[Reader-list] Fw: Calcutta planning

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----- Original Message ----- 
From: V Ramaswamy 
To: vector ; gopublic at mac.com ; archeritage at hotmail.com ; mohitbhattacharya at yahoo.com ; samar_bagchi at rediffmail.com 
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 1:58 PM
Subject: Calcutta planning


The Editor
The Telegraph
Calcutta


Dear Sir

Thank you for the report in The Telegraph of 14 March 2005, on the 3 new blueprints for the development of metropolitan Calcutta.

It is encouraging to know that this is happening, and that the the state govt. is seized of the need for strategic and long-term efforts for city improvement.

However, it was disturbing and disconcerting that the report did not mention anything about public participation in such long-term development planning. Especially when the projects are intended to make a major dent in the quality of life of the metropolis' citizens, and in particular  the poorer sections.

Public participation in planning, implementation and monitoring of development projects has been accorded much emphasis by agencies like the World Bank, United Nations, Asian Development Bank, DFID etc. This reflects the experience from projects across the world that success requires the active participation of grassroots organisations (representing beneficiary communities) and the civic wisdom, initiative and energy of the civil society.

There is a lot of valuable knowledge, action experience, civic and voluntary spirit in this metropolis, which can contribute significantly to and enrich city improvement planning. Lack of transparency and genuine involvement of the citizenry and people's organisations only breeds cynicism and suspicion that such planning enhances private and partisan - rather than transparently public - ends.

As the Chief Minister is engaged in a serious effort to promote all-round development of Calcutta and West Bengal, an open, transparent and participatory approach will go a long way in realising his goal of a better future for all. I hope a concerted effort will be made towards integrating public participation as a vital aspect of the Calcutta planning process.

Yours sincerely

V Ramaswamy


Sitara, B 299 Lake Gardens
Calcutta 700 045
Tel: 98300 69413
E-mail: hpp at vsnl.com

.................
The Telegraph, Calcutta

Monday, March 14, 2005

SHANKAR MUKHERJEE AND SUVRO ROY

Progress path with a vision

Bengal shining: three new blueprints, 20-year target 

The goal: Bengal at its best. The timeline: 20 years.

That is the task chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has assigned his men, who had till now turned their attention to traffic and transportation, water supply and sewerage and drainage and sanitation.

Three new blueprints - ensuring "balanced and integrated development" of the city and its surroundings - have been drawn up and are awaiting the approval of the Calcutta Metropolitan Planning Committee (CMPC) at its next meeting. 

Two other master plans - on environment and housing, including the areas of education, health and employment generation - are also being prepared, and will be placed before the CMPC if they are ready by the next session.

The roadmaps have been drafted by the CMDA on the basis of the perspective plan - Vision 2025 - formulated in 2000 to improve the quality of life in Calcutta and the suburbs, in the face of burgeoning population and vehicular traffic.

"These master plans will cover different categories of development work, including water supply, sanitation and sewerage, traffic and transportation, healthcare, education, employment generation, environment and housing," explained K.S. Rajendrakumar, urban development secretary. 

"They will be applicable to the entire Calcutta Metropolitan Area," he added. "All development agencies will have to follow these plans while implementing respective projects,'' said Rajendrakumar.

For instance, the traffic and transportation plan pinpoints the roads to be widened or extended, specifies areas where flyovers and new roads are to be built and indicates roads on which traffic has to be restricted. 

Similarly, specific schemes to build water treatment plants, reservoirs and underground pipelines have been identified.

Officials estimate that about Rs 1,000 crore will be needed every year to put the plans to action. The funds will be drawn from the budgetary allocations of departments like transport, urban development, environment and irrigation, Calcutta Municipal Corporation and the PWD. 

Additional funds will also be sought from the Centre and agencies like the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, besides countries like Italy, Germany and France.

This is not the first time the state government has attempted to inject order into its development path. 

The Basic Development Plan (BDP) was drawn up in 1966 with guidelines for development projects over the next two decades. 

Based on this, in 1967, master plans for traffic and transportation, water supply and drainage, sewerage and sanitation were drawn up.

The traffic and transportation master plan was meant to see the government through on the issue of traffic flow till 1986. It was upgraded during the tercentenary celebrations of the city in the 1990s. 

The other two plans were applicable till 2000.

The same year, the government felt that rising population and vehicular traffic called for a fresh perspective, which resulted in Vision 2025.

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