Five Maidan clubs to remain temporarily closed for Joka-Esplanade Metro work

Kolkata: In order to make land available for the construction of Park Street and Esplanade Metro stations of the Joka-Esplanade Metro project, five clubs of the Maidan area will be either temporarily closed or relocated.

A joint meeting chaired by the state transport secretary Saumitra Mohan was conducted on July 17 at West Bengal Transport Corporation’s Maidan Tent, where it was decided to temporarily close or relocate five clubs including Calcutta Police Club, Calcutta Kennels Club, Rajasthan Club, Kalighat Club (Sports Ground) and the Kidderpore Sporting Club to enable Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL), which is the implementing agency, to carry out the construction work. According to Metro authorities, these clubs have agreed to cooperate with the Metro Railway authorities for the construction works.

Kolkata Mounted Police Paddock and Riding School will be relocated permanently since a part of the over ground structure of the Esplanade station will be built on the existing ground of this school. Harsimran Singh, Chief Project Manager of RVNL, officials of the Ministry of Defence, Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police Traffic Department, Assistant Commissioner of Police (HQ), Kolkata Police and others were present in the meeting. RVNL has agreed to restore the status quo of these clubs by reconstructing or reinstating the structures after the completion of the metro work. RVNL has requested everyone to clear these sites at the earliest so that the work can begin within a month.