Dripping roofs, dingy lanes and water standing for days in flooded streets will not hamper the creativity of artisans at Kumartuli any longer.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee?s government has prepared a blueprint for a complete makeover of this traditional hub of idol-making in the city.
Three hundred-odd artisans earning daily bread for 500 families by making idols throughout the year will benefit from the scheme.
Urban development minister Asok Bhattacharya on Tuesday unveiled the plan at Writers? Buildings, saying he had held a discussion on the project with Union urban employment and poverty alleviation minister Kumari Selja during his visit to Delhi last week. ?Our chief minister wanted such a project to be worked out. Accordingly, Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) was given the responsibility to prepare a detailed project report,? the minister said.
The state government has now placed the detailed project report on the overall improvement of Kumartuli before Kumari Selja, Bhattacharya said. ?The Union minister has in principal given her nod to it,? he added.
The five-acre area of Kumartuli will have better living and working conditions for artisans. Beautification, infrastructure development, toilets, night shelters and more will be provided under the scheme. The CMDA, which has prepared the Rs 24-crore project report, will be the implementing authority.
?The artisans now live in dilapidated houses and there is a lack of proper infrastructure. A thorough repair and improvement of living conditions are required. The focus will be on cleanliness. It is one of the main attractions of the city, and the place deserves to be improved,? minister Bhattacharya stated.
There will be new roads, water supply connections, street lights and better houses. The houses will be low-cost clusters. This part of the cost will be raised by the CMDA from beneficiaries.
During the meeting with Kumari Selja last week, the state minister discussed the importance of an overall improvement in the living and working conditions of artisans. Selja said the project will be treated by the Centre as a ?social sector? project, and some funds will be allotted as a ?social sector grant?.
