Kolkata: Bengal has received an allocation of Rs 13,810 crore in the 2024-25 interim railway budget, minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday. This is 11.5% higher than last fiscal’s outlay of Rs 11,970 crore.
South Eastern Railway has got Rs 5,508 crore, while the break-up for two other railway zones in Bengal — Eastern Railway (headquartered in Kolkata) and Metro Railway — will be available once the Pink Book, the railway ministry’s comprehensive allocation, is released in the next two or three days.
The minister compared the railway funds (Rs 4,380 crore) allocated between 2009 and 2014. “Today, Modiji is giving Bengal Rs 13,810 crore. It’s three times what Bengal got for railways in the UPA government era,” he said. “Unfortunately, the state govt is not interested in railway projects. Several letters have been written… repeated follow-ups made. But the state govt’s support is lacking.”
The minister said that Rs 13,810 crore is a huge outlay and massive work can be done for boosting infrastructure in Bengal if only the state cooperated.
Vaishnaw said 98 stations are getting a thorough overhaul in Bengal. “I have personally seen many of these designs for various stations. They are very good,” he said. Among the major stations being redeveloped are Howrah, Sealdah, Asansol, Malda Town, Burdwan, Chandernagore and Tarakeshwar.
The minister added that 406 flyovers and underpasses have been built in Bengal over the last 10 years.
“We have set up 151 stalls under the ‘one station one product’ project to promote local produce. The railway projects can gain speed if the state cooperates with the railways,” Vaishnaw said.
Last year, Metro Railway had received the highest ever allocation of Rs 3,496.5 crore (165% hike from the previous fiscal), excluding East-West Metro’s Rs 1,000 crore, which comes under a different railway zone.
In the next one month, three Metro lines are gearing towards launch. The chief commissioner of railway safety (CCRS) Janak K Garg is supposed to conduct the final inspections of the India’s first under-river Metro (the East-West Metro’s 4.8 km Esplanade-Howrah Maidan stretch), the Joka-Esplanade’s Phase II (1.2 km extension beyond Taratala to Majerhat) and New Garia-Aiport’s Phase 1 (the 5.4 km stretch from New Garia to Ruby).