Kolkata: The city railway officials are concerned about the Centre's budget allocation for the various ongoing metro rail projects in the city and its suburbs. The rail budget will be placed along with the general budget on February 1.
The stakeholders of the metro projects have learned that rail department is not satisfied with the progress of work in the various metro projects in the city except for the East West Metro.
"We are apprehending that there may be a slash in budget allocation in the metro projects," a top official of Railway Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), which is executing the Joka BBDBAG metro project, said. At present there are five projects whose work is undergoing in the city.
The Joka BBDBAG project has a serious logjam with the Mint at Majerhat still not handing over land for the project. The defence ministry and the finance ministry has not been able to reach a consensus for the allocation. The uncertainty on how to go about with the construction of the Mominpore station still remains.
The Noapara-Baranagar-Dakshineshwar project is stuck in a legal battle regarding eviction of some forcible occupants under the Kamarhati Municipality area. It is learnt that the Prime Minister's office is keen about expediting this project.
The New Garia-Dum Dum Metro project that has cleared some major hurdles this year still has some barriers. The route alignment at Chingrighata is yet to be sorted out as is the problem of relocation of a school and a residential area in New Town. This metro project had the highest allocation in the rail budget last year.
The Noapara Barackpore project has made little progress as the underground gas, telephone and electric lines under BT Road have come in the way of the project.
The underground water pipeline for distribution from Tala water project is also a major hurdle. The Noapara-Barasat via airport metro project has been in a feasibility crisis with the stakeholders completely in the dark about how to progress from Airport to Barasat.
The only metro project that is perfectly on track is the East West Metro from Howrah Maidan to Sector V. The rail department is hopeful that the first phase from Sector V to Sealdah will be operational by June 2018.
Another problem has arisen with Trinamul MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who is also the chairman of the Railway Standing Committee, being arrested in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam. "Who will raise his voice for the state with Sudip Da now in prison?" a Trinamul leader said.
