Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee inaugurates the Calcutta Riverside project in February 2006. A Telegraph picture

Land and land reforms minister Abdur Rezzak Mollah has asked the company developing the Batanagar township to furnish details on the steps being taken to create public utility infrastructure for the riverfront project.

He said on Thursday he had received reports that Riverbank Holdings Pvt Ltd, the developer of Calcutta Riverside, was “not doing much in this regard”.

Mollah, once bitten by the Vedic Village controversy and perhaps twice shy of large private enterprises, said: “I have written to the company asking for details of the work they are doing to create public utility infrastructure in their 262-acre project.”

Riverbank Holdings, a joint-venture company formed by Calcutta Metropolitan Group (Hiland Group) and Bata India Ltd, had pledged to create and develop roads, transportation facilities, educational institutions, a hospital, green spaces and sports facilities, amenities on the riverfront and other infrastructure for the township and the adjoining Mahestala area.

“The company was supposed to construct roads, a hospital and a school on 89 acres as part of the township project. But we have got reports that they are not doing much in this regard. That is why I have sought information from the company,” Mollah said.

According to earlier discussions between Riverbank Holdings and the government, the company was supposed to build the road to the township. The government had planned to lay a 7km elevated road between Jinjira More and Batanagar with funds from the developers of the Batanagar project. The road, a toll way, would be built on a build-operate-transfer basis. The developer would collect a toll for a certain period to realise costs and then hand it over to the government.

A representative for Riverbank Holdings said on Thursday that the company had not received Mollah’s missive yet. “We will abide by all our obligations in full as listed under the government order dated April 6, 2006. We have till 2013 to execute the project and work is in progress,” said Sumit Dabriwal, the managing director of Riverbank Holdings.

An official of the company said steps were being taken to fulfil the promises made to the government. “A comprehensive development plan to upgrade the overall infrastructure for Mahestala area has been prepared by urban planning institute CEPT University, Ahmedabad,” he said.

The developers said they were in talks with global healthcare major Elbit Ltd of Israel to build a multi-speciality hospital near Nangi station. For setting up a school of international standard, talks are on with the Educomp Group. Education group Amity International has been contacted for setting up a college with undergraduate and postgraduate facilities, the official said.