202 families to be relocated to a KMDA plot

Around 202 families will be rehabilitated to a plot of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) for the Noapara-Dakshineswar Metro stretch.

There was a major problem in laying the tracks to extend the Metro service from Noapara to Dakshineswar as there were houses of 202 families on the proposed Metro route.

The houses are in the area under the Kamarhati Municipality. The state government has now decided to relocate them to a plot of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).

With the decision to relocate the people to the plot owned by KMDA, the major problem in extending the Metro services up to Dakshineswar has been solved.

Sources said it has been estimated that there would be an expenditure of around Rs 6 crore to rehabilitate the 202 families.

The work will be done in a war footing and the preliminary assessment in this connection has already been done. The work to construct houses for the 202 families would also start as soon as possible. The work to lay Metro tracks and other works of the project on that stretch would start soon after the rehabilitation of the families.

It may be mentioned that the project of extending the Metro service from Noapara to Dakshineswar was taken when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister.

Metro services from Noapara to Dakshineswar would help thousands of people and it had been a longstanding demand. At present, people from the central business district reach Dum Dum Metro station by availing the Metro service and then they avail the sub-urban train to reach Dakshineswar or Bally across the river. With completion of the project, one can directly reach Dakshineswar by availing a Metro. Those who need to reach Bally, situated across the river, can take an auto-rickshaw after reaching Dakshineswar by Metro.