QKolkata: India’s First Floating Market to Open Today & More
Your daily lowdown of all things Kolkata.
1. With 114 Boats & 228 Sellers, Floating Mart to Open Today
The country’s first floating market in a metro will be unveiled by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Patuli on Wednesday, 24 January. An official said 114 boats will house the market on a 500-metre long and 60-metre wide waterbody. It has been set up by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) for Rs 10 crore on the lines of the floating markets in Thailand.
On Tuesday, 228 vendors, who will be rehabilitated and accommodated in the boats, were selected via a lottery process. The selected sellers, who have been doing business for more than 20 years, had stalls at the nearby VIP Patuli market that has been dismantled.
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Clean Fuel Hope for City As Govt to Tie Up With Gail for Supply
The city can expect a replacement for the most polluting of fuels – diesel – in the next three months, thanks to a Bengal government decision to enter into a joint venture with GAIL (India) Ltd.
The state government on Tuesday, 23 January, told the National Green Tribunal of its decision to enter into a JV with GAIL for the supply of compressed natural gas (CNG). The proposal would be placed before the state cabinet on 15 February, the state Additional Advocate General submitted to the bench of Justice SP Wangdi.
(Source: The Times of India)
3. Centre Prod to Cut Bengal Road Fee
The Centre has asked the Mamata Banerjee government to cut down supervision charges for utility shifting required to widen and upgrade highways after the state requested Delhi to bring some pending projects under the Bharatmala scheme to develop roads across the country.
The Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (Morth) has written to Bengal Chief Secretary Malay De, seeking necessary steps to cut down the supervision charges to 2.5 percent of the cost incurred for utility shifting. The state government at present takes 10 to 15 percent of the cost incurred on shifting underground utilities like waterlines, electric lines and electric poles as supervision charge.
(Source: The Telegraph)
4. Minor Molested, Kin Assaulted in Tiljala
A 17-year-old girl was allegedly molested and her elder brother was beaten up when they were returning to their Karaya residence on Monday, 22 January. According to the victim, the goons even tried to beat up their mother, when she protested. The incident took place at Tiljala Masjid Bari Lane.
It all happened around 10 pm, when the area had several onlookers, who intervened after the victim raised an alarm. Cops have registered a case of threat, hurt and molestation at the Karaya police station.
According to cops, the girl, her 20-year-old brother and 45-year-old mother were returning from her aunt's residence when four men began passing obscene comments. When the victim ignored them, they tried to outrage her modesty.
(Source: The Times of India)
5. Colour-Coded Bins at Stations Go to Waste
Colour-coded bins have arrived at several Metro stations as part of a waste management campaign, but ignorance appears to have foiled intent in the absence of signage telling people which litter to dump where.
Bins meant for degradable waste are green in colour while the ones for non-degradable litter are in blue. At Park Street station on Monday 22 January, a green bin and a blue one stood side by side on the platform for Tollygunge-bound trains. But there was no signage to help passengers make the right choice.
A middle-aged man was spotted throwing an empty water bottle into the green bin before taking a train. The bin was already filled with empty plastic – mostly mineral water and soft drink bottles – that should have been in the other bin.
(Source: The Telegraph)
6. Blaze Piles Debt Burden on Traders
A day after a devastating fire ravaged Gorabazar municipality market, 71-year-old fish trader Kanai Naskar was back doing what he has been doing all life: sell fish. On Tuesday, 23 January, he set up shop amidst charred debris, twisted iron bars, crumpled galvanaised sheets and rotting vegetables, delivering fish for a marriage order he had accepted in advance.
For others, it will take at least a fortnight to be back in business. That is the deadline set by municipality authorities to clear the debris. "The traders may have to resume business under the open sky. But what they desperately need is a space that is clear so that they can begin selling," said Harinder Singh, chairman of the Dum Dum Municipality, after a meeting with the representatives of the market.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. Two Held for Funds Theft
The cyber crime police station in Salt Lake has arrested a finance manager and an accountant of a garment manufacturing and exporting company in Sector V for allegedly siphoning off more than Rs 1.5 crore of the firm's funds.
The accused have been identified as Amit Lohia, 33, a resident of Baguiati, and Sailendar Choubey, 31, from Howrah. Both were picked up from Sector V on the basis of a complaint lodged by Anil Kariwala, the managing director of Kariwala Industries.
According to the complaint, the duo had transferred money from the company's accounts to the accounts they had opened keeping the management in the dark.
The two had unhindered access to the firm's bank accounts as they were in charge of payment to vendors and suppliers of raw materials, an officer investigating the case said.
(Source: The Telegraph)
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