Local MLA Sabyasachi Dutta addresses the gathering at Rabindra Tirtha. Picture by Mayukh Sengupta

The biggest problem faced by New Town residents seems to be the lack of buses plying in their area. This is what surfaced at an open-to-all citizens’ meet held at Rabindra Tirtha on Poila Baisakh.

The interactive meet was presided over by representatives of Newt Town’s administrators West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco), Newtown Kolkata Development Authority (NKDA), district magistrate, North 24-Parganas, Sanjay Bansal and MLA Sabyasachi Dutta.

“Lack of transport is our main problem,” said Abhrangshu Sengupta of Action Area 3. “We need buses to take us to South Calcutta and Dharmatala.” He was seconded by almost every speaker after him. Debabrata Bandopadhyay of Action Area 1 pointed out that most existing buses ply on the Major Arterial Road (MAR) and that those living in the interiors are inconvenienced. Sandip Raha of Utsa Luxury apartments suggested that if not new buses, routes coming up to Sector V could be extended to New Town.

Road safety was also brought up. Residents said it was difficult to cross the MAR and asked for underpasses or overhead bridges. They also asked for speed checks and for manning of the traffic lights for longer hours. “I had written to the Bidhannagar police commissionerate on their Facebook page asking for traffic lights to be on all night but they said nowhere in Calcutta are they manned after 10pm. I think since the BPOs of New Town have vehicles plying all night an exception should be made for this township,” said Debarati Roy Ganguly of Action Area 3.

Despite the complaints, residents acknowledged that living conditions have improved greatly in the past year. “When I moved here three-and-a-half years ago there was not a single bus and we were dependent on autos, which would ply if and where the drivers liked,” said Manas Sen of Greenwood Sonata complex. But he requested the authorities to look into the matter of water shortage and its purity. “Small worms have been coming out of the taps in our area,” he said.

There were also requests for health centres and polyclinics. The lone post office of the area was too far for most to reach and they asked for more letterboxes. “The housings here have gyms, swimming pools and community halls. But those of us living outside housings do not have any entertainment facilities. I request the authorities to build community halls for us like there are in Salt Lake where we can spend our evenings with neighbours and hold functions,” said Bandopadhyay.

Hearing them out, Bansal observed that a new township like this was bound to have unique problems and pledged to work on them. On the problem of buses, Dutta said: “We have talked to authorities about introducing buses to Dharmatala but there is no space in the area to park the vehicles. Also, a new bus had been started from Tata Medical Center but it is about to wind up services now due to the lack of a steady stream of passengers.”

Debasish Sen, chairman cum managing director of Hidco and chairman of NKDA said that this was the second such citizens meet in the township. “It is an opportunity for us to hear the problems of the citizens and work on them. We shall make this an annual event in New Town’s calendar.”

The meet was followed by cultural programmes by residents.