After their scheduled meeting at Nabanna on Saturday, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced at a joint press conference that ongoing railway projects worth over Rs 1 lakh crore are set to completely overhaul the railway map of the state.
CM Adhikari said every corner of West Bengal will now be connected to the railways. “The state government will extend all possible support in providing the land required for railway development,” he added.
Vaishnaw assured that there will be no shortage of funds. “Under this grand plan, 102 stations in the state will be redeveloped as Amrit Bharat stations. In addition, it has been decided to construct 538 flyovers and underpasses at various locations across the state, which will play a major role in easing traffic congestion,” he added.
The chief minister criticised the previous state government, saying that “due to past non-cooperation, 1.1 billion people of Bengal had long been deprived of railway facilities. However, the state has now begun to reap the benefits of the double-engine government. Approval has already been granted for 61 new railway projects in the state. If these projects are implemented, there will be a revolutionary transformation in the railway connectivity system in both North and South Bengal.”
He directed the district magistrates to draw up a timeline indicating when land required for railway projects can be handed over to the Railways so that implementation is not delayed.
Vaishnaw praised Adhikari for the election win and “saving Bengal” from the Trinamool Congress.
“Congratulations on the way you have saved Bengal. Now you can work. For so many years, development work was stopped here,” Vaishnaw told Adhikari, widely seen as the architect behind the BJP’s turnaround in the state.
Adhikari said the state government would work closely with the Centre to accelerate pending railway projects. He blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led regime for taking Centre-state relations to a “very difficult stage”.
“Just as we have provided land to the BSF to strengthen border security, we will similarly provide land to the Railways for various projects across West Bengal,” the Bengal CM said.
Vaishnaw also took potshots at the previous TMC government, accusing it of delaying several railway and metro projects. He cited the metro project at Chingrighata in Kolkata, where work on a key stretch was delayed due to court battles.
“Projects valued at around Rs 1.02 lakh crore have been pending implementation for a long time… You may recall the case of the metro project at Chingrighata, where the TMC government pursued legal challenges all the way to the Supreme Court,” Vaishnaw said.
“The support of the state government, particularly in matters relating to land acquisition and clearances, will help us execute projects much faster. We are committed to expanding rail connectivity and completing ongoing projects in a time-bound manner,” the Union minister added.
The meeting reviewed the status of ongoing railway projects in West Bengal and discussed measures to remove bottlenecks, including issues related to land acquisition and project clearances.
Railway minister travels by metro, autorickshaw
Earlier in the day, Railway Minister Vaishnaw travelled on the Kolkata Metro from Jai Hind Station to Noapara Station and interacted with fellow passengers to understand their travel experience and gather feedback on metro services.
At the metro station, the minister also met with sanitation staff and appreciated their efforts in maintaining cleanliness.
Thereafter, the Vaishnaw chose to travel by auto-rickshaw from Noapara to the Belghoria Expressway. Following these interactions, the minister proceeded to meet CM Adhikari.