HIDCO to install smart pole in New Town

The West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) will install a smart pole as a part of a pilot project in New Town soon.

The decision was taken at a review meeting held recently. It was chaired by WBHIDCO’s chairman Debashis Sen. This is for the first time when such a multi utility pole will be installed and its functioning will be examined. The smart pole will be installed in front of the Business Club. The pole has a CCTV camera which is used to intensify vigil and an LCD panel to display advertisement. It functions as a Wi-Fi hotspot and mobile tower. As such poles have never been installed, the officials of WBHIDCO and New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) will examine the pros and cons before taking a final decision. New Town is being developed as a model township not only in the state but in the country. Steps have been taken to convert this into a green city.

The other important issues which were discussed at the meeting included the work at the state convention centre. It is one of the dream projects of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state Urban development minister Firhad Hakim visited the site to oversee the ongoing project. The Centre will be inaugurated in March 2017. Hakim had expressed satisfaction over the progress of work and congratulated the engineers and workers for their effort to complete the project on time.

A Japanese garden, the only of its kind in the state will be inaugurated shortly. An image of Buddha will be installed. There will be a Japanese Pagoda and a restaurant serving Japanese food.

Bagjola canal front beautification will be another major project. Before going to to Murshidabad to hold the administrative meeting last month, the Chief Minister had asked Sen to explore the possibilities of setting up a floating vegetable market after upgrading the canal. Steps have already been taken and senior officials visited the site a couple of days ago. Discussions were held on the up-gradation of the roads in New Town. Though the main arterial roads have become silky smooth, some of the roads off the main road will be thoroughly repaired.