Kolkata should be modernised in line of Bangkok: Buddha

Kolkata, May 27 (UNI) Citing examples of cities like Beijing and Shanghai, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee today emphasised the need to modernise this city.

Speaking at the foundation laying ceremony of a playground and children's park in the northern part of the city, the chief minister said the cities like Bangkok and Shanghai are epitomes of modernisation.

''We should follow the model of these cities while developing Kolkata. The city should be devoid of traffic jams with fast moving vehicles,'' he said.

However, he said modernisation and development of Kolkata should go hand in hand with the development of the poverty-stricken slum-dewellers.

''Around 17 lakh poor slum-dewellers live in the city. We cannot develop and modernise the city at the cost of the poor and unemployed. It will not be development in the real sense,'' he said.

UNI