Hakim satisfied with construction of Biswa Bangla Gate

Kolkata: Firhad Hakim, state minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, visited the Biswa Bangla Gate in New Town on Tuesday and expressed satisfaction over its construction.

"The report of RITES is awaited and once we receive it we will approach Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for its inauguration," he said.

RITES has been entrusted to look after the safety aspect of the structure, whereas Kanpur IIT is conducting the wind tunnel test. Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (HIDCO) has held several rounds of talks with the experts from RITES and IIT Kanpur in this regard.

The Biswa Bangla Gate or Kolkata Gate is the only one of its kind in Bengal. The gate is 55 metres high. There is a tunnel which is 25 metres above the ground. There are lifts that

will take the visitors to the tunnel.

There will also be a cafeteria and a viewers' gallery. Photos and paintings representing the rich culture of Bengal will be put up on the walls of the tunnel. Around 70 tonnes of steel has been used to construct the gate.

Hakim, along with Debashis Sen, chairman of HIDCO and Subrata Gupta, principal secretary, Urban development department, visited the site on Tuesday evening.