Kolkata: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday while visiting Kolkata had inaugurated three new metro routes and also laid foundation stones of various projects worth over Rs 5,200 crore.
Talking at the programme, Modi said, “Cities like Kolkata are a rich embodiment of both India’s history and its future, as India moves towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, cities such as Dum Dum and Kolkata will play a pivotal role. 21st-century India requires a 21st-century transport system. Therefore, today across the country, modern transport facilities, from railways to roads, metros to airports are being developed and interconnected.”
The Prime Minister noted that two of the country’s busiest railway stations Howrah and Sealdah are now connected via metro. He pointed out that travel time between these stations, which earlier took around one and a half hours, will now take only a few minutes by metro.
Earlier this day, taking to X, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that she is feeling ‘nostalgic’.
“Allow me to be a little nostalgic today. As the Railways Minister of India, I was fortunate in planning and sanctioning series of Metro Railway corridors in metropolitan Kolkata. I had drawn the blueprints, arranged the funds, initiated the works and ensured that the different ends of the city (Joka, Garia, Airport, Sector V, etc) were connected by an intra- city Metro grid. Later, as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, I had the additional privilege of taking part in execution of the projects. From the State, I arranged free land, paved roads, arranged rehabilitation of displaced people, removed impediments, and ensured all help in the execution of projects. Our chief secretaries successively held series of coordination meeting to ensure integration of execution agencies. My planning as Railways Minister got fulfilment in my participation in execution. Expanding Metro infrastructure has been a long journey for me. Allow me some nostalgia today,” wrote Mamata.
Countering the Chief Minister’s claim, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said, “Your "nostalgia" is nothing but a desperate attempt to steal credit for projects that languished under your watch. As Railways Minister in the corrupt UPA era, you may have got some blueprints sketched, but they collected dust for years due to the UPA Government's infamous delays, and the non cooperation of the WB Govt since you became Chief Minister. Land acquisition failures, and outright non-cooperation by your Administration have plagued the timely execution of these projects. Remember the Sealdah-Esplanade stretch of the East-West Metro, how your Govt tried to botch up the project completely? It was stalled repeatedly because of your Administration's inefficiencies and non cooperation, turning what should have been progressive transportation model into a decade-long embarrassment for West Bengal.”
