Kolkata: Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday urged railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to unveil the 4.5-km Beleghata-IT Centre stretch (Sector V) — by Dec, when the city is set to host the 32nd Kolkata International Film Festival. The CM also sought Centre’s help for a railway line to Gangasagar and assured govt support with land for the project while flagging off Jaipur (Khatipura)–Tatanagar–Santragachi Express on Monday.The trial run on the Beleghata-IT Centre stretch has been going on since Mahalaya. In his address at Santragachi station, the CM said, “Ashwini Vaishnaw has been working for the development of railways in Bengal even before the double engine govt came to power. I urge him to fix a date with PM Modi and inaugurate the Metro project that has been completed. In Dec the international film festival will be held, and then Pravasi Sammelan and World Energy Conference are also lined up. I request for operation of the new corridor to begin before these events.”The railway minister, who attended the event online, replied, “The Kolkata Metro project from Beleghata to IT Centre has been completed and this 4.5km stretch is being connected to the Green Line. Once the trial run is over, I’ll request the PM to inaugurate it… During the inauguration I will come and sit beside you and enjoy the local sandesh here.”The Beleghata-IT Centre stretch is part of the third phase of the 32km Kavi Subhash-Jai Hind Airport Metro corridor. The project had received approval in 2010 while the corridor is being constructed in five phases. In 2024, the service between Kavi Subhash (New Garia) and Hemanta Mukhopadhyay (Ruby) was rolled out. Last year, the service was extended to Beleghata from Ruby.Referring to the Chingrighata issue, the railway minister said, “The present govt in Bengal is supporting me. The earlier govt did not allow work at Chingrighata and former CM Mamata Banerjee had stalled the Metro project. The new govt under Suvendu Adhikari has completed the work.” Adhikari also criticised TMC govt for the roadblock at Chingrighata, in which the Metro project had been stuck for long. “We have resolved the issue in just 17 days,” said the CM.Adhikari’s second request to the railways was for a train service to the pilgrimage site Gangasagar, which had witnessed a footfall of about one crore pilgrims during Makar Sankranti last year. “Bengal needs a railway connectivity to Gangasagar, be it through tunnel or bridge, and this is my request to the railway minister. Gangasagar should make it to the railway map in the country. We are working to open the Muriganga Bridge by 2029,” he said.Slamming TMC govt, Adhikari also said, “About 60 railway projects were stalled by the previous govt in Bengal. We have taken initiative to get them done. Works for 500 FOBs and ROBs to be constructed with central funds were stuck for want of clearance from the govt. We have given the clearance.”
