Kolkota Diary-9

Residents of Heaven were kind enough to keep the temperature low enough ever since i stepped out of Delhi 10 days ago.

Kolkota, where we are camped now, is no different. it has been raining and cloudy most of the day.
this makes moving around much easier and comfortable. You don't sweat in Kolkota's yellow taxis.
Must tell you, these taxis are the backbone of Kolkota. Get a feeling that hindustan motors survives thanks to Kolkota cab scenario.

After govt of India has more or less moved its sole dependence on Ambassadors over the past several years, sales of Ambassador have plummeted, but not in West Bengal.

no other auto OEM is allowed perhaps to sell their wares for public taxi purpose.

Maybe Hindustan Motors is a Kolkota=based company with a workforce to support. Nothing wrong.
Maharashtra govt used to support Premier Automobiles - makers of Fiat and company based out of the state - as cabs.

Today, the scene has immensed. You find all kinds of cabs in Mumbai beyond Fiats.

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Our day began with a visit to Kolkota Customs as we had been asked to return and give a feedback on Petropole, on the Indo-Bangladesh border through which 60 per cent of trade takes place.
Moreover, we have to get fresh approval to other other Land Customs Stations in West Bengal before proceeding.

Had a long discussion with Commissioner Gurmeet Singh.

Later, we were asked to meet Shailendra Sharma, Additional Commissioner, who had long exposure to LCS in Bengal.

He met us with two of his officers: Assistant Commissioners M K Sharma and P K Sircar in his utilitarian, colour-coordinated, spacious cabin on the third floor of Kolkota Customs House in Babughat.

He heard us out and gave his assessment of the LCS in West Bengal.

Contacts at various LCS were provided and alerted as well about our impending visit. Trade data through various LCS in Bengal into Bangalesh were sought by us and the process is underway.

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Around Esplanade, if you are looking for a decent airconditioned restaurant to sit and eat, you will be disappointed.

For the second time over the past 10 days, we had to go around in circles trying to locate one.  But the plethora of roadside foodstalls, frequented by office goers is amazing. They do roaring business, no doubt.

Alam, my colleague, commented that the Left front government perhaps decided not to  permit growth of such sit-and-eat restaurants and instead encouraged the mushrooming growth of roadside stand-and-eat foodstalls! Don't know, how far that is true. But not a bad hypothesis!

We had no other option but to return to Limelight, opposite Telephone Bhavan, where we ate last time. The staff were familiar with us. Excellent food arrived well in time. Of course, the quantity was huge, forcing us to leave our plates half untouched.

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Cruising through Kolkota is a nightmare. Next port of halt for us was Engineering Export Promotion Council in Woods Street, closer to Park Street. Passing through this famous road (why it is called street?), brought back memories of Harold Robbins 79 Park Avenue, one of his magum opuses, that I had devoured in the mid 1970s.

Bhaskar Sircar, Executive Director, EEPC, was more than happy to hear and share our  views on Indo-Bangladesh trade facilitation study which we were conducting. Over cups of tea, we had long discussion.

When we stepped out, it was almost half past four and decided to return for rest and recovery before starting our interactions the next day.

Another yellow Ambassador cab and another dare devilry ride on Kolkota roads. Traffic planning leaves much to be desired.

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Previous night halt near Howrah station was not much to our comfort and decided to move out to the neighbouring facility. Our choice of The Ashoka Hotel was good. Decent tariff, decent room service, polite staff and lot of quietitude once you are  inside its premises. Fit for business travellers with limited budget. Connectivity is superb. Will highly recommend for new visitors to Kolkota.