Ghatal master plan gets 'investment clearance'

Kolkata: State inches another step closer towards the implementation of Ghatal master plan as the Centre has approved investment clearance in the second phase.

According to sources in the state government, the Centre has recently given 'investment clearance' to the Ghatal master plan in the second phase.

State government had agreed to the Centre's proposal in the implementation of the plan. The Centre wanted to know if the state government was interested in bringing Ghatal master plan under the ambit of "Flood management and border area

programme".

State government a few months ago expressed agreement to the Centre's proposal. Under this project Centre would bear the 60 per cent cost of the project while the state government would spend around 40 per cent.

In the meantime, the Bengal government had already spent over Rs 339 crore to implement the master plan with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directing to take up the work at state's expense when the Centre was not paying heed to the state's repeated requests.

Centre was supposed to give 75 per cent of the project cost. Later the Centre stated that it has to be undertaken in a 50:50 ratio.

Again, the group of ministers and MPs were informed that the Centre is ready to move ahead with the project if the state agrees to bear 40 per cent of the project cost.