Agartala-Kolkata bus service via Dhaka

Mon, Jan 31st, 2011 4:17 pm BdST

New Delhi, Jan 31 (bdnews24.com) – Bangladesh may soon launch a direct bus service between India's West Bengal and its landlocked state of Tripura through Dhaka.

Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) may tie up with Tripura Road Transport Corporation for the bus service.

BRTC's director (admin and operation) S M Faisal Alam, now in West Bengal leading a delegation of senior BRTC officials to Agartala and Kolkata, told journalists that the trial run of the proposed bus service might start within two months.

They met transport officials of the Indian states and discussed the proposed direct bus-service between the two Indian cities through Dhaka.

A bus service between Agartala and Dhaka has been operational since 2003. The passengers travelling to Kolkata from Agartala have to change buses in Dhaka. But the bus service could not be popular and it became economically unviable as it takes too much time.

The Kolkata-Dhaka bus service has been operation since 1993.

Tripura transport minister Manik De said the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata would significantly come down if the direct bus service via Dhaka could be launched.

The BRTC delegation met Manik De and officials of the Tripura Road Transport Corporation in Agartala. Later, they traveled to Kolkata and held meetings with officials of the West Bengal State Road Transport Corporation.

Sources in the Indian government said New Delhi and Dhaka were discussing the possibility of simplifying visa regime, exclusively for the benefit of the passengers who would like to travel by buses between Kolkata and Agartala.

Dhaka and New Delhi are also exploring the prospects of BRTC's collaboration with its counterparts in West Bengal and Tripura state of India to launch tour packages to promote tourism.

bdnews24.com/corr/mr/1605h

Comprehensive Social Security Scheme for Transport Workers

KOLKATA: AFTER “beedi” and construction workers, the Left Front government of West Bengal has recently launched a comprehensive social security scheme for the workers of transport sector, which is the first of its kind and unique in India. This scheme will cover at least 14 lakh workers of bus, mini bus, taxi, auto rickshaws, truck, mini truck, waterways and other categories of mass transport.

Although the UPA government had taken the step to form the National Commission of Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) with Arjun Sengupta as its chairman, back in September 2004, nothing concrete has been done so far by the union government for the social security of workers of unorganised sector.

In contrast, at the initiative of the Left Front government of West Bengal, for the first time in the country, a provident fund scheme for the unorganised sector was introduced in the state in the year 2000-01. The number of workers enrolled under this scheme till date is 17 lakh, which is expected to reach the mark of 25 lakh by the end of this financial year. Moreover, around 85,000 beneficiaries have been registered upto October 2009, under the Building and other Construction Workers’ Welfare programme.

 

Under the Revised Integrated Housing Scheme for Beedi Workers, (2005) taken up by the ministry of labour and employment, government of India, an amount of Rs 40,000 is given as subsidy to the individual beedi worker of this state for construction of dwelling houses. In response to that, the state government also pays an amount of Rs 10,000 per tenement as uniform subsidy and another Rs 2500 per tenement for electrification of their houses. A state 'Assisted Health Scheme' has also been introduced to the unorganised sector workers of the state registered under the Provident Fund scheme but not covered by the social security scheme for Beedi Workers, transport workers and construction workers.

Under the scheme for transport sector workers, launched recently, each worker will get a pension on monthly basis after retirement from 60 years of age till his death. But in case of disability of permanent nature caused by an accident, the worker will be entitled to get the pension since the occurrence of the accident. Apart from this, in case of accidental death, the family of the worker will receive a sum of Rs 1 lakh as financial assistance under the scheme.

Among other facilities and support provided by this scheme include :

Rs 50,000 for permanent disability

Rs 25,000 for partial disability

Rs 10,000 for treatment of diseases like tuberculosis, cancer, leprosy, cardiac problems, renal disorders, AIDS, thalassemia etc.

Rs 30,000 for surgical purpose

3,000 as maternity assistance (maximum two times)

Educational assistance for children includes Rs 2,000 for Higher Secondary level, Rs 3,000 for graduation level, Rs 5,000 for post graduate level and Rs 10,000 for studies either engineering or medical

Rs 5,000 as assistance for marriage of their daughters

Rs 30,000 as a financial assistance for normal death of the worker

So far as the magnitude of poverty and dimension of the vulnerability of the workers of unorganised sectors are concerned, the scenario is more or less the same across India as a whole. But the approach adopted by the Left Front government of Bengal to resolve the crisis may definitely be considered as forward moving step towards making a difference to the lives of workers in the unorganised sector.

Transport strike in Calcutta over

KOLKATA,25th July: Operators of private buses and taxis in the Indian city of Calcutta say they have called off their strike. Their action was in protest against a decision by the West Bengal government to implement a ban on commercial vehicles more than 15 years old.

The ban, ordered by Calcutta's high court, was aimed at cutting pollution after studies found high rates of respiratory disease in the city. Vehicle operators said they would lodge a court appeal against the ban. The president of the Calcutta Bus Owners Association, Swarnakamal Saha, said he would take the matter to India's Supreme Court.

He said that they would fight the battle legally rather than inconvenience millions of passengers. The ban will be effective from 1 August - but it has infuriated bus and taxi operators. They say they would have no hesitation in switching to green fuels or buying new vehicles, but would need loans and easy repayment terms to help them make the move.

Environmentalist Subhas Dutta, who filed the case in the high court that led to the judgement, says that transport owners have had enough time to organise funds and switch to new, green-fuel vehicles. "This case has been in the court for a long time and the transport associations tried their best to stop an order for scrapping of old vehicles. Now they have no excuse," Mr Dutta said.

As some 60,000 taxis and 10,000 buses went out of circulation in India's third most populous city, the strike had a major impact, correspondents say. There were huge crowds at metro stations and schools and universities shut down for the day. The state transport minister Subhas Chakrabarty said that efforts to prevent the strike failed because the transport operators were unreasonable.

The city's ageing vehicles are seen as a major cause of air pollution and responsible for the sharp rise in lung cancer and similar diseases in the city. Mr Chakrabarty said that nearly 3,000 buses and mini-buses and almost 6,500 taxis will have to go off the roads or convert to green fuel because they were bought more than 15 years ago.

But Swarnakamal Saha said vehicle operators are simply unable to afford the move. "We understand the environmental concerns, the need to protect our people from pollution. But most of us don't have enough money to buy new taxis and buses on our own and the banks are cautious to lend in a climate of economic downturn," he said. "This is where we want government support."

Transport operators on indefinite strike from tomorrow

Kolkata, Jul 23: Commercial transport operators here has decided to go on an indefinite strike from tomorrow after their meeting with the West Bengal Transport minister over the ban of 15-year-old vehicles from the metropolis failed today."The meeting with Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty has failed. So we are going ahead with the strike," Joint Council of Bus Syndicates General Secretary Sadhan Das said. CITU state Secretary Kali Ghosh said it was opposed to the strike as it was against the interest of the people. "It is a conspiracy against the Left Front government," he said.The High Court order banning all 15-year-old commercial vehicles from the Kolkata metropolitan area would come into force from August one.

The Trinamool Congress today lent "moral support" to the indefinite strike called by commercial transport operators here from tomorrow while seeking West Bengal Governor Gopalkrishna Gandhi's intervention to end the stalemate.Leader of Opposition Partha Chatterjee alleged the state government had failed to find a solution through dialogue with private transport operators and inflicted hardship on the people.Asked about the party's stand on the transport strike, he said party supremo Mamata Banerjee had already stated that the Trinamool Congress was against bandhs and blockades, however, the party would extend "moral support" to the strike.

Paramount Airways to launch operations to Kolkata

CHENNAI: The city-based Paramount Airways is set to launch its operations in the Chennai-Kolkata sector by the end of this month. Paramount Airways Managing Director Thiagarajan recently met West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and discussed its proposal to make Kolkata as its gateway to northeastern operations, a release here said. The airline would launch operations of daily flights in the Chennai-Kolkata route connecting Guwahati and Agartala by the last week of April, a Paramount Airways official told PTI. The flight from Chennai would take off at 7:05 am and arrive Kolkata at 9.10am and from there proceed to Guwahati and Agartala. The return flight would leave Kolkata at 1.25 pm and reach Chennai at 3:30 pm. Paramount Airways launched its operations in October 2005 and has since achieved a market leadership of 27 per cent in southern India, the release added.

Paramount Airways to fly to Kolkata by June

Kolkata: After entering the southern and western markets of the country, private carrier Paramount Airways is now planning to launch services to the eastern sector by June. “We are looking at June to begin operations to and from Kolkata,” the Chennai-based company’s managing director M. Thiagarajan told the media here Wednesday. Thiagarajan said initially the airlines will operate two to three flights between Chennai and Kolkata. “Later, we will connect Kolkata with all the southern cities via Chennai.”

He said his company was ready to get into the northeast too. “For instance, we can launch a service to Dibrugarh.” Thiagarajan met West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Wednesday. “He requested me to operate services from Coochbehar, and promised all support.”
The airline now operates from three destinations in western India - Pune, Goa and Ahmedabad, and is the market leader in the south, with a 26 percent share.

He said by 2010, Paramount will operate flights in the northern and northeastern parts of the country. “Post-2011, we will look at flying on international routes,” Thiagarajan said. The company now has five aircraft, and has plans to buy three more by March-end. By 2009-end, the total number of aircraft will go up to 11.

“We will buy 10 numbers of either Boeing 787 or Airbus 350 once we start operating on the international route,” he said. Thiagarajan claimed that while the other airlines lost 8-10 percent of their passengers last year due to the slowdown, the number of Paramount’s passengers increased 5-6 percent.

COUNTRY'S FIRST LRT LAUNCHED BY CM

KOLKATA, 19 February, 2009: The city's Light Rail Transit (LRT) system will cover a 40-km stretch from Joka to Barrackpore in two phases and have 31 stations. It will be ready in five years. The country's first LRT was launched by chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Wednesday.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd and the government of West Bengal during the inauguration. The Rs 6,000-crore project will be implemented by a consortium led by Srei. Czech-based Amex International will be the technology partner and West Bengal Transport Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (WBTIDC) will be one of the consortium partners.

"Work on the project will start from 2010. The coaches will move at 40 km per hour and a journey between Joka and Barrackpore will take 90 minutes. There will be four coaches per rake to accommodate 1,250 passengers. Initially, the system will cater to 1.2 lakh passengers a day. Later, the figure will go up to 4.8 lakh. The East-West Metro will terminate at Howrah Maidan. The E-W Metro and LRT will meet at Sealdah where passengers can make a changeover if they so want. Other Asian countries have already changed over to this mode of mass rapid transport. In Kolkata, the LRT can gradually replace buses and trams. People will have to realise that this is inevitable," Bhattacharjee said.

State transport secretary Sumantra Chowdhury said that the tendering process had started in Aug-Sep 2004. After the Centre refused to provide funds for the project from the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, it was decided to launch a special purpose vehicle for the Kolkata LRT. "Srei will be the senior partner and it has entered into a joint venture with WBTIDC. The detailed project report (DPR) should be finalised by September 30, 2009. Hopefully, both the LRT and East-West Metro will be completed by 2013-14," Chowdhury said.

West Bengal to revise bus, taxi fares after oil price cut

KOLKATA: West Bengal would review bus and taxi fares when the central government reduces fuel prices, Transport Minister Sunbhas Chakraborty said here Tuesday.'The government of India has not issued any notification so far. But once they issue it, we'll definitely review the bus and taxi fares in our state,' Chakraborty told reporters.

'We'll revise the fares of public transport in West Bengal within just one day from the time the notification will be declared,' he said.Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora last week said the government was working on a price cut and would announce the new rates within 10 or 15 days.

WB Govt to speed up phase out of old vehicles

KOLKATA: West Bengal Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty on Tuesday said the government is committed to introduce pollution-free transport in two years, and accordingly bus and taxi owners would be offered schemes to phase out their old vehicles. "The process has begun with auto rickshaws. Exact schemes for phasing out buses and taxis will be announced later to ensure pollution-free transport in the state," the minister said.

Two stroke autos would no longer be found on city roads and the Calcutta High Court order would be implemented in this regard. Unauthorised autos would also be out of city roads, he said. Chakraborty, earlier, said the state government was planning to procure 400 new generation buses this year and the proposal was discussed with three manufacturers Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors and Eicher Motors.

The minister, however, did not specify when and in how many phases the new buses would be procured and what would be the quantum of investment for the purpose. The Calcutta High Court had in July last year directed that all 15-years-old buses must be phased out by March 31 this year. As such, a large number of old private buses would go off the roads by that time.

Kolkata may get monorail running on LPG in two years

Kolkata: A monorail service running on cooking gas? With an eye on the record books, that is exactly what a Kolkata-based company has planned for the city two years on. "No monorail system in the world runs on LPG (liquefied petroleum gas). We want to be the first to do so. We have spoken to Indian Oil (Corporation) for providing us with adequate support for such a service," Biplab Bhattacharya, director of Andromeda Technologies, told mediapersons.

Andromeda has got the contract for constructing the first stretch of 20 km of monorail from Budge Budge to Taratala on a build-own-and-operate basis for an approximate cost of Rs.600 million (Rs.60 crore) per km. The train will use hybrid technology that will enable it to run on both electricity and LPG. It will have four coaches, each with its own electric generator, which would accommodate 150 passengers.

"We expect to start the project in March 2009. It will take a little more than two years to complete the work. Indian Oil officials have said they can ready proper infrastructure for LPG support within the time frame when the monorail work is scheduled to be completed," Bhattacharya said. The company plans to run the train with hydrogen gas in future, he added. "We are also planning a feeder service with around 40 LPG buses, which will help the commuters travel to their destinations from the monorail stations," Bhattacharya said.

As of now the city has no LPG or compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. Asked whether the city was equipped to supply fuel for the LPG bus service, an Indian Oil official said: "Now there are 12 LPG pumps in the city. We have five pumps. If there is market requirement, I am sure we will be able to meet it. There is no shortage of LPG. We have a refinery at Haldia."

The monorail will be the latest addition to the various rail transport networks in the city. Apart from the general railway service, the city already has the metro railway, the circular rail and the tram. Once the first phase is complete, the government will take a call on awarding the contract for the second phase stretching 52 km till Rajarhat in the city's northeastern fringes.

"Based on how the first phase goes, we will consider how to award the contract for the remaining work. The main constraint for such a project within the city is space," said West Bengal Transport Secretary Sumantra Chowdhury. The total expense for the first phase will be to the tune of Rs.12 billion, with a debt-equity ratio of 4:1. Now Andromeda is looking for overseas financial partners and hopes to clinch a deal soon.

The company will initially rope in coaches from Germany. But in due course, it will get coaches manufactured in India. It will partner German companies Fernmeldewerk Munchen Aubing GmbH for signalling and Derap AG & Helbling Technik for technological know-how.

Court to monitor autorickshaw ban in West Bengal

Kolkata, Jan 9 : The Calcutta High Court Friday directed the West Bengal government to file a progress report on how it was implementing the ban on two-stroke autorickshaws in the city.A two-member division bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice S.S Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh, ordered the state government to submit a report every 15 days, which would be scrutinised from time to time.

It said the state government’s request for extension of time till July 31, 2009 will be considered in the next hearing. The division bench directed that till further orders no auto rickshaw with valid document and registration would be seized. Earlier, the high court issued an order July last year to ban commercial vehicles registered before Jan 1, 1993, from Kolkata and its outskirts.

It said that all auto-rickshaws, irrespective of their date of registration, will have to convert to either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The order was to be implemented by Dec 31, 2008, in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area, which includes parts of North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly.

The court issued the order after the state environment department had placed before the high court a notification (in July 2008) for freeing the city of severe automobile pollution. It is estimated that around 80,000 auto-rickshaws, 24,000 taxis and over 8,000 buses and mini-buses would be affected by the implementation of the court order.

WBGEDC offers zero-pollution auto

KOLKATA, 7 January, 2009: Auto owners flustered with the EMI on new LPG autos have an alternative at hand. The West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation, along with automobile manufacturer Tara International, is offering them a package that will turn out cheaper than an LPG switch and be even more environment friendly. What's better, they don't need to dump their old vehicles. All they have to do is pay Rs 65,000 and have a battery-driven engine mounted in their old auto.

WBGEDC managing director SP Ganchouhuri said Tara International had approached them to manufacture battery autos in the city. "They have already started manufacturing such autos at their Barasatunit ," he said, adding that WBGEDC has run "10 to 15 battery autos on an experimental basis". The company's battery-operated two-wheelers have been a success, Ganchoudhuri said. "So far, more than 10,000 green two-wheelers have been sold. We now plan to introduce battery-run autos in the city that would drastically cut down auto emission," he said. It would cost about Rs 1.25 lakh to convert an old auto into a battery-driven one, Ganchoudhuri. "The Centre will give a subsidy of Rs 50,000 and another Rs 10,000 subsidy would be given by the state. An auto driver will only have to shell out about Rs 65,000, that too in phases," Ganchoudhuri said.

According to a scheme that is being worked out, a driver would be able to repay the entire amount simply by paying Rs 200 daily to get the batteries recharged. Ganchoudhuri said: "The old fuel-based engine would be replaced by a motor that would have rechargeable batteries. These autos can run up to 80 km per charge and can have a maximum speed of 60 km per hour, carrying six passengers. WBGEDC is designing small solar panels that would tap solar energy to recharge the batteries. So, the auto owner doesn't even run up an electricity bill. The battery auto is not only a zero-emission vehicle, it is also soundless."

Banks & auto manufacturers ready, but drivers unwilling

KOLKATA, 3 Jan, 2009: Banks are ready to hand over loans to auto operators for the switch to LPG, but there are no takers. Leading public sector banks have set up core teams to handle the 'emergency' of issuing funds for green autos but they are apparently the only ones taking the issue with urgency. Auto owners, who upped their fight against the two-stroke ban on Friday, are yet to approach any of the banks. The convener of State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) in West Bengal, United Bank of India has already prepared an auto loan package. It is linked with prime lending rate (PLR), which is now 12.25% for SBI, said an official. The banks have agreed to give loans of up to Rs 95,000. The time limit set by the government is five years, which translates to an EMI of around Rs 2,000 for an auto owner. "There will be an optional moratorium of three months on repayment.

Besides, we are thinking of exemptions on the last EMI if the track record of repayment is good," the official said, adding that SBI has instructed managers of 200-odd branches in Kolkata and Howrah for entertaining auto-loan applications. Banks have made it clear that they will not entertain defaulters unless they clear past dues. The road transport authority (RTA) would process requirements like address proof, licence, etc. "As per our discussion with the government, RTA will provide the documents," an official said. "A core team in our local head office will co-ordinate the process but where are the applications? There is none so far," said an SBI official. Allahabad Bank, UCO and UBI officials also say they have received no applications for auto loans. "If we receive even 15,000 applications, we can address each of them. Funds are not a problem, either," an Allahabad Bank official said.

Like banks, auto manufacturers also say that the problem is not with production, but with demand. Bajaj Auto has already set up a dedicated assembly line for LPG autos at its Waluj unit near Aurangabad. "We have made our calculations. Total conversion is likely to take at least six to eight months. Meeting the demand, however big, is not a problem," said Bajaj sales manager Hari Haran.

Mamata launches sit-in protest near CM’s house

KOLKATA, Saturday, 03 January , 01-00 am, 2009: Hundreds of Opposition Trinamool Congress workers, led by Mamata Banerjee, put up a road blockade near West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's residence late on Friday night. They were demanding release of 18 agitators arrested by the police for indulging in violence to protest a court ban on two-stroke public transport vehicles.

Police stopped Mamata and other Trinamool activists about 500 m from Bhattacharjee's Palm Avenue residence, prompting her to organise a sit-in demonstration at the spot. An angry Mamata wanted to know from the police why they were stopped. "There are no prohibitory orders here."

Demanding the immediate release of those arrested, Banerjee said: "Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders can murder and sleep peacefully. I can't". Mamata put the blame for the torching of buses earlier in the day on the CPI-M, and said: "If they can prove we had set fire to the buses, I shall quit politics."

West Bengal to seek time to phase out old autorickshaws

Kolkata : The West Bengal government said it would move the Calcutta High Court to seek more time to phase out old autorickshaws with two-stroke engines from the city roads.”We have decided to move the Calcutta High Court Monday and will ask for some more time. We need additional three months time to phase out old two-stroke autorickshaws and implement the directive in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) area,” state Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty told reporters here.

In an order issued in July, the high court had banned commercial vehicles registered before Jan 1, 1993 from Kolkata and its outskirts. The court also directed that all autorickshaws, irrespective of their date of registration, will have to convert to either compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

It said the order should be implemented by Dec 31 in the KMA, which includes parts of North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly.“We will request the honourable high court to extend the deadline for implementing the order,” he said.

However, a couple of hours after Chakraborty’s remarks, state Transport Secretary Sumantra Chowdhury said the government would start confiscating two-stroke autorickshaws from Jan 1 in accordance with the court directive. Chowdhury said the government could not move the high court before Jan 1 as it was closed between Dec 25 and Jan 4.

According to estimates, if the government implements the court order, around 80,000 autorickshaws, 24,000 taxis and over 8,000 buses and mini-buses would be affected.

WB govt not to move HC for more time to ban 'polluting' autos

Kolkata, Dec 30 : With the Calcutta High Court having directed that polluting two-stroke autorickshaws cease to ply from January 1, the West Bengal government today ruled out seeking more time for the phase out."We are bound to implement the court order to cancel the licences of autorickshaws causing pollution. We will not appeal to the high court court for more time to phase out two-stroke autos,"Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty said.

The two-stroke autos will cease to run from January one, he said."Our hands are tied and we can't help."

WB govt to implement HC order for use of LPG in autos

KOLKATA, 23 December, 2008 : The West Bengal Government said it was determined to implement the High Court order for use of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) in all the autos. All the autos will have to get converted to LPG mode by December 31.

The state Government shall implement the court order by the deadline, Transport Minister Subhash Chakraborty said.He said about 3,000 auto owners had already applied for using LPG in their vehicles.Calcutta High Court had recently passed the order to check the high level of air pollution caused by the three wheelers.

‘Opposition in West Bengal irresponsible’

Improve infrastructure to attract FDI: Buddhadeb

KOLKATA, 13 December, 2008: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday said an “irresponsible Opposition was opposing everything for the sake of opposition and ultimately the people of the State will suffer.”

Presiding over the 69th annual session of the Indian Roads Congress (IRC), he said: “I am facing problems in land acquisition, as an irresponsible Opposition is opposing everything. But I assure you that we are in dialogue with the Opposition.”

Mr. Bhattacharjee said this in response to a comment by Union Minister of State for Shipping, Road Transport and Highways K.H. Muniyappa, while inaugurating the session.

The Union Minister said land acquisition was proving to be a problem in the State. Projects started in 2001 could not be completed due to problem over land acquisition over a four or five km stretch. “I seek the support of the West Bengal government and people to complete roads for the country’s development.”

The Chief Minister said that in the current financial meltdown, infrastructure would perhaps be the only sector that would not be hit and he had been advised by the Reserve Bank of India Governor “not to miss this chance.”

“It is high time we improved infrastructure,” Mr. Bhattacharjee said, adding that unless India improved infrastructure, it would fail to attract foreign direct investments.

“It is through infrastructure that China has attracted FDI.” He exhorted the 2,000-strong gathering of delegates to discuss ways to improve road connectivity in India, in the backdrop of the global financial crisis to compete with China.

Noting that the United Progressive Alliance government was trying to complete the golden quadrilateral project started by the National Democratic Alliance government, he said it was important to connect sea and airports. Otherwise, international trade would suffer.

Mr. Muniyappa said the IRC was set up in 1934 as the premier body of highway engineers. To enable rural people, cyclists, pedestrians and tractor drivers to use the network, the Centre had approved the creation of service roads alongside the six and four-lane highways, especially where there was a concentration of rural people.

West Bengal’s first private airport in Bardhaman district to be operational by 2011

DURGAPUR: Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd's. (BAPL) first private airport in Bardhaman district in West Bengal is likely to be operational by end of 2011. According to a report in Projects Today, the project, which is a part of the USD 2.5 billion (approximately Rs 12,500 crore) Durgapur Aerotropolis, has got an approval from the West Bengal government and has also overcome the objections raised by Coal India Ltd. (CIL).

Besides the airport, the project also includes an industrial park, logistics hub, IT Park and a township. BAPL is the promoter of the Aerotropolis in association with Singapore's Changi International Airport. An agreement was signed in February this year for technical services and as operator of the proposed airport.

BAPL is likely to complete the acquisition of 2,362.84 acre for phase I by June 2009. The state government will be completing the land notification shortly. The phase I of the project involves an investment outlay of Rs 2,200 crore. The company has achieved financial closure for Rs 600 crore comprising part of phase I -the airport and land acquisition cost.

Private Bus and Minibus strike total

Kolkata, Dec 11: All private and mini-buses kept off the roads Wednesday in support of a 24-hour shutdown called by the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist’s (CPI-M) trade union arm across West Bengal. The strike was called by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)-suppiorted West Bengal Road Transport Workers Federation (WBRTWF) to protest the government’s decision to charge bus-drivers under section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in case of fatal accidents.

Since morning hundreds of people were seen lining up for hours at autorickshaw and taxi stands in various parts of the city. Exploiting the situation, autorickshaw and taxi drivers charged higher fares from passengers. Long queues were also seen at all railways and Metro railway ticket counters.

Though only private and mini-buses were covered by the strike call, very few state-run buses were seen plying on the city roads, and they too were overcrowded. Not only the state buses, but trams, local trains and Metros were also jam-packed.A few city schools declared a holiday to avoid harassment to students. Examinations in some colleges were postponed.

Subhas Mukherjee, spokesperson of the WBRTWF, told reporters: “We are aware that people are being harassed because of our strike and our heart-felt apologies go out to them. But they should understand that our demand is justified. It’s not that the driver is always responsible for an accident. It’s unfair to put all the blame on one person and put him behind bars.” About 10,000 private buses and 2,500 mini-buses ply across the city everyday.