Budget outlines upgrade plans for dist towns, gets Bengal Inc thumbs-up

Kolkata: State finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, while presenting the vote-on-account budget on Thursday, lined out the modernisation of Howrah, Diamond Harbour, Burdwan, Durgapur, Bolpur, Krishnagore, Barasat, Raiganj, Siliguri, Berhampore, Malda, Kalyani, Serampore, Andal, Bankura, Purulia, Digha, Midnapore, Jhargram, the NKDA area, Gangarampur, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Alipurduar and Darjeeling.Later, CM Mamata Banerjee said consultants will be appointed to survey all towns, and a committee will be formed to explore how the project can be taken up without adversely affecting the existing inhabitants.
The urban regeneration proposal found currency with real estate developers and business leaders who feel the project, if properly implemented, can attract huge investment for the development of planned urban townships across the state. Town planners said displacement can be avoided by creating mini-satellite townships with proper master plan."A proper land use masterplan is needed based on which cities and townships could be further modernised," said former KMDA chief engineer Bhaskar Sengupta.For real estate developers, the proposal held a promise of opportunities. "This is a massive adrenaline shot for the state's skyline. It is not patchwork development; it is a full-blown land-value explosion. Modernising several cities at once is a massive unlock for the realty market from Siliguri to Digha. It's a construction spree that puts the whole state on the development map," said Jain Group MD Rishi Jain.Purti Realty MD Mahesh Agarwal said the budget displayed the govt's intent to upgrade Bengal's cities in a planned and people-friendly way. "Investments in roads, flyovers, water supply, power and affordable housing will directly improve daily urban life," he said. A boost to infra growth in the districts is what Bengal Srishti Infrastructure Development CEO Mr Sahil Saharia is also betting on.Primarc Group MD Siddharth Pansari also termed it a positive step that will usher in holistic development with community development, futuristic spaces and digital infrastructure. Credai Kolkata President Apurva Salarpuria said: "This will further enhance attractiveness of the state as a business destination and drive demand for office and industrial spaces."Siddha MD Sanjay Jain felt the govt's vision to develop modern, business-friendly and employment-driven cities across the state is a timely and forward-looking step. Credai West Bengal President Sushil Mohta said the realty industry was keen to partner the state in its bid to modernise the towns. Alongside, he also flagged critical infrastructure challenges in certain growth corridors, particularly around crossings such as Barasat and Amtala, where narrow roads and encroachments created major bottlenecks.Patton International MD Sanjay Budhia said: "The move will make these towns business-friendly, environment-friendly and employment-friendly." "This will boost economy by decentralising job creation through sector-specific clusters, while simultaneously driving real estate demand," said Berger MD Abhijit Roy.