The state government has agreed in principle for setting up two townships by two separate private builders. The state Cabinet on March 3 granted provisional permission to the private players for carrying out the township projects. The meeting was presided over by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The township in New Town will come up on 80 acre of land and will be constructed by Forum Properties. It is located close to the Eco Urban village in Jagadishpur mouza.
The state government had advised Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation ( HIDCO) through an order ( No 636- T & CP ) dated March 16 to give provisional certificate to the developer subject to payment of necessary fees and compliance of statutory obligation.
The Plan for the proposed township will be cleared by New Town Kolkata Development Authority ( NKDA). HIDCO has set up a cell to support the builder to expedite official work.
The other township will come up at Bishnupur, South 24 Parganas by the Ambujas on around 180 acre of land. The project will be looked after by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). Both the projects are likely to bring in huge investments.
It may be mentioned that the state government has already framed a township policy in 2016. According to the policy, the firm will have to procure the land through e-auction. It will pay 10 percent of the total cost of land and the remaining 90 percent can be paid after a year.
Meanwhile, the builder will complete soil testing and other official works like making plans for the proposed building. Twenty five percent of the houses will have to be reserved for those coming from economically challenged background. In the townships, activities by economically challenged people will have to be encouraged. The procedure of selecting the builder is absolutely transparent. The state government will provide infrastructure like water and sewer connections and electricity line up to the boundary wall.
All the townships will have a theme. The township policy has been drafted in such a way that it would benefit both the builders and the beneficiaries and the government would play the role of a felicitator.