সোনারপুর ফ্লাইওভার চালু হওয়ায় নতুন চেহারা নিয়েছে সোনারপুর মোড়

Boomtown shifts to southern fringes

TNN, Dec 16, 2004, 02.14am IST

KOLKATA: After Rajarhat and Dankuni, it is the turn of the Garia-Sonarpur-Baruipur belt to get a modern township.

"There are a number of projects lined up to develop the Garia-Sonarpur-Baruipur belt. We plan to change the look of the area. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority has also been asked to work out a proposal to improve amenities here," Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said on Wednesday.

The chief minister insisted that the greenery the area is famous for, will not be destroyed for the sake of development.

He recounted that "the owner of a garden in Sonarpur had requested me to allow him to sell off his plot to promoters. We will never allow these things. If required, the state government will take charge of the greenery to maintain them".

Bhattacharjee reminded that in case of flyover projects over railway property, the railways would have to bear half the funds.

"For the Sonarpur flyover we spent Rs. 10.33 crore while the railways provided a paltry Rs. 1.18 crore. They don't own responsibility for the approach roads. This cannot be accepted. They have to bear 50 per cent of the costs, " he said adding that he has written to the railway minister Laloo Prasad Yadav regarding this anomaly. " If necessary I will speak to him personally about the matter," Bhattacharjee said.

The state government will start to widen the roads in the area very soon.

He was talking during the inauguration of a flyover at Sonarpur. Bhattacharjee added that the state government was hopeful in optimistic about developing the area in a big way. He cited the proposed health city in Sonarpur as one of the key projects. "Once the projects come up, the area will need better civic infrastructure. The process will start once the district headquarters shifts from Alipore to Baruipur," Bhattacharjee said.