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The plan: two power-driven modern
facilities. The estimate: Rs 600 crore. The target: Japanese funds. The approval:
awaited. In anticipation of the emergence of a Japanese
hub in Haldia, city planners are yearning for the yen to implement two major transport
projects. In three presentations over the past two months — to Honda, Mitsubishi
and a few other prominent Japanese corporates — the Bengal government has unveiled
ambitious plans for a light rail transit (LRT) system on a 16-km stretch from
Esplanade to Joka, at an estimated cost of Rs 450 crore. The annual maintenance
cost will be Rs 100 crore. “We are now waiting
for the Japanese to respond to the funding proposal. The projects, once commissioned,
will alter the profile of a large section of the city. We are very keen to implement
them,” said Prashant, joint secretary (transport). The
LRT and modern trams and trolley buses (see box) are geared towards making
Calcutta “more attractive to tourists and business travellers”, besides providing
pollution-free vehicular options. The Japan Bank
for International Cooperation (JBIC) is already funding a string of flyover projects
in the city. Officials said Japanese investors are also expected to fund construction
of roads in South 24-Parganas and a bridge between Raichak and Kukrahati. The
December presentations were followed up by a meeting last month, at which it was
decided that the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC) would
take up the two projects with prospective Japanese investors, said Atri Bhattacharya,
executive director of the Corporation. Chief traffic
and transportation engineer B.K. Sadhu said the Esplanade-Joka route had been
chosen for the LRT in view of the anticipated increase in activities along Diamond
Harbour Road, Kulpi, Kakdwip and Raichak, in South 24-Parganas. The LRT is in
use in Holland, Germany, France and other European countries, they added. “A
port is coming up at Kulpi, a special economic zone is lined up for Kakdwip and
Japanese investors are funding a bridge on the Hooghly from Raichak to Kukrahati,
which will bring the industrial hub of Haldia nearer to Calcutta. The LRT project
will serve the future growth of passenger traffic in that area,” explained Sadhu. The
anticipated Japanese hub at Haldia is likely to be accessible through a long land
route from Esplanade to Raichak, via Taratala and Thakurpukur. | 
