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Bengal

Construction of East-West Metro in full swing: Alapan

All the problems that had cropped up over the construction of East-West Metro have been ironed out and the work is being carried out in full swing, principal secretary of transport department Alapan Bandopadhyay said on Thursday. 

This was a major breakthrough in the transport sector before the two-day Bengal Global Business Summit scheduled to be held in the city from Friday. 

It may be mentioned here that the Union minister of state for urban development Babul Supriyo had said that the project would be completed within two years.

The project is a classic example of Centre-state cooperation.  

The Centre is going to invest Rs 20,000 crore in the Metro projects, while the state government has spent crores to rehabilitate and relocate the affected people.

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is coming to the city to attend the summit, is likely to discuss with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about the progress of Metro projects.  

Kolkata Metro Rail Project limited (KMRCL), the implementing agency for the East West project is waiting for the clearance from the Archaeological Survey of India for the century-old Currency Building on BBD Bag and Synagogue. 

A notional clearance from the Army is also awaited, Bandopadhyay said.

The state government has spent Rs 15 crore to rehabilitate around 1,000 settlers in North 24-Parganas. 

Similarly, in Joka-BBD Bag, affected people have been rehabilitated. The seven Metro projects will cover 127 km. 

Once completed, the projects will connect North and South 24-Pargans with Kolkata. 

The north-south corridor covering a distance of 27.28 km has been built at an estimated cost of Rs 3,400 crore. 

The East-West Metro Corridor will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 5,500 crore. 

Kavi Subhas to airport via Rajarhat will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 4,260 crore. 

Noapara to Dakshineshwar corridor will be constructed at Rs 450 crore. Baranagore-Barrackpore corridor will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,900 crore and Noapara airport Barasat corridor will be constructed at Rs 2,600 crore.

Once completed, the Metro services will help the commuters to save a lot of time. 

A person getting into a Metro from Barasat will take less than an hour to reach Garia. Similarly, another person from Barrackpore will take less than 45 minutes to reach Howrah.

Once functional, the Metro will change the lives of several people living in the suburbs. 

There will be less pressure on the surface transport. It will be a safe pollution free journey, Bandopadhyay said.  
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