Don’t politicise, you’re duty-bound: Supreme Court raps Bengal over Chingrighata Metro delay
Telegraph | 24 March 2026
The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Mamata Banerjee government for delaying the completion of the Metro network's orange line, which connects New Garia with the airport.
“This merely exhibits the obstinate attitude of the authority wherein they want to delay and the stall the metro rail project in the city of Kolkata. There was no infirmity in the order passed by the high court,” the Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said in its order, before dismissing the state’s special leave petition.
The CJI said: “We are only pointing out that high court has been very magnanimous. This was a fit case where your chief secretary, director general of police should have been subjected to some action. This shows complete dereliction of your constitutional duty. This is just an attempt to politicise an issue where there is no such issue.”
Completion of work on a mere 366-metre stretch on the Eastern Metropolitan bypass between the Beleghata and Gour Kishore Ghosh (near Chingrighata crossing) stations has remained stalled because the Kolkata Police did not issue the required road-closure permission.
The implementing authority, the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) had sought a No-objection Certificate (NOC) for night traffic blocks on the EM bypass stretch around Chingrighata to set up a concrete block among piers 317, 318 and 319 to fill the 366-metre gap.
The RVNL moved the Calcutta High Court because the cops allegedly sat on the NOC. The RVNL had set a February 15 deadline to complete the work.
The state moved the apex court challenging the Calcutta High Court order.
During Monday’s hearing the state’s counsel sought time till May because elections are underway.
“Do not politicise everything. This is a development issue,” said the CJI.
Justice Joymalya Bagchi chided the state government for prioritising festivals over development projects.
“It is not that you are willing, you are duty bound. You told the high court that you have festivals to take care of. Festival is more important than construction of a transport artery. We do not expect democratically elected government to knock our door and ask for this to be ignored,” said Justice Bagchi. “This was a project before the model code of conduct came into effect. We will not allow the state to use this as a bogey to stall development again.”
The state’s appeal to withdraw the petition was rejected and the bench dismissed the case.
The orange line now runs between New Garia and Beleghata. In the next phase Beleghata will be connected to Sector-V via Chingrighata.