Keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s slogan of according priority to development over politics the Indian Railways is planning to go full throttle insofar as increasing Railway infrastructure in Bengal is concerned.
This was made clear by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in Kolkata. The Minister who met Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the first time after her massive electoral victory in the State elections said he had a detailed and comprehensive discussion with Banerjee regarding the improvement of infrastructure projects and the Railways had already started taking measures towards that.
In the discussions the Railways particularly showed interest in early completion of mass transport projects like the East-West and Joka-BBD Bag metro lines. The Railways had also agreed to work alongside the State Government to rehabilitate the residents displaced on account of the East-West metro project, sources at Nabanna the State secretariat said. The East-West metro project linking Rajarhat in the north-eastern fringes of Kolkata to Howrah would entail digging of tunnel beneath the Hooghly River.
Banerjee had cleared these projects during her tenure as the Railway Minister in the second UPA Government. The State was also likely to get a wagon manufacturing unit, it was said.
Keeping aside political differences and praising the Chief Minister, Prabhu said “she (Banerjee) herself was a very successful Railway Minister and I had detailed discussion with her” on various issues.
“The State Government has extended all cooperation. The idea is how to redevelop the existing infrastructure and increase it in the State” he maintained and added “we have already increased the share of investment in the State.”
The idea behind the Railway’s increased attention in Bengal is to “create an integrated transport system in Kolkata,” he said.
Speaking to the media persons after their meeting Banerjee said “I would request Prabhuji to send a team to see the ongoing projects so that the work gets expedited.”