Joka-BBD Bag Metro: State to write to Def ministry to shift Maidan Market

kolkata: The state government will write a letter to the Ministry of Defence to allow shifting of Bidhan Market popularly known as Maidan Market from Esplanade to facilitate work for the Joka-BBD Bag Metro corridor.

The land on which the Bidhan Market is currently located belongs to the Defence ministry.

A high-level meeting was held at Nabanna in presence of the Chief Secretary, senior officials of state Transport department, Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) – the executing agency of the metro project and Defence ministry where a detailed discussion regarding implementation of the project was held.

The state government has proposed temporary shifting the market to the tram depot at Esplanade where necessary work for the project has already been completed by RVNL.

The Defence ministry has asked RVNL to offer them money as lease for taking up construction work of Victoria Memorial station and Mominpore station adjacent to Command Hospital as the land belongs to them.

The state government will ask the Ministry in its letter to allow RVNL to take up construction work free-of-cost, considering the public importance of the project.

The project for the entire stretch from Joka to BBD Bag of 16.72 km was sanctioned at an anticipated cost of Rs. 2619.02 crore in 2010-11 when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the Railway Minister.

The Victoria Memorial authorities have recently given the nod to RVNL to come up with a metro station close to the Memorial.

RVNL has already completed construction of six stations in the 9 km stretch from Joka to Taratala that includes Joka, Thakurpukur, Sakherbazar, Behala Chowrasta, Behala Bazar and Taratala stations.

The Majerhat station is under construction from where the rest of the project will be underground with five stations – Kidderpore, Victoria, Park Street, Esplanade and BBD Bag.

Temporary shifting of a handful of clubs located in and around Maidan area and draining out water from Manohar Das Tarag (water body) located a stone's throw away from Bidhan Market has also been proposed by RVNL.