of the election results before it starts sending tax bills to residents of the township. 

Neither municipality chairperson Anita Mondal nor vice-chairman and Trinamool candidate from Rajarhat-New Town assembly constituency, Sabyasachi Dutta, would speak on the issue now, preferring to reserve their comments till May 13. 

The civic authorities had, earlier, said they had come up with a new property tax structure in accordance with the Bengal Municipal Act, 1977. It had also been decided earlier to collect property tax with effect from April 1, 2010. The Trinamool-led civic board is expecting the party to form the next state government, which would make it easier for them to get the tax structure approved. 

Trinamool sources said the civic authorities will start sending tax bills once party chief Mamata Banerjee approves the tax structure after the election results are declared. Civic authorities plan to discuss the issue with Bidhannagar Welfare Association and other stake holders before the new structure is finally announced. 
Under this tax structure, owners of residential houses will receive quarterly tax bills ranging from Rs 70 to Rs 120. If the civic body collects taxes based on the new structure, it will earn about Rs 1 crore each quarter. 

Civic officials, however, said they would lose about Rs 6 crore a year if they collected taxes following this structure, which prevailed in 1977. But, at least, residents would be happy to pay a lower tax, they said. The civic authorities reduced their spending earlier by not using cars and mobile phones they are entitled to. “We have been trying to earn revenue from sources like amusement tax and parking fees,” said an official. 

The property tax dispute in Salt Lake has been raging since May 2007 when the earlier tax structure framed by the previous Left Front-led civic board was scrapped by the Supreme Court following complaints from the Bidhannagar Welfare Association. Since then, tax collection has been stopped in Salt Lake.

FROM THE CORE OF THE HEART

Nabadiganta’s chief SA Ahmed is going whole hog to step up the infrastructure at Sector V

In 2006, West Bengal government had segregated Salt Lake Sector V from Bidhannagar Municipality and had formed Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (NDITA) for better management of infrastructure and other related activities there. The government has formed a 14-member committee which comprises representatives of the state IT department, KMDA, urban development and IT companies for running NDITA. In a freewheeling interview with ET’s Sutanuka Ghosal NDITA chairman SA Ahmed unveils the initiatives that the authority plans to undertake to improve the quality of infrastructure at Sector V. Excerpts:
How many units are now working at Salt Lake Sector V?
There are 603 units working at Salt Lake Sector V, which are spread over an area of 432 acres. Of these 603 units, 250 are IT facilities, both big and small. There are manufacturing units embracing Videocon, Areva and Godrej at Sector V as well. These 603 units also include schools, colleges and healthcare facilities that have come up in the area. Sector V has generated 70,000 direct jobs and an additional 30,000 indirect jobs over the years.
What is the role of NDITA in improving the infrastructure of Sector V?
    NDITA’s role is to provide modern infrastructure at the Sector V which includes roads, bridges, a water supply network, developing underground sewer lines and a drainage system. We have opted for a public-private partnership model for developing infrastructure at Sector V. Along with this, we are also involved in the traffic movement in the area. Apart from our usual exercise of maintaining infrastructure at Sector V, we are also responsible for collecting taxes, renewing trade licences and assessing property taxes.
IT companies, time-and-again, have complained about the poor internal infrastructure and water supply linkages at Sector V. What steps are you taking to address these twin issues?
    We are adopting a multi-pronged approach to address these issues. One should always remember that Sector V was set up initially for SSI units. No one had ever thought that it would turn out to be the IT hub of West Bengal. Therefore, the internal infrastructure, particularly roads, are not so broad as one can find in places like Bangalore or Hyderabad. To ease traffic movement in the area, we have come up with a new flyover near the Wipro building. Two new bridges have come up to help easy movement of cars from Kolkata to the airport and from Salt Lake to other parts of Kolkata. We are also in the process of appointing a consultant to suggest ways of managing the internal traffic, which is constantly increasing. We are also planning to introduce a one-way traffic system within the Sector V area to ease the movement of cars. We know that laying of water supply lines by Jusco, a Tata Group company, has compounded the road problem in Sector V. Jusco is slated to complete their work within March 31, 2010 and we are hopeful that traffic movement will become smoother after that. You will be surprised to know that some 8,000 vehicles ply in Sector V everyday, which include cars hired by IT companies like TCS, Wipro, IBM and others. If there are further problems, we are always open to the idea of discussing with the IT companies to sort them out.
Waterlogging and illegal parking are two major problems faced by the companies working at Sector V. How do you plan to curb these problems?
    Till last year, waterlogging had remained a problem. But not any more. We have taken adequate measures to prevent waterlogging at Sector V. From 2010, there will be no waterlogging at Salt Lake. Illegal parking is another problem area, where we are taking tough measures. If we find any cars parked illegally, we will tow away the car immediately. We have urged the Sector V units to create more parking space within their office premises, so that employees can park their vehicles there. We have come up with five parking lots in Sector V which can accommodate some 1,800-2,000 cars.
Barring a few big retail food chains, Sector V lacks good eateries that can provide quality food at affordable prices. Are you taking any initiative to address this?
    Unauthorised eateries have mushroomed in the sector along the roadside. We have decided to replace them with food kiosks which will provide affordable and quality food. We have allocated some 92 food kiosks in the area. KMDA is also planning to come up with a food park, where small eateries will come up.
Security at Sector V is probably a matter of concern to you as it also employs a large number of women. How are you addressing this issue?
    Unlike Bangalore, Sector V has not witnessed any major security problem. We are taking adequate steps to address this crucial issue. We have asked the IT companies to step up security arrangements at their premises. From our end, we have posted two patrolling vehicles, which move around Sector V on a 24x7 basis. Moreover, we have put up a surveillance system at NDITA, which is connected with the Bidhannagar (east) police station, so that we can keep a constant watch to avoid any untoward incident

Save-wetland plan ready, finally

Save-wetland plan ready, finally
Local Experts & Residents Miffed At Not Being Consulted For Govt’s Grand Wetland Project
Suman Chakraborti | TNN

Kolkata: Seven years after declaring the East Kolkata Wetlands a Ramsar site, the state has finally come up with an action plan to protect it.
To ensure effective management, the plan proposes dividing the 12,500-hectare wetland area into four sections — substantial waterbodies, agricultural land, productive farming plots and rural settlements. “Detailed plans for each part have been chalked out and sent to the Centre. We had also sought an initial fund of Rs 3 crore, of which Rs 60 lakh has been sanctioned,” said East Kolkata Wetland Management Authority (EKWMA) chief technical officer Nitai Kundu.
To conserve only the waterbodies — that spread over 5,852.14 hectares — the authorities have decided that no conversion of wetlands, waterbodies and bheries or fish farms will be allowed. “This is ecologically the most important area of the Ramsar site. A sizeable local population depends on the sewage-fed pisciculture that is extensively done here. The waterbodies are also known to act as a carbon sink and the area a natural habitat of several aquatic flora and fauna species,” Kundu pointed out.
However, it may consider some activities to manage land parcels adjacent to these waterbodies, like desiltation programme, environment monitoring of sewage and conservation of bio-diversity as well as promotion of eco-tourism through setting up of zoological and botanical gardens, nature heritage parks, bird sanctuaries and animal rescue centres.
For managing agricultural areas spread over 4,718.56 hectares, the authorities will permit development of eco-tourism projects, like medicinal gardens, horticulture, floriculture and similar activities. It also suggests setting up of research and environmentrelated educational institutions.
The management plan also mentions measures for productive farming area spread over 602.78 hectares. This section is one of biggest challenges that EKWMA faces. It was way back in 1860 that KMC acquired this area for disposal of solid waste. Known as Dhapa now, nearly 150 tonnes of vegetables are produced daily in this zone.
Noting that the solid waste dump has reached its saturation, the management plan has suggested development of community-based facilities, including waste recycling and solid waste management programmes. The management plan has called for proper demarcation and effective control of the garbage dump to prevent leaching from contaminating groundwater. Pollution arising out of the site is to be monitored. No spatial expansion of existing habitation shall be allowed.
A part of the urban settlements of Bidhannagar Municipality and nearly 40 rural ones — spread over 1,326.52 hectares — are located in the East Kolkata Wetlands. Conversion of the existing habitation to more eco-friendly forms will be allowed. “In added areas, the environment department will examine proposals, but no waterbody will be allowed to be converted. For development proposals, prior permission of the environment department or its delegated authorities like EKWMA will be required,” Kundu said.
The EKWMA official said three projects — desilting of canals, planting of trees and desilting of ponds will be taken up soon. “We will start work to desilt 100 km of canal from January. Another 100 km stretch will be desilted under KEIP project for which the Asian Development Bank has approved Rs 32 crore,” Kundu said.
Simultaneously, an afforestation programme will be kicked off to plant 20,000 trees over three years. “We have planted 5,000 trees like teak and mahogany. We plan to plant coconut trees along the bheris,” Kundu said.
Significantly, the blueprint has neither been discussed with locals, nor experts from the region consulted. The EKWMA official argues the proposal is based on the report of Wetlands International, a consultancy firm based in the Netherlands that has considerable expertise on wetlands. But scientists here, who have worked in the wetlands for years, are livid that the government did not even consider them worthy of consultation. “Why is the wetland not in the public domain? And why have local stakeholders not been consulted?” questioned former ASI director AK Ghosh.
Environment biologist and toxicology expert Pulak Lahiri, who has worked extensively in the region, felt interaction with local residents would have helped in adding valuable inputs. “There are a lot of suggestions that only local experts can offer because they know the conditions,” he said.
That the plan is ready is itself an achievement given the constraints under which the Institute of Wetland Management & Ecological Design functions. Housed in only two flats in Salt Lake, there is neither adequate space nor infrastructure to manage something as vital as the East Kolkata Wetlands from this cubbyhole.

Sec V won’t be flooded this year

Techies may no longer have to wade through knee-deep water in the coming monsoon. “Sector V will not be inundated this time,” Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority (NITA) chairman S A Ahmed told TOI. “Work on the damaged roads and sewerlines will be completed by July,” he added. NITA is the authority responsible for Sector V.
Drain water from Sector V drains into Bagjola canal. With drain water from New Town also being channelised through the canal, it invariably overflows during the monsoon as it is illequipped to flush out water from both sides.
Companies at Sector V, also called Nabadiganta Township now, said they would wait to see what happens when it actually starts pouring in June-July. “As we are the worst sufferers whenever it rains, we are keeping our fingers crossed on this. However, the NITA initiative is a welcome development,” Wipro senior manager (administration and facilities) Jyotirmoy Bhattacharya said.
Incidentally, state urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya has also said in the recent past that improving drainage and sewerage systems of Sector V would be accorded top priority. Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority has been asked to prepare a master plan in this regard.
“Beautification of Sector V will be completed in 18 months,” Ahmed said. NITA has signed agreements with Encon and Selvel for improving the IT hub.
Ahmed said easing traffic in Sector V would also be given importance. “Work on building a flyover in front of Wipro and J K Saha junction is in progress. Also, two bridges are expected to come up near Kestopur canal by mid-2009,” he added.

Sobia Khan | TNN