Kolkata: Following the Calcutta High Court suggestion, state government agencies, Metro Railway, and Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) on Tuesday decided to execute the Orange Line work at Chingrighata in the second and third week of November.
The decision came after a four-hour meeting attended by officials of the Transport Department, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department, Metro Railway, RVNL and Kolkata Police, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic III).
Sources said work would be taken up on weekends—November 7, 8, 9, and November 14, 15, 16. Before that, a traffic trial will be conducted on September 13.
The development follows the High Court’s direction that Metro Railway, the state government and other agencies sit together informally to resolve the long-pending issue at Chingrighata. The bench of Justices Sujoy Paul and Smita Das De had observed: “In order to solve the problem which is in larger public interest, why not competent officers of all stakeholders sit together to find out a solution.”
The issue arises from a PIL concerning stalled Metro work between Gaur Kishore Ghosh (near Chingrighata crossing) and Beliaghata stations on the Orange Line. The project was held up due to the absence of a no-objection certificate (NOC) for traffic diversion at the Chingrighata junction.
While the state had insisted that an underpass be constructed before granting the NOC, RVNL argued that the underpass could not be built until Gaur Kishore Ghosh station became operational. RVNL counsel had also proposed working overnight on weekends to complete the three pillars within two weeks, but said police permission for such traffic blocks was not forthcoming.