Kolkata’s 10th Waste Compactor Station comes up at Camac Street

On January 28, 2015 Janab Firad Hakim, Hon’ble MIC, Municipal Affairs & Urban Development Departments, Government of West Bengal inaugurated Kolkata’s 10^th Modern, Scientific, Waste Compactor Station at Camac Street, in Ward 63 under Borough VII. The Project is another step to realise Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee’s dream of a ‘green, clean, VAT-free Kolkata’.

 

Shri Sovan Chatterjee, Hon’ble Mayor, Kolkata graced the occasion as the Chief Guest in the august presence of Shri Subrata Bakshi, Hon’ble MP, Lok Sabha; and Shri Satchidananda Banerjee, Hon’ble Chairman, KMC. The Programme was presided over Shri Debobrato Mazumder, Hon’ble MMIC, SWM, KMC.

Hon’ble Mayor Inaugurates KMC’s Pavilion at the 39th International Kolkata Book Fair

On January 27, 2015 Shri Sovan Chatterjee, Hon’ble Mayor, Kolkata, inaugurated the Kolkata Corporation’s pavilion at 39^th International Kolkata Book Fair that is being held at Milan Mela, Kolkata. Shri Chatterjee also released a booklet that has been specially compiled to portray KMC’s recent initiatives and future plans.

 

Janab Firad Hakim, Hon’ble MIC, Municipal Affairs & Urban Development Departments, Government of West Bengal graced the opening ceremony along with Mohtarma Farzana Alam, Hon'ble Deputy Mayor and many other eminent personalities.

Netaji & The Corporation Connection

Today, January 23, 2015 as we celebrate along with the world the 119^th birthday of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, it is truly an honour for us to remember the great leader — simply because of his ‘Corporation Connection’. Here are a few less-known facts — some fascinating others intriguing — about Netaji and The Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

• After the Calcutta Municipal Act of 1923 came into being, Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das became the first elected Mayor of Kolkata and Subhas Chandra Bose the first Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation
• Netaji accepted half his salary as the CEO of the Corporation and donated the rest for charity
• It was at the behest of Subhas Chandra Bose, CEO, Calcutta Municipal Corporation that Khadi clothes became the official dress code of the municipal employees
• After Jatin Das’ death in the Lahore prison following a hunger strike, Bose, then CEO sent Rupees 600 on behalf of the citizens of Calcutta to his family who was seen as a martyr for the nation
• On August 22, 1930 at the age of 33, Netaji became the youngest Mayor in the history of the Corporation
• In 1930 a certain Durgacharan Bandyopadhyay, an alderman of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation was elected as the president of Baghbazar Sarbojanin Puja Committee. He wanted to organise an exhibition (that had started in 1929) in a bigger format on the consequences of independence movement and Swadeshi concepts at Baghbazar. This place was formerly known as “Metal Yard” and used to be the storage of the Corporation — Bandyopadhyay requested Netaji the then Mayor for the plot — Netaji approved his request and agreed for a historical joint exhibition with the participation of Corporation. Baghbazar Sarbojanin continues to celebrate Durga Puja on that very plot even today
• On January 26, 1931 Subhas Chandra Bose, the then Mayor of Calcutta, was seriously assaulted in broad daylight by the Police near the Ochterlony Monument (at present Shahid Minar) for leading a procession in connection with the celebrations of the Indian Independence Day (as per the All India Congress Committee’s January 2, 1930 Resolution). Later he was arrested and taken to Lalbazar. He was compelled to stay in the lock-up without food and medical aid for the night
• In 1931, Netaji was defeated at the Mayoral Election by his younger compatriot Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy
• On June 23, 1938 Bose resigned the leadership of the Municipal Group in the Calcutta Municipal Corporation 
• On July 19, 1938 Subhas Chandra Bose applied to the Corporation for a 99 years lease for the plot of land at 166 Chittaranjan Avenue. On August 24, 1938 the Corporation leased out the same plot of land to Bose (for Mahajati Sadan)

Hon’ble Mayor inaugurates Flower Show at Chaplin Park

On January 19, 2015 Shri Sovan Chatterjee, Hon'ble Mayor, Kolkata inaugurated a Flower Show that will be open till January 21, 2015 at Chaplin Park in the presence of Shri Satchidananda Banerjee, Hon’ble Chairman, KMC; Mohtarma Farzana Alam, Deputy Mayor, Kolkata; Smt Nayna Das, Hon’ble MLA, West Bengal Bidhan Sabha, Shri Swarna Kamal Saha, Hon’ble MLA, West Bengal Bidha Sabha; Smt Indrani Saha Banerjee, Hon’ble MMIC, Social Welfare Department, KMC; Smt Mitali Banerjee, Hon’ble MMIC, Education Department, KMC; and other eminent personalities. The Inaugural Programme was presided over by Shri Debasish Kumar, Hon’ble MMIC, Parks & Squares, Gardens, Sports & Advertisement Departments of KMC.

Lok Adalat January 2015 held at the KMC Headquarters

On January 17, 2015 a Lok Adalat was held at the Council Chamber of The Kolkata Municipal Corporation Main Building. The Lok Adalat was presided over by Shri Anandamoy Dutta, District Judge (Retired); Shri Ambarnath Banerjee, Advocate, Calcutta High Court; and Smt Sutapa Chakraborty, Social Activist. Amongst the total number of 34 Public Litigation cases placed, 29 were disposed off and 5 deferred. In 30 cases, both sides were present for the hearing.

Chief Minister Inaugurates Nimtala Ghat Project

On January 14, 2015 Mamata Banerjee, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of West Bengal inaugurated a new Burning Ghat with eight electric furnaces at Nimtala with the promise of making funeral less complicated and time-efficient. The new Ghat has come up beside the existing one and will be operational from January 15, 2015. A police outpost has been built in front of the new crematorium.

With the inauguration of the new crematorium, Nimtala Burning Ghat becomes the largest in Kolkata. As part of the Nimtala Project, the KMC has renovated the Rabindranath Tagore memorial. The poet was cremated at the Nimtala Ghat in 1941. Cremation at the Nimtala Ghat started as early as 1827. The construction of the new crematorium and the renovation of the Tagore Memorial cost INR 25 crore.

On this occasion, KMC handed over the maintenance of Shri Shri Ramakrishna Mahasmashan at Cossipore to the Ramakrishna Mission. Shri Ramakrishna was cremated at the Cossipore Ghat.

 

Sources at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) said the existing Burning Ghat at Nimtala had four electric furnaces, of which three are operational and one is kept on standby. A bereaved family often had to wait for hours — as long as four hours at times — for cremation.

“In summer, between 35 and 40 bodies are brought daily on average. During winter, the count varies between 70 and 80,” said Atin Ghosh, the Mayoral Council Member-in-Charge of Burning Ghats. The authorities hope the eight new furnaces would reduce the waiting period.

 

The new crematorium has a waiting area for the bereaved, toilets for men and women and a Ghat on the Hooghly for family members to perform rituals. Of the four wooden furnaces at the old burning Ghat, two have been modernised and the other two will be upgraded soon.

“The modernisation has halved the cremation time — from four to two hours. The smoke from cremation is treated before being released in the air much above the ground,” said a civic official.

KMC celebrates 153rd Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

KMC paid homage to Swami Vivekananda on his 153rd Birth Anniversary at the Vivekananda Kanan, Parnashri, Behala.  On Jan 12, 2015 Hon’ble Councillor of Ward 132 Smt Sanchita Mitra in the presence of KMC officials and other distinguished guests offered floral tribute to the savant.

The City gets New Parks

On January 5, 2015 Shri Manish Gupta, Hon'ble MIC, Power & Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Government of West Bengal, inaugurated the Bypass Park; Bhaskar Sangha Park; Suchetanagar Park; KK Datta Memorial Park; and 1 Jadavgarh Park at the Haltu Community Hall.

Shri Debasis Kumar, Hon’ble MMIC (Parks & Squares, Gardens, Sports & Advertisement); Shri Debobrato Mazumder, Hon’ble MMIC (SWM); Shri Susanta Kumar Ghosh, MMIC (Roads); and Shri Tarun Mondal, Councillor, Ward 105 graced the occasion as distinguished guests.

Ninth Compactor Station comes up at Bhukailash

On January 5, 2015 Shri Sovan Chatterjee, Hon'ble Mayor of Kolkata inaugurated the ninth modern environment-friendly Compactor Station at Bhukailash (Kantapukur More). The Station has come up under KMC’s decision to make Kolkata… a ‘VAT-free city’. Under the Scheme, at least 40 Compactor Stations, a considerable number of Movable Compactors and thousands of Bins will be installed.

The Programme was graced by Shri Subrata Bakshi, Ho’ble MP, Lok Sabha; Janab Firhad Hakim, Hon'ble MIC, Municipal Affairs and Urban Development, Government of West Bengal; Shri Deborato Mazumder, Hon’ble MMIC (SWM), KMC; Shri Anil Mukerjee, Hon’ble Chairman, Borough IX; Shri Rampiary Ram, Hon’ble Councillor, Ward 79, Janab Nezamuddin Shams, Councillor, Ward 77 amongst other dignitaries.