Bengal
CM’s London dreams take a beating
- The Statesman
- 09 Sep 2014
KOPT turns down proposal for Giant Ferris Wheel at Millennium Park
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Haldia, 8 September
The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has turned down the chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s ambitious proposal of setting up of London Eye Wheel on the port land near Millennium Park.
Citing legal provisions, the trustee board members of KoPT, in their board meeting held on 5 September, refused to enter into a joint venture with the state government for the construction and operation of a Giant Ferris Wheel at Millennium Park at Kolkata similar to that of the London Eye.
According to the proposal tabled by Mr RPS Kahlon, chairman of KoPT, the port would not only have to provide its prime land for the said purpose almost free of cost, but would also have to provide funds and other administrative help to execute the work on behalf of the state government.
But during the meeting, the chief legal officer of KoPT said that there was no provision in the MPT Act, 1963 empowering the Board to enter into any joint venture with any state government to award concessions by inviting tender. The officer also opined that the proposal would have to require sanction of the Central Government under Section 42(3A) of MPT Act, 1963.
After hearing the legal restrictions, seven board members, who were present in the meeting, asked the KoPT chairman to first bring Centre’s approval before discussing the project in the board meeting, a senior port official said.
“Out of the seven board members present, four were from KoPT itself. This clearly showed that the chairman has lost the board's confidence. Mr CB Singh and Mr I Jeykumar, who were instrumental in stalling the tender for shore handling of cargo, were conspicuously absent from this meeting”, a source placed in KoPT board told The Statesman. Mr Kahlon was not available for comment. A few months ago, chief-minister Mamata Banerjee announced that Kolkata would soon have its ‘Kolkata Eye’, modelled on the ‘London Eye’, a giant ferris wheel, providing a magnificent view of the metropolis from a height of 120 metres. It was to be constructed at Millennium Park, on the bank of the River Hooghly.
In her Facebook post, Miss Banerjee had written, “This project, the first of its kind in size and magnitude in India, is already underway and is expected to be ready in a year's time.”
She had said that it would be a tourist attraction. The proposal was to have a giant wheel with 36 air-conditioned capsules that. would rotate slowly, allowing tourists to have a view of the city from a height of roughly 100 metres.
Biswabrata Goswami
biswabrata@thestatesman.net
Haldia, 8 September
The Kolkata Port Trust (KoPT) has turned down the chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s ambitious proposal of setting up of London Eye Wheel on the port land near Millennium Park.
Citing legal provisions, the trustee board members of KoPT, in their board meeting held on 5 September, refused to enter into a joint venture with the state government for the construction and operation of a Giant Ferris Wheel at Millennium Park at Kolkata similar to that of the London Eye.
According to the proposal tabled by Mr RPS Kahlon, chairman of KoPT, the port would not only have to provide its prime land for the said purpose almost free of cost, but would also have to provide funds and other administrative help to execute the work on behalf of the state government.
But during the meeting, the chief legal officer of KoPT said that there was no provision in the MPT Act, 1963 empowering the Board to enter into any joint venture with any state government to award concessions by inviting tender. The officer also opined that the proposal would have to require sanction of the Central Government under Section 42(3A) of MPT Act, 1963.
After hearing the legal restrictions, seven board members, who were present in the meeting, asked the KoPT chairman to first bring Centre’s approval before discussing the project in the board meeting, a senior port official said.
“Out of the seven board members present, four were from KoPT itself. This clearly showed that the chairman has lost the board's confidence. Mr CB Singh and Mr I Jeykumar, who were instrumental in stalling the tender for shore handling of cargo, were conspicuously absent from this meeting”, a source placed in KoPT board told The Statesman. Mr Kahlon was not available for comment. A few months ago, chief-minister Mamata Banerjee announced that Kolkata would soon have its ‘Kolkata Eye’, modelled on the ‘London Eye’, a giant ferris wheel, providing a magnificent view of the metropolis from a height of 120 metres. It was to be constructed at Millennium Park, on the bank of the River Hooghly.
In her Facebook post, Miss Banerjee had written, “This project, the first of its kind in size and magnitude in India, is already underway and is expected to be ready in a year's time.”
She had said that it would be a tourist attraction. The proposal was to have a giant wheel with 36 air-conditioned capsules that. would rotate slowly, allowing tourists to have a view of the city from a height of roughly 100 metres.
