After Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament last week that a metro project in Kolkata had been halted, both the BJP in West Bengal and the state’s ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), have called for its resumption.
Responding to a question from BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya regarding the government’s plans to build a new metro line between New Garia and Baruipur, Vaishnaw explained that a survey had been conducted, but “the project could not be taken forward due to low traffic projection”.
Jadavpur MP Sayani Ghosh raised the matter in Parliament where she attacked the BJP for only looking after its own interests instead of the welfare of common people.
“We sought an extension of the metro from Kavi Subhash (New Garia) to Baruipur. But I received a letter from the [railways] department where they have said the project is not economically viable and it is unremunerative,” she said.
“I don’t understand. If your goal is to extract money from everywhere, are people voting for you for their benefit or for your profits?”
Local MLA and West Bengal Legislative Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee claimed that the survey report cited by the railway minister to call the metro project economically unviable was old and did not apply in present context.
“The population has now increased since the survey was conducted. The New Garia-Baruipur project is very much viable today. Baruipur Municipality will pass a resolution to demand that the project be restarted again,” Banerjee told THE WEEK.
The Baruipur Paschim legislator added that he would personally submit a report with new details, demonstrating how the metro project would benefit local residents in the region and proving that it would not be economically unviable.
Bhattacharya, the BJP MP who raised the question about the project in Rajya Sabha, said that he would personally take up the matter with Vaishnaw to ask him to reconsider the railways ministry’s decision.
“The minister has not stated that the project has been cancelled. As an MP from West Bengal, I will personally request him to resume the project so that it can benefit the common people,” he told THE WEEK.
Contesting the claim of Ghosh, the TMC parliamentarian from Jadavpur, the Rajya Sabha MP said, “This is not a totalitarian regime. Naturally, operational costs and profitability must be considered. TMC leaders are concerned about this one project. What about the others that are delayed due to the state government’s inaction?”
Bhattacharya highlighted five other metro projects that are currently under construction in and around Kolkata. The railway minister informed Parliament that four of these projects have been delayed due to various issues linked to the state government, such as traffic diversion, land acquisition, and encroachment.
Vaishnaw further stated that delays in land acquisition by the state government are impacting 43 other railway projects located entirely or partially in West Bengal. Of the required 3,040 hectares of land, only 640 hectares (21 per cent) have been acquired so far.