Kolkata's Comeback

14 May 2006 - 12:00pm

Free enterprise and investment in infrastructure are turning Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, from a "dying city" to a "boomtown".

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"Boomtown fever is gripping this city, where Mother Teresa once ministered to the poor and sick. Dazzling skyscrapers, tacky billboards and huge tracts of land set aside for malls and condos have turned Kolkata into a showcase of free enterprise and private investment...What is happening in West Bengal is emblematic of the economic liberalization sweeping the country and fueling its impressive growth...Residents in Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, describe a revived sense of confidence and can-do spirit..Traffic can still exasperate, but a new highway connects the airport to downtown and a gleaming new bridge spans the Hooghly River..."

Source: The Los Angeles Times, May 12, 2006