Janurary

The IIT Kharagpur Research Park in New Town inaugurated an open-to-all biophilic studio in its lobby, on January 16. Equipped to record videos and podcasts, it emphasises interviewing its alumni to share their journey and inspire other IIT aspirants. The studio, which is built like a garden in a bid to promote greenery, is developed by KarmYog for 21st Century, an initiative founded by Sourabh J. Sarkar, an IIT alumnus who now lives at Uniworld City.

An order was issued by the state personnel and administrative reforms department, dated January 30, appointing Mohd. Abdul Shahid as the chief executive officer of Newtown Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA). He took over from Prasanta Kumar Barai, who had been in charge of NKDA since 2022. Shahid, originally from Telengana, is the first IAS officer to be appointed to the post and before this, he was the additional district magistrate of Darjeeling.

A pickleball court is inaugurated at Residency Apartments in City Centre by councillor Tulsi Sinha Roy on Republic Day. Pickleball is a sport developed in the US in 1965 and has been gaining traction over the years. It shares similarities with badminton and tennis. The new court is free for residents but is open to their guests too, at a fee.

February

A 14-year-old girl is raped and killed by the driver of the e-rickshaw she took, in New Town. The girl had left her house at 11.30pm on February 7 after being scolded by her mother for fighting with her sister. She hopped into Soumitra Roy’s vehicle in Baguiati, and he drove her around the township before committing the crime in a deserted area around Loha Pool, close to Balaka Abasan. Roy was traced using CCTVs, arrested and made to confess to his crime.

Following the incident, over 100 cameras were installed at strategic areas across Salt Lake, New Town, Baguiati and Lake Town.

FE Block residents are shown the feed from two temporarily installed cameras at the community centre on February 2, Saraswati puja. This paves the way for CCTVs to be installed in the block’s lanes. The project will be undertaken in phases based on the funds raised. About 30 per cent of the work is done so far. The feed can be accessed real time on anyone’s phone if they punch in the password.

A bus route connecting Hatishala to Kolkata station was launched on February 15. Transport minister Snehashish Chakraborty inaugurated the route at Hatishala, near the Infosys office, and the route began with 12 buses, although it has a sanctioned strength of 24 buses. The route connects New Town and Rajarhat to RG Kar Hospital, and two railway stations — Kolkata and Bidhannagar Road.

… A 48-year-old man died on February 17 when a fire broke out in his DA Block home. Debarshi Ganguly’s wife and five-year-old daughter managed to escape but he succumbed. The fire tenders arrived after some 40 minutes, as residents were calling 101 instead of the direct number of the Sector V station (2357-5293), and then the officers heard the address wrong.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone for Narayana Health City, a 1,100-bed multi-speciality hospital in New Town in the Financial Hub in the central business district on February 20. Once ready, this will be the largest private hospital in eastern India and is expected to create nearly 10,000 jobs directly and indirectly. Also present was doctor-entrepreneur Devi Shetty, the founder-chairman of Narayana Health. The first phase of the work, with 500 beds, is expected to be completed in 24 months; the second phase, with 600 more beds, in 30 months.

The chief minister on February 20 inaugurated Rupanna, an exhibition centre adjacent to Biswa Bangla Convention Centre and also Banglar Haat, attached to the latter. Banglar Haat has six permanent stalls along the facade of the centre, selling handloom and handicraft products of the state. Different districts are allowed to exhibit their products on a rotational basis every fortnight.

After years of neglect, repair of Salt Lake’s roads started in March. The state urban development department released Rs 25 crore for it and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation and the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority were assigned stretches for the repairs. Some roads are in better shape now, but repairs are still on even months later.

Dwaipayan Bhattacharjee, 50-year-old senior manager in an Indo-American IT company, committed suicide by jumping off the sixth floor of his office building, at Candor Techspace in New Town. Bhattacharjee, a resident of south Calcutta, was battling depression.

To tackle the parking problem in Salt Lake, Bidhannagar Police started fining all cars parked on the main roads – be it a resident’s, visitor’s or shopper’s. The drive began from around March 10 and prosecuted thousands of car owners, but was eventually discontinued after widespread protests from drivers who could not find any other place to park.

Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation laid down a standard operating procedure for dog lovers to feed street dogs. There were pointers like feeding them by 7am and again within 7pm to 9pm, ensuring others are not inconvenienced, only offering food that is healthy for them and maintaining cleanliness.

On March 13, the civic body commissioner issued a memo mentioning a High Court order from November 6, 2024, which had been sent to them by the urban development department regarding the issue, and sought response from councillors. The SOP wasn’t enforced too strictly and residents continue to feed dogs as they please.

… Three Salt Lake residents filed a public interest litigation on March 19 asking for Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation to be spilt. They wanted Salt Lake to once again have a civic body entirely to itself, for better governance. The petitioners – symbolically from the three sectors - did so on behalf of Bidhannagar Residents Forum, a GD Block-based social group, that was formed last year. The petitioners include Ashes Mukherjee, former councillor of the erstwhile Bidhannagar Municipality.

April

A school, Hariyana International Academy, is inaugurated on April 13 near Rajarhat Chowmatha. The CBSE affiliated school is run by a board of trustees and begins with classes till Class VII.

… A building on the premises of Bidyadhari School is razed, wiping out the last and only structure in the area that predated the landfill of Salt Lake. The razed structure was a school cum office of the fisheries cooperative that used to be run from here.

… Siddha Town Rajarhat started chess classes on its premises on April 20. Classes are being conducted twice a week by trained coaches from the Dhanuka Dhunseri Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy and are open to residents as well as outsiders.

… Sacked schoolteachers and non-teaching staff began sitting outside Acharya Sadan, the School Service Commission office near Karunamoyee, from April 21. Their protests continue for weeks around the area, demanding that the commission release the list segregating the tainted and untainted candidates in the cash-for-jobs scam. Traffic is thrown out of gear, creating road blocks, diversions, and commuter harassment.

… The EE Block community hall got an elevator installed inside, making it one of the first community halls in the township with the facility. Inaugurated on April 18, the lift now serves three floors. It was built at a cost of about Rs 10.5 lakh, funded partly funded by MLA Sujit Bose, subscription from residents, and through a loan.

… Mayor Krishna Chakraborty organised a Jagannath puja in a corner of CJ Park on April 30. The puja was held on the same day when chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the new Jagannath temple in Digha.

May

… A speeding electric rickshaw ran over BL Block resident Shikha Dutta, as she was walking her dog outside her home on the night of May 1. The 72-year-old and her dog, a Spitz, died. The rickshaw driver was never caught despite CCTVs, due to poor lighting, high speed and the fact that these vehicles do not have licence plates.

… On May 14, the CM announced plans to develop a 25 acre facility adept at hosting international-level cultural events. Named Biswa Angan in Bengali and IITEC in English, (International Information, Technology, Entertainment, and Culture), the facility is coming up in New Town. It hopes to tap into the “concert economy”, and is being developed under a public-private-partnership model with the Hidco.

… A speed limit of 25km per hour is set for e-rickshaws, by Bidhannagar Commissionerate on May 19. The vehicles are otherwise cabaple of reaching upwards of 40km per hour.

The limit is imposed in the aftermath of the fatal accident in BL Block, when a speeding e-rickshaw hit, and eventually killed the elderly lady, Sikha Dutta.

June

… In a first for Salt Lake, the roads around CA Market got built partially using plastic. Helmed by local councillor Rajesh Chirimar, the project saw around 13,700sq m of road use this technology. Also, they used plastic chips cut out from recycled waste collected in the ward over the past year. Anita Mondal, mayor-in-council in charge of roads, announced that the project was a pilot and if successful, the model might be replicated elsewhere in the township.

… A statue of Raja Ram Mohan Roy was unveiled on June 15 in AA Block. The full-length statue was installed in a newly developed patch of greenery – of 3,200sq ft area – that is a corner exclusively for the elderly. Minister and MLA Sujit Bose inaugurated the park and statue. The park and statue are arranged for by a private body, along with the corporation and block association.

July

… Salt Lake got its first auction house when Relics opened in FE Block on July 13 with an inaugural auction. On non-auction days, the address functions as a vintage store. The space has been set up on the ground floor of the founder Shahid Wasim Ahmed’s home, and he started this store to encourage the younger generation to appreciate vintage items.

… In what was perhaps a first for Salt Lake, a mortuary freezer was inaugurated at DB community hall on July 13, and became available free of cost for residents of Ward 39. Also known as dead body freezer, this is a portable refrigeration unit to preserve deceased human bodies, before they are cremated or buried. The freezer was sponsored by Inner Wheel Club of Calcutta Metro Maidan and Inner Wheel Club District 329 and gifted to the Siddhartha Shankar Ray Foundation, whose founder secretary is the local councillor Rajesh Chirimar. The freezer is available to residents of ward 39, comprising blocks DA, DB, BA, CA, CB, EA (Vidyasagar Niketan), and a portion of Duttabad.

… An 18-year-old boy died after falling sick at Nicco Park on July 16. Rahul Das, a resident of Ultadanga, was at the Niagara Falls section in the amusement park with his friends when he fell sick. Das was rushed to the hospital but was declared “brought dead.” His family later complained that the park lacked emergency medical services.

… Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated two housing projects for the underprivileged on July 17. The projects are named Nijanna and Sujanna, by Banerjee, and come up in Action Area 2C over seven acres of land. They have more than 1,200 flats, the first with one bedroom and a kitchen (1BHK), priced Rs 6 lakh, and the other 2BHK, priced Rs 32 lakh. Online applications are being accepted from December 24 and will continue till January 30, 2026.

… The chief minister inaugurated a multi-level car parking facility, Susampanno, next to Biswa Bangla Convention Centre on July 17. The facility, built over two acres at a cost of ₹141 crore, has eight levels and can accommodate over 1,512 vehicles. The authorities soon mark as no-parking zones the street between Hidco Bhavan and the Biswa Bangla exhibition centre, as a no-parking zone to encourage visitors the area to use the new facility.

… On July 17, the chief minister opened an entertainment park, Taranyo, adjacent to Eco Urban Village. The park overlooks a big waterbody and has a 150m walking trail surrounding a grassy patch in the centre of which is a play area for children. The park has swings, see-saws, a stage, a cafeteria, a toilet complex and entry is free.

… A 58-year-old woman from CG Block suffered head injury, dislocated jaw and broken teeth after an altercation with her auto driver turns violent on July 21. Bratati Mukherjee had offered the driver, Tapas Das, a Rs 10 note that was slightly torn. He refused to accept it, an argument ensued and he finally grabbed the strap of her bag with one hand and sped off, dragging her for 20m. The lady pressed charges and the diver was arrested.

… Chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced the construction of Durga Angan — a courtyard dedicated to the goddess, similar to the Jagannath temple opened this year in Digha. The announcement is made during her Shaheed Diwas event on July 21 event and it is later revealed that the temple-like complex would come up in New Town, near Eco Park, at an estimated cost of around Rs 262 crore. The foundation stone-laying ceremony is slated for December 29.

August

… A 22-year-old food deliver man was killed in an accident near the Tank 8 Island bridge that connects Salt Lake to Kestopur. Two cars had collided on the bridge and one of them, that was moving at a high speed veered off, hit a lamp post and footpath railing, hit Soumen Mandal’s two-wheeler and caught fire. Mandal got trapped in the railing and was burnt in the blaze. The incident took place on August 13.

… Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sealdah-Esplanade section of East-West Metro on August 22. This was the last remaining leg of the green line and now commuters can travel directly from Sector V to Howrah Maidan on it. The service sees massive users, especially during rush hours, and the influx impacts the auto, bus and app cab and bike services around Wipro station.

… On the night of August 27, the Shree Bal Hanuman Mandir in Lake Town was robbed of gold and silver ornaments, and the deity’s crown, valued at around Rs 1.5 crore. The crime was captured on CCTV and the thieves were arrested.

… Tower 8 of Elita Garden Vista in New Town was declared illegal by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which on August 29 ordered the demolition of the 26-storey tower comprising 160 flats. The case stemmed from a 2018 writ petition filed by residents of the original 15 towers, pointing to the 2007 sanctioned plan under which developer Keppel Magus was approved to build only 15 towers. But the project changed hands in 2014, and the new promoter obtained a revised NKDA sanction to build an additional tower on open space, prompting them to approach the court. The case has now reached the Supreme Court and the next hearing is in January.

September

… Bansuri Kundu Pal, a 39-year-old headed to her New Town office, was mowed down by a speeding air-conditioned electric bus on September 3. Kundu Pal was on her scooty, making a U-turn near Biswa Bangla Gate, when the accidentoccurred. Police later arrested the driver.

… The Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) got a new chairperson in Chandrima Bhattacharya by an order from Nabanna dated September 9. Bhattacharya was already handling several portfolios, being the minister of state for finance, environment, health and family welfare, land and land reforms and refugee rehabilitation.

… A police constable on night duty near Eco Park died on September 21 after being hit by a motorbike that was being driven by a 16-year-old boy without licence. The bike was travelling towards City Centre 2 and hit Jyotish Debnath, 40, as he was standing with his cycle near Eco Park gate 2.

October

… Rupashi Jana, a 15-year-old girl from the ESI housing complex in Sector III, died of dengue on October 5. Clean-up drives, medical camps and awareness camps are conducted at the complex following the death.

… A foot overbridge was opened on October 6 linking the Sector V Metro station to the IT hub, promising a safe and convenient way to cross the busy road below, which experiences heavy traffic, including high-speed vehicles heading to and from New Town. The bridge will eventually link the Metro’s green line, that is now functional, to the orange one (Airport-New Garia) once it opens.

… The New Town Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA) got a new chairman in Sovon Chatterjee on October 17. A former minister and mayor of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, Chatterjee had no official responsibilities immediately before this, having been distanced from the ruling party.

… Former Trinamul councillor of the Duttabad area, Nirmal Dutta, had a close shave on October 20, when a gunman attempted to open fire but his weapon failed. The assailant instead struck the leader with the butt of his pistol and fled. The incident took place outside the ward office while Dutta was entering it. Dutta’s wife Alo is the current councillor of the ward. Some arrests are made following the incident.

… A 60-year-old dog feeder, Gautam Pramanik, was assaulted outside his employer’s house in FC Block on October 11. The three attackers were fellow employees at the same house. Pramanik’s son alleged the assault stemmed from a dispute over misappropriation of funds meant for feeding stray dogs, that Pramanik had protested against. The man suffered a brain haemorrhage and died on October 20.

… Rajarshi Mitra is appointed the new managing director of Hidco according to an order dated October 24, replacing Shashank Sethi, who becomes the district magistrate of North 24-Parganas. Mitra was earlier the district magistrate of Murshidabad.

… Duttabad resident Swapan Kamilya gets kidnapped on October 28, from his gold shop in the area, and is found dead in New Town the next day. The 45-year-old’s body was found with injury marks in a ditch in Jatragachhi. Investigation implicates those like Rajganj Block Development Officer Prasanta Burman, and the murder is said to be linked to a dispute over stolen gold jewellery allegedly sold to Kamilya.

November

… Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Hockey Stadium was inaugurated virtually in course of the Kolkata International Film Festival opening on November 6. The astroturf stadium is opposite St. Francis Xavier School and kicked off by hosting the 126th edition of the world’s oldest hockey tournament, Beighton Cup. It has a playing area of 91ft by 55ft with a running area all around of 10ft width. It is built at a cost of Rs 20.5 crore.

… UKSC (United Kolkata Sports Club) Academy, an initiative of the Techno India Group, began grassroots-level football training at Pradip Kumar Banerjee Krirangan, the flood-lit ground in GD Block on November 29. This is the ground overlooked by the late football icon’s PK Banerjee’s house. The academy is open to students aged between four and 18, and runs three batches on weekdays, from 4pm to 5pm and in the weekends, from 7am to 8.30am.

December

… Lionel Messi’s much-awaited visit on December 13 descended into chaos when the Argentine footballer appeared at Salt Lake Stadium for only about 20 minutes and left early, unhappy with being repeatedly touched by attendees, including sports minister Aroop Biswas. Angry fans, who had paid good money for tickets, vandalised the stadium, prompting a public apology from the chief minister.

… A massive fire broke out in Ghuni village near Eco Park on December 17. At least 20 fire tenders doused the flames and no one was injured.