The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) will develop Baruipur as the district headquarters of South 24-Parganas. The chief minister will lay the foundation stone of the project on Wednesday.

The state government has allotted Rs 300 crore for the project, planned over 500 acres, said an official.

“We will initially take up land and infrastructure development. The work is expected to start in April and is scheduled to be completed by 2010. In the first phase, Rs 65 crore will be needed,” said P.R. Baviskar, the chief executive officer of the CMDA.

According to him, road, drain, power and water network will be built under the project. “We will take technical advice from Bengal Urban Infrastructure Development Pvt Ltd and carry out the work ourselves.”

The CPM legislator from Baruipur, Rahul Ghosh, said that besides the offices of district officials and their residential quarters, a number of institutions would be built in Baruipur under the project.

“We have plans to build the National Institute of Pharmacy and a national-level institution to study mangroves. It is these trees that saved us from the tsunami,” he added.

The development plan includes a road measuring about 17 km from the Kamalgazi crossing to Baruipur.

“It will have four lanes and Rs 53 crore has been allotted for it. The road will improve access to the city proper and the airport through EM Bypass. We also want to build a satellite township with various amenities. A terminus for both local and long-distance buses will be built,” stated the MLA.

A cultural centre and a hospital with modern facilities are also on the drawing board.

The experience of the CMDA employees will come in handy in executing the project, said P.B. Nag, the general secretary of the Development Joint Action Committee of the CMDA.