Kolkata, Jun 6: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday said that railway projects worth around Rs 1 lakh crore would be undertaken in the state, and directed officials to come up with a schedule for handing over the required land.
Adhikari made the announcement during a joint press conference with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the state secretariat here.
“During the previous Trinamool Congress government, there was a ‘warlike’ situation between the state and the Centre. As a result, railway development in West Bengal had come to a standstill. With the change in government, that problem will be resolved,” he said.
The chief minister said every district of the state would be connected to the railway map.
“If we provide land and no objection certificates (NoCs) to the pending projects, there is still an opportunity of investing another Rs 1 lakh crore for the Railway Board and the ministry,” he said.
Adhikari said his government has already provided 40 NoCs for foot overbridges (FoBs) and underpasses, besides giving land for at least 60 projects.
Besides the modernisation of 102 stations, 538 flyovers and underpasses would be constructed in the state, the CM said.
He asked district magistrates present in Saturday’s meeting, including those attending virtually, to assist the railway ministry in getting land for the announced projects to bring the entire state within the network.
“Understand the vision and mission of our government in clear terms. The manner in which we provided land to the BSF (for fencing), we will work with the same zeal to expand the railway network throughout West Bengal,” Adhikari said at the meeting.
The Railway Board has approved around 61 projects across the state, including key ones in ‘Jangalmahal’, Nandigram, Karimpiur, Jalangi, Tehatta, Nadia, Murshidabad, Lalgarh, Dakshin Dinajpur and Sunderbans, and the extension of the Metro Railway projects, he said.
“The Railway Board provides 100 per cent finance to purchase lands, and in some cases, the state government will purchase and hand over those to the Railways. We will assist the Railway Ministry wherever necessary,” the said.
He directed the DMs to come up with a “calendar”, indicating when land required for railway projects can be handed over so that implementation is not delayed.
“Only participating in the meeting and taking notes is not enough,” Adhikari asserted.
