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Time of India
18-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
New Town likely to get 9-acre wildlife conservation park
Kolkata: With an indigenous population of golden jackals and other wildlife, like snakes and monitor lizards , often being spotted in New Town, the govt is considering a plan to develop an urban wildlife forestry conservation park in the township with the aim to preserve such animals to avoid man-animal conflict. Sources from the state secretariat said the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) has earmarked a nine-acre plot near Kadampukur in the border area of New Town Action Area II. The forest department is preparing a concept note on the plan, govt sources said. "The plan is in its preliminary stage. The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) had earlier proposed to the forest department if a wildlife conservation park could be set up since any new township often displays wildlife to a certain degree, and there is a need for conservation of wildlife. A meeting was recently convened between forest department, Hidco and NKDA officials, where the forest department has primarily shown interest in the proposal," a govt official said. Wildlife conservationists said the administration was on the right track. "It will be a good initiative if such a conservation park is developed, as wildlife like jackals, monitor lizards, and snakes can be conserved, it will prevent man-animal conflict and also save them from road mishaps in the urban setup. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Trade Bitcoin & Ethereum – No Wallet Needed! IC Markets Start Now Undo The conservation effort would be more effective if, in the long run, after their numbers increase following breeding, the animals are released in the jungle to rehabilitate them in the natural setup in which they belong," said wildlife conservationist Biswajit Roy Chowdhury. New Town is surrounded by panchayat areas of greater Rajarhat and Bhangar, which still have a considerable number of wildlife. These animals — jackals and monitor lizards — often stray into New Town and come in front of vehicles. Multiple jackals died in road accidents in New Town in the first two months of this year, and 12 injured jackals were rescued. Not only jackals, but both venomous and non-venomous snakes are often spotted in different places of the township, especially during the monsoon, with multiple snakebite deaths reported in 2023. Following this, the New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) came up with a detailed guideline on snakebite management. There is the forest department's wildlife rescue and transit facility in Salt Lake, where snakes and other wildlife spotted in nearby areas are rescued and brought in before they are released into the jungle. The facility often receives calls from different areas of Salt Lake and New Town for rescuing snakes, including venomous ones, that are spotted. At present, there is also the mini zoo spread over 12.5 acres next to Eco Park, which has animals like spotted and bark deer, zebra, giraffe, and a hippopotamus that were brought in under the animal exchange plan. Hidco has also developed a bird enclosure in New Town, which has become a safe habitat for birds and turtles.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
PIL in Calcutta HC challenges govt funding, operations of Digha Jagannath shrine
Calcutta high court BHUBANESWAR: Amid growing tensions between Odisha and West Bengal over the use of ' Jagannath Dham ' name for the newly consecrated Digha temple, a PIL has been filed in the Calcutta high court challenging the project's funding and operation mechanisms. Advocate Koustav Bagchi's petition, admitted by the division bench of Justices Soumen Sen and Smita Das De, challenges the constitutional validity of govt funding for a religious structure under India's secular framework. The PIL seeks an independent inquiry into why the trust is being allowed to operate from Hidco's office. The petitioner requested the court to direct Hidco and the temple trust to file a report disclosing the true nature and character of Jagannath Dham Sanskriti Kendra/Jagannath Dham Digha and explain the legal basis for the trust's operations from Hidco premises. The petitioner has sought clarity on how the temple trust is accepting donations under Section 80G of the Income Tax Act while operating from the office of Hidco, a public sector undertaking. Questions have been raised about the use of govt funds for constructing what was initially tendered as a 'Sanskrit Kendra', but is now functioning as a temple complex. The PIL has challenged the recruitment of 100 civic volunteers for traffic and crowd management at the Digha temple and sought to quash the recruitment notice issued by the SP of East Midnapore. It questions whether the Bengal govt can legally deploy civic volunteers at what appears to be a private trust property without proper requisition or consent. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Want Lower Bills Without Changing a Thing? elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Learn More Undo While Odisha law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan has said the govt would take legal action, if required, to ensure 'Dham' is dropped from the Digha shrine name, legal experts suggested the state has strong grounds for legal recourse because of the cultural and religious significance of Lord Jagannath, with the centuries-old Puri temple being long revered as the original 'Jagannath Dham'. Lawyers said Odisha can approach the Supreme Court under Article 131 of the Constitution.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kolkata's New Town to get 25-acre entertainment hub: CM Mamata Banerjee
CM Banerjee said the state has received 10 new investment proposals worth Rs 25,000 crore KOLKATA: The state has identified 25 acres of land in New Town to set up an entertainment, technology and creativity hub and make the township a one-stop destination for cultural activities. Hidco, the state's infrastructure development wing, would be implementing the project on a public-private partnership (PPP) basis, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said after a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The site is likely to be located near Eco Park. The centre would be called Biswa Angan in Bengali and its formal name would be International Information Technology and Entertainment Park (IITEC), Banerjee said, hoping that the new facility would be as successful as the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre (also in New Town) and attract big-ticket concerts and other events. The state also plans to have a third convention centre in Siliguri after the two in New Town and Digha. Banerjee also revealed the state had got 10 new investment proposals in steel and other industries worth Rs 25,000 crore. "We have land in Jagal Sundari Karmanagari in Raghunathpur, Durgapur and Panagarh. The state has allotted 10 industrial plots to big industries with the total land allotted being 2,515 acres," she said, projecting a total employment opportunity of around 70,000. There would be shopping malls in all 23 district headquarters, the Bengal CM said. "We will give one acre for each facility. Plots have already been cleared for 11 districts and the process is on for the other 12. There will also be two floors for products made by self-help groups," she added. Fifteen industrial estates and 43 plots had been allotted for MSME investments, Banerjee said, adding Bengal now had 90 lakh MSMEs and over 660 clusters.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Soon, a service road near Biswa Bangla Gate for safe traffic flow
1 2 3 Kolkata: Hidco will carve out a 7.5m-wide service road from the Sector V-bound flank of the main arterial road in New Town, from ahead of Biswa Bangla Gate till Ananda Mela Park, to facilitate easy and safe access and movement of vehicles to and from the adjacent DA, DC, DB, DC and DE blocks in Action Area 1D. The service road is planned from the junction of the main arterial road or MAR 2222 with Street No. 240 and Street No. 276 beside Ananda Mela park. At present, motorists coming from Street No. 240 and headed towards the blocks close to Biswa Bangla Gate on the left, are forced to drive to the opposite flank of MAR, bringing them face-to-face with high-speed vehicles from the opposite side. "This has been a long-standing problem for motorists trying to move to the left from the junction. There is always a possibility of a collision as vehicles come in from the opposite side from the Biswa Bangla crossing at high speed," said Santanu Biswas, a resident of the area. Officials said a median divider had to be built to separate the two lanes, one to be made into the service road. Hidco has initiated the process to engage an agency for the job at an estimated cost of Rs 78 lakh. The work would have to be completed within two months from the date of start, said an official. For now, traffic police have now placed guard rails at the Ananda Mela Park junction to create the two lanes for vehicles to turn left. "There is a service road on the opposite flank. Having a service road on the Sector V-bound flank will help in better management of vehicles entering Action Area ID from the MAR," said a traffic police officer.
