KMRCL seeks more funds from Rly Board for East-West Metro

KOLKATA: The authorities of the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Limited (KMRCL) have written a letter to the Railway Board seeking more funds to complete the East-West metro corridor project.

The East-West metro corridor plans on connecting Howrah Maidan to Salt Lake Sector-V. A part of the corridor from Sealdah metro station to Salt Lake Sector-V has already started.

However, the construction of the metro at Bowbazar has hit a pause after cracks developed on the buildings at Madan Dutta Lane on October 14, leading to homelessness of around 28 families.

This was the third such incident to have taken place in the area after 2019. In 2019, the cost of keeping the affected residents in hotels and providing them with a one-time compensation of up to five lakh rupees was conducted by the contractor responsible for the construction of the metro. The subsequent incidents have stalled the project. The deadline for its completion has now

been set for 2023 while the

original date of completion was in 2021.

The constant delays and incidents have led to a jump in the cost of its making. The project of Rs 4,500 crore reportedly increased to Rs 8,500 crore, and according to an official the revised cost

estimate is Rs 10,442 crore,

which was sent before the October 14 incident. However, the amount of the additional fund required has not been established yet.