Rs 28 crore spent on Kolkata Metro in last 5 years: Centre to Parl
New Delhi: In spite of fast growth and increasing ridership, the country’s oldest underground metro system, the Kolkata Metro, has been granted only a cumulative Rs 28 crore over five years for upkeeping its essential infrastructure of platforms, stations, rail tracks and sheds. The figure was revealed by Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw after resumption of the current Monsoon session. In replying to an unstarred question of Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mala Roy, the rail minister on July 23, replied: “In the last 5 years, the fund spent on maintenance of different assets of Kolkata Metro like platforms, stations, railway tracks, sheds etc. is Rs. 28 crore.”
According to the reply of the rail minister: “The journey of Kolkata Metro started in 1972, when the first section was opened in 1984. Since then, 69 km of metro lines have been built in the city. But if one looks closely at the timeline, a fascinating change in tempo and priority comes to the surface.” He also said that between 1972 and 2014 - 42 years - 28 km of metro lines were built, spending a total of Rs 5,981 crore. As against this, in the period 2014-2025, the city developed 41 km of metro routes at much greater expense of Rs 25,593 crore.
The huge spike in building activity over the last decade represents the central government’s drive towards increasing urban transport facilities in Tier-1 cities such as Kolkata. But action on a number of fronts still remains stalled. The railway ministry pointed out that among the 56 km of new metro projects ongoing in Kolkata, almost 20 km are stuck because of delay in land acquisition and utility shifting. The Centre blamed these obstacles on an absence of cooperation from the state government, again reflecting the ages-old political tension that has frequently hindered infrastructure development in the area.
In the midst of this drive for growth, the matter of maintenance and repair of the current metro infrastructure is just as urgent. While Kolkata Metro remains a lifeline for lakhs of commuters every day, eyebrows are bound to be raised about whether the current maintenance funding level is sufficient. As expansion of the system grows, the need for increased allocation is likely to build up.
