Bengal Cabinet Okays Six Smart Cities in the State

The West Bengal Government will develop six smart cities in the state on the basis of importance of those areas in trade, industry and technical education.

"The projects have been cleared by the state cabinet today," Higher Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said here today after the Cabinet meeting.

The six smart cities included airport city developed by the Bengal Aerotropolis Pvt Limited (BAPL) at Andal in Burdwan district, tannery and IT hub at Bantala near here, Durgapur in Burdwan district, Bolpur in Birbhum district, Kalyani in Nadia district and Siliguri in Darjeeling district.

State Cabinet also identified these six cities by six different names, Chatterjee said adding "While the city developed by BAPL at Andal will be known as 'Golden City' and the City at Bantala as 'Sector-VI', Durgapur will be known as 'Silver City', Bolpur as 'Nobel City', Kalyani as 'Knowledge City' and Siliguri as 'Sunrise City," state's Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said.

In all these smart cities, 25 per cent space will be earmarked for those under Economically Weaker Section (EWS), besides earmarking 40 per cent area as 'open space', Hakim said.

"Now the government will ask for preparing Detailed Project Report for all these cities. After submission of DPR before the government, we will be able to follow next steps," the minister said.

During the day, state cabinet also cleared deck for much awaited deep sea port at the Sagar Island in joint venture, Chatterjee said without elaborating the project.

Chatterjee also said that altogether nine new medical colleges, five by the state government and four by private, in the state have been cleared by the state cabinet today.