State decides to earmark 3.5 acres of land inside premises of Belgachia Tram Depot

Kolkata: The state government has decided to earmark 3.5 acres of land inside the premises of Belgachia Tram Depot for the expansion of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who also heads the state Health department had said on Saturday that an annex building of the hospital needs to be constructed in the backdrop of the hospital being crammed for space.

Banerjee had said that the land of Belgachia Tram Depot just adjacent to the hospital can be handed over to the hospital authorities so that it can be utilised for the expansion in the backdrop of trams having stopped plying along the stretch. Chief Secretary B P Gopalika held a meeting in the presence of senior officials of the Health department, including Principal Secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam, Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal regarding strengthening of security in the hospitals in the backdrop of rape and murder of the post-graduate trainee doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.

Soon after the meeting, Hakim along with Kolkata Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dhawal Jain, senior officials of the state Transport and Health department visited the Belgachia Tram Depot and surveyed the place to earmark the area that can be utilised for construction of the proposed annex building.

Banerjee has also instructed to dedicate a floor of the upcoming building as a mark of respect to the victim. As rape victims cannot be named, a suitable name will be fixed once the building comes up.