Government’s push to free land for Calcutta Green City – Telegraph India

The Bengal government has decided to expedite the Green City project in the Alipore area of Calcutta as the state has initiated moves to shift two prisons from the location and utilise the vacant plots for the scheme.

“The Alipore Central Correctional Home has already been shifted to Baruipur in South 24-Parganas. Initiative is on to relocate the Presidency Correctional Home to Baruipur and the Alipore Women’s Correctional Home to Howrah. The B.G. Press in Alipore spread across 23 bighas of land would also be relocated. If these establishments move out of the Alipore area, the state would have more than 150 acres of free land where the Green City project can come up,” said a senior government official.

According to sources, the state would not be able to use the entire 150 acres of land in the heart of the city as the Presidency and the Alipore prisons have some heritage structures which cannot be dismantled.

“Based on all these heritage structures, the Hidco would set up a museum — Independence Museum — and the remaining land could be used for the Green City project. The museum could be set up on 30 acres,” said a source.

Under the Green City project, the Bengal government plans to construct residential buildings.

The urban development department is the nodal agency for the development of the Green City mission in Bengal. The state government had planned the Green City scheme after it opted out of Centre’s Smart City project.

The focus of the Green City project is to create sufficient eco-space, sustainable groundwater recharge system and modern transport with low emissions.

“If the large stretch of Alipore could be converted into a Green City area, Calcutta would become more environment friendly,” said an official.

A section of officials has said setting up of the Green City might not be possible in the entire stretch that the state government is freeing up.

“A large stretch of the land is earmarked for refugee rehabilitation. So, it wouldn’t be easy to set up buildings and other infrastructure on that stretch. Right now, it is being assessed how much land is earmarked for refugee rehabilitation in the areas that would be freed up soon,” said a source.

The project is facing another unexpected roadblock. A section of Trinamul Congress leaders is not in favour of the project as it might cast a shadow on a number of slums in the areas near to the proposed Green City.

“Many of the slums were set up on government land. If the residents of the slums feel they would be affected by the project, it would hurt our electoral prospects. Leaders like Firhad Hakim have already requested chief minister Mamata Banerjee to go slow on the project,” said a Trinamul insider.

But sources in the administration said the government was firm on its stand and decided to expedite the project as none would be evicted because of the project.

“The project would come up on the land that would be made free by relocating several establishments. So, none would be affected by the project,” said an official.

The state government is trying to speed up the project as it could bring a handsome amount to the struggling state exchequer, the sources said.