Welcome to my world - Arun Majumder

Online Kali Puja - BALAKA

2011-10-24T11:21:00.000+11:00

Live Global Webcast of Kolkata Kali Puja: Online Live Streaming Video for NRIs Worldwide

Washington Bangla Radio USA will present a LIVE online Kolkata Kali Puja global video webcast directly from Balaka Sports Club, BD Block, Salt Lake, Calcutta Shyama Puja Pandal (Marquees) for our NRIs & Bengali expatriate friends scattered acrossed the world.

Washington, DC, Oct 16, 2011 (Washington Bangla Radio / Balaka Sports Club)Washington Bangla Radio USA (WBRi) and Balaka Sports Club of BD Block, Salt Lake, Kolkata will present a LIVE Video Webcast directly from the Pandal (marquee) of the prominent Balaka Sports Club Shyama Puja starting 9 PM Indian time on the night of Kali Puja, Oct 26, 2011 for the benefit of worldwide expatriate Bengalees and NRIs.

This will mark the first time ever in the history of Kolkata and Bengal, indeed India, that a Kali Puja will be broadcast live to a world-wide audience.

The live video internet webcast will be accessible by viewers via their broadband internet connection from http://tinyurl.com/kalipuja2011

Balaka Sports Club, established in 1973 in Salt Lake, organizes a renowned Kali Puja every year attended by a numerous number of devotees. The associated cultural program is known to present live performances by India's who's who of performing artists. This year the performers include Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kunal Ganjawala and others.

Tune into the live video broadcast at http://tinyurl.com/kalipuja2011 at 3:30 PM UTC / 11:30 AM Eastern USA time on Oct 26, 2011.

Interesting post !

2011-09-26T15:23:00.000+10:00

Kolkata in Rs. 100

nice song

2011-09-13T13:30:00.001+10:00

Development of DIGHA - article in TOI

2011-09-09T11:43:00.000+10:00

KOLKATA: Want to dig into sumptuous sea food while tapping your feet to music under a shack by the beach? The sand and sun may be loads of fun next time - not at Goa, but at Digha. The state government has big plans for Digha, which was discussed in great detail during chief minister Mamata Banerjee's meeting with ministers and secretaries at Writers' Buildings on Wednesday.
Officials on Thursday said that the state government has assigned consultant RITES to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) on how to transform Digha into another Goa and the tourism department has already started working on the project.
During her meeting, the CM asked officials to prepare plans to improve Digha as a tourist destination because even as it is just a few hours' drive from Kolkata, its fullest potential hasn't been utilized.
The state government feels that a string of beaches -Digha, New Digha, Sankarpur, Mandarmoni, Junput - may be converted to great as tourist a great attractions like the series of beaches in Goa. - Anjuna, Baga, Calangute, Colva, Miramar, Dona Paula.
Some new beaches may well be created along the line.
Digha is less than 200 km from Kolkata, and is well connected by road and railways. Even if one does not travel in private or government buses, it is also possible to take a quick drive from the city in one's own car. and it is just a few hours of drive.
However, the Digha beach has not been maintained well. Years of neglect haveled to overcrowding. Dearth of good hotels and restaurants has stunted its potential to become a tourist hotspot.
Overcrowded led many to flock to New Digha but it is also now getting too crowded for comfort. There needs to be some check and a method in the madness, say officials.
Closer by is Shankarpur - just 14 km from Digha. Thanks to the overcrowded Digha beaches, Shankarpur is more preferred by many. It has a large stretch which is still unpolluted and is also a regular fishing harbour. It is much more tranquil. Then there is also Mandarmani, which has become more popular in the past few years despite the controversy over encroaching of beach by hotels and resorts. Mandarmani is 187 km - a five hours' drive - from Kolkata. It also has a long beach road.
Another beach, at Junput, is possibly the least utilized of the lot. Located 40 km from Digha, Junput has a lovely beach. with rows of cashew groves and is also well known for its fish.
By the time RITES submits its report to develop Digha in the lines of Goa, officials of urban development and tourism department will put their heads together on September 17 at Digha to work out some details. The CM on Wednesday had insisted on coordination between departments for implementation of projects. The urban development department wants to set up an underwater coral world at Digha. "While this is one part of the plan, there are several more lined up. It has to be done methodically," said an official.
The state government is asking the consultant to follow the models of beach tourism elsewhere in the country and develop it in a way that one can not only enjoy Goa vicariously there but also so that Digha creates its own unique identity as a beach hotspot. State tourism minister Rachpal Singh has already visited Digha and also made some suggestions. "Bengali dishes involving fish have unique taste here and these cuisines can be closely linked with food joints around the beach at Digha," Singh said. The shacks are very popular in Goa and the state is also keen that these are set up along the beach along with delicious cuisines and great music.
"Once the government proceeds to implement these projects, money will be required. The state has to go for tie-ups with private companies in many of these and follow the private-public-partnership (PPP) model," an official said.

Article in TELEGRAPH today - Green Plan for Airport Link

2011-09-08T14:41:00.000+10:00

Green plan for airport roads

“Green corridors” between Park Circus Number 4 bridge and Calcutta airport, and Digha and Haldia, repair of city roads and a housing scheme for the urban poor — Mamata Banerjee today asked the ministers concerned to fast-track work on all these projects.

The chief ministers gave the orders during a meeting at Writers’ Buildings with the ministers and secretaries of the urban development and municipal affairs, tourism, PWD and transport and environment departments. Finance minister Amit Mitra was also present.

“Rajarhat and the VIP road are both used to reach the airport. The green corridor will be on both these roads. The chief minister wants the stretches to be free from billboards. Trees will be planted on both sides of the roads,” a minister said.

“The chief minister made it clear that she wanted results fast and that she would monitor the projects herself,” the minister added.

Mamata instructed the public works, urban development and tourism departments to work in tandem to complete the “green corridor” project at the earliest. She had announced the project days after coming to power.

“The three departments will have to draw up a blueprint and submit it to the chief minister,” the minister said. “The two roads leading to the airport have to be repaired before Puja,” he added.

The road linking Digha with Haldia will also be repaired and similarly beautified.

Mamata said she would hold another review meeting after two weeks. Yesterday, the chief minister had reviewed the work of the panchayat, irrigation, public health engineering and fisheries ministries.

“She will review each project every 15 days. Wherever construction is involved, the department concerned will have to take photographs of every stage and store them as records,” another minister said.

The chief minister asked the urban development department to construct 52,000 houses for the poor in 80 towns across the state. Sources said Mamata had instructed minister Firhad Hakim to finish more than half the project by March 2012.

“Work to construct 10,000 houses has already begun. By March 2012, 32,000 houses will be ready. The remaining will be built by end-2012,” an official said. Sources in the urban development department said the state government would spend around Rs 100 crore on the project.

The chief minister has also given the go-ahead to projects for drinking water supply, sewerage and drainage in Englishbazar, Sainthia, Cooch Behar, Birnagar, Balurghat, Ramjibanpur, Raigunj, Egra and Chandrakona.

A source said Mamata today asked tourism minister Rachpal Singh to focus on developing Digha. The government has also decided to construct a helipad at Haldia.

Rajarhat

2011-09-08T11:09:00.004+10:00

RABINDRA TIRTHA

Spread over 5 acres near 3rd Rotary, Rajarhat this will be an international Resource Centre on Rabindranath Tagore. Completion deadline is 6 months.

KMOMA

2011-09-07T14:59:00.002+10:00

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